Worshipful Company of Information Technologists

The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, also known as the Information Technologists' Company, is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The company was granted livery status by the Court of Aldermen on 7 January 1992, becoming the 100th livery company. It received its Royal Charter on 17 June 2010 from Prince Edward.[1][2]

Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
The coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
MottoCito
Latin for swiftly
LocationBartholomew Close, City of London
Date of formation1992 (full livery)
Company associationInformation technology
Order of precedence100th
Master of companyMark Holford
Websitewcit.org.uk

Overview

The company has over 800 members – all currently or formerly senior practitioners in the information technology industry. The Information Technologists' Company is unusual for a 'modern' (post 1926) livery company in that it has its own hall.[3] The hall is located on Bartholomew Close, near to Barbican tube station, and was bought largely thanks to the generosity of Dame Stephanie Shirley and others. Prominent members of the company include Tim Berners-Lee, Vint Cerf, Sherry Coutu, Bill Gates, Tom Ilube, Mike Lynch, Ken Olisa, David Wootton, Dame Stephanie Shirley CH and several past Presidents of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, including Dame Stephanie.[2]

The company ranks 100th in the order of precedence for the City livery companies. Its motto is Cito, meaning 'swiftly' in Latin, a word which also incorporates the initials of the Company of Information Technologists.

The company is a member of the Financial Services Group of Livery Companies, the other twelve members of which are the Chartered Accountants, Chartered Surveyors, Actuaries, Arbitrators, International Bankers, Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, Insurers, Solicitors, Management Consultants, Marketors, Tax Advisers, and World Traders.

Activities

The company has a significant charitable and educational programme which uses the expertise, resources and networks of its members, and it is also involved in a range of activities to promote the information technology profession. The four pillars of the company are charity, education, fellowship and industry. [3]

The company has a number of panels through which activities are organised. It is probably unique amongst Livery Companies in having an Ethical and Spiritual Development Panel, which considers such topics as the ethical and spiritual implications of the Internet – running colloquia on that topic in the House of Lords as far back as 1997.

Working with charities

Getting the maximum benefit from IT is now a pre-requisite, not just for commercial organisations but also for the charity sector. The company works with a wide range of non-profit organisations with the aim of helping them to gain the maximum benefit from their IT. Members give their time and expertise to provide pro-bono IT advice (usually at a strategic level). In addition, iT4Communities is the national IT volunteering programme, introducing volunteer IT professionals to charities needing IT help and support. iT4C was set up by the Worshipful Company in 2002 and since then has registered over 5,000 volunteers and more than 2,500 charities. iT4C has delivered over £3 million worth of support to the charity sector thanks to the work of the dedicated volunteer IT professionals.

Education

For hundreds of years, livery companies have supported schools in London and across the United Kingdom. Currently, the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists has a partnership with Lilian Baylis Technology School in Lambeth. Previous projects include HOLNET (the History of London on the Internet), which is now incorporated into the London Grid for Learning. In 2011, together with the Worshipful Company of Mercers (the premier livery company), they opened Hammersmith Academy. [4]

IT profession

With members coming from all sectors of the IT field, the company can provide a neutral meeting ground for discussion of issues that are central to both the profession and the City of London. It also runs a Journeyman Scheme which supports young IT professionals in the early stages of their career.

Support to the armed forces

The company is affiliated with the Royal Corps of Signals, the Joint Forces Cyber Group and HMS Collingwood.[5]

It is also affiliated with 46F (Kensington) Squadron, Air Training Corps, and Beckenham and Penge Sea Cadets.[6]

List of recent Masters
YearMaster
1986/1988Barney Gibbens OBE
1988/1989Robert Reid CBE
1989/1990Alan Rousell
1990/1991Robin Laidlaw
1991/1992Alan A Benjamin OBE
1992/1993Steve Shirley OBE
1993/1994Peter Monson
1994/1995Sir Brian Jenkins GBE
1995/1996Ric Gainsborough Foot OBE
1996/1997Keith Arnold OBE
1997/1998David Mann
1998/1999Tricia Drakes
1999/2000Peter Cropper
2000/2001Sir Fredrick Crawford DL
2001/2002John Carrington
2002/2003Peter Morgan MBE
2003/2004Campbell McGarvie
2004/2005Roger Graham OBE
2005/2006John Leighfield CBE
2006/2007Colin Knight
2007/2008David Morriss
2008/2009Josephine Connell OBE DL
2009/2010Charles Hughes
2010/2011Ken Olisa OBE
2011/2012Jonathan Soar
2012/2013Michael Grant
2013/2014Michael Webster
2014/2015Nicholas Birtles
2015/2016Alderman Sir David Wootton
2016/2017Christopher Histed
2017/2018Dr Stefan Fafinski
2018/2019Lady Parmley (Wendy)
2019/2020Ray Long CB
2020/2021Mark Holford

Company chaplain

Father Marcus Walker

References
  1. Histed, Christopher (2010). A Celebration of the Granting of the Royal Charter to the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists. London: Worshipful Company of Information Technologists. ISBN 978-0956601100.
  2. Goodwin, Bill (22 June 2010). "Worshipful Company of Information Technologists receives Royal Charter". Computer Weekly. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  3. Engel, Matthew (21 December 2012). "British institutions: livery companies". ft.com. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  4. "Hammersmith Academy". The Mercers' Company, City of London, UK. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  5. "Livery Company Affiliations with the Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve)". Stepping Forward London.
  6. "EXTERNAL LINKS". Worshipful Company of Information Technologists.
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