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Philip Virgo

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Philip Arthurton Virgo (born London, 24th November 1946): appointed Executive Chairman of the UK Conservative Technology Forum in October 2011.

For over 30 years he has been a leading thinker, influencer and campaigner and, since 2007, blogger [1] helping shape IT and Comms policy and awareness by all UK political parties to improve UK public service delivery [2].

Personal

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Son of Ernest Stanley Virgo (Civil Servant who introduced Charollais cattle to UK and in retirement secured refund of £250 million of illegally claimed VAT taxes to voluntary sports clubs [6]) and Olive May Arthurton (former children’s nurse who tended dying servicemen during World War 2).

Education and Training

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Philip Virgo, MA, MSc, MBCS, MIDPM, MIM, FRSA went to Wyborne Primary School from which he won an LCC Scholarship to Dulwich College (1957 – 65). He was an Exhibitioner at Peterhouse College Cambridge (Matriculated 1965) and read History with Brian Wormald as his Director of Studies and Maurice Cowling as his Tutor.

In 1968 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a ship's radio operator. He had a narrow escape when he had to drop out of his qualifying cruise on HMS Fittleton (M1136): his replacement was trapped in the radio office when the ship capsized.

In 1971 he gained an MSc from the London Business School where his supervisors included Charles Handy.

In 1975 he attended trade union ASTMS courses on negotiation. .

Professional

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In 1968 he joined Standard Telephones and Cables Microwave and Line Division transferring from 1969-1977 to public sector planning and policy roles at ICL. In spring 1977 he moved to the Wellcome Foundation’s group corporate planning directorate, planning, reviewing and vetting major (£50 million plus) projects and investments in over 50 countries.

In 1982 he joined the National Computing Centre (NCC) where he set up a Technology Assessment Service, headed the NCC Microsystems Centre and End-User Computing activities, and developed national IT skills policy. He left the NCC in 1986, but maintained links through his company Winsafe Ltd where he helped lead national UK IT training initiatives and the Women into IT campaign (1988-1992).

From 1993 – 96 he served as a specialist advisor to the House of Common Information Committee inquiries into the computing needs of MPs and of Parliament and how they might be funded and organised

In 1993 he became Strategic Advisor to the Institute of Data Processing Management (later renamed the Institute for the Management of Information Systems) looking at the issues that affected IT managers world-wide, and in 1994, and until 2011) became founding Secretary General of EURIM, the Information Society Alliance.

In 1995 he was asked to brief the Shadow Chancellor, Gordon Brown on the economic and skills implications of Y2K - his 1996 IT Skills Trend report “The End is Nigh” [7] contained the analyses and recommendations requested.

Among the major exercises he organised at EURIM were the study into Partnership Policing (from 2003 – 6), the scrutiny of the legislation to create Ofcom and of the UK proposals for ID cards.

In 2006 he was Chairman of the Real Time Club for its 40th Anniversary.

He was a founder member of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, a City of London livery company.

Political

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He joined the Orpington Young Liberals in 1964 and then Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA) in 1965. After graduation he was active with Young Conservative groups and the Bow Group where he set up a study group on the need for a government policy to support of an indigenous computer industry.

That Bow Group study team evolved to become the Conservative Computer Forum (January 1978) with Michael Spicer as President and Philip Virgo as chairman whose publication “Chasing the Chips” [8], helped form the Conservative IT Policy draft for the 1979 election. The Conservative Computer Forum became an all-party group which merged with the All-Party IT Committee to form PITCOM in January 1981.

In 2007 he started a blog, hosted by Computer Weekly: “When IT Meets Politics”.

In June 2011, came Executive Chairman of the Conservative Technology Forum with a remit to organise policy teams on the technology related issues for the UK Coalition Government to address.

Publications

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  1. ^ [1] “When IT Meets Politics”
  2. ^ [2] for biographical notes.
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5], Cashing in on the Chips (Conservative Political Centre).
  6. ^ [6], referenced in obituary for Dick Robinson.
  7. ^ The End is High 1996 – 2001 IT Skills Trends Report (IDPMS and Computer Weekly 500 Club)
  8. ^ Cashing in on the Chips (Conservative Political Centre)