HMRC IT chief stepping down for Aviva role

The chief information officer of the HMRC, Phil Pavitt, has announced he is to leave the post next year to take up a role at insurance giant Aviva.

Pavitt has been at the HMRC since 2009 where he led the execution of their IT strategy. Pavitt will leave in the New Year to take up a role as global director of IT transformation at Aviva, , the HMRC confirmed.

"Having completed a number of major transformations at HMRC, Phil indicated that he wished to return to his private sector career. We would like to thank Phil for his work at HMRC," it added.

V3 contacted Aviva for comment on its hire but had received no reply at time of publication.

Pavitt has always been an outspoken member of the government's upper IT echelons, telling V3 in May that the security on Apple's devices such as the iPhone is "appalling" and ruling out the possibility of letting his staff use the devices for government work.

He has also helped oversee numerous transistions in the department, helping drive savings of almost £230m during his tenure.

His departure marks another loss for the government from its main IT roles, after other high profile staff such as former G-Cloud director Chris Chant and former government CIO John Suffolk who joined Chinese firm Huawei.