Illinois governor appoints acting CIO to full-time role

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday announced that Brandon Ragle, who has served as the state’s acting chief information officer in recent weeks following the departure of CIO Sanjay Gupta, has been appointed to the full-time role.

This is not the first time Ragle has led the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology — he also served as acting CIO in 2023 for about six months, after Jennifer Ricker stepped down. Ragle then moved into serving as deputy secretary and deputy CIO following the Gupta’s appointment in June of 2023, and has served as the acting CIO in Gupta’s absence since March 21.

“I am deeply honored by Governor Pritzker’s appointment as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) and State CIO,” Ragle said in a news release from the governor’s office. “Having witnessed the dedication and talent within DoIT, I am excited to lead this team in a collaborative effort to strategically advance technology for the benefit of all Illinoisans. Our focus will be on ensuring secure and accessible digital services and empowering our client agencies with the cutting-edge tools they need to achieve their missions and better serve the state.”

Ragle has worked for the Illinois state government since 2002, when he started as a software engineer for the Department of Insurance focusing on data management and software implementation. In 2016, he transitioned to DoIT, serving as deputy chief and then chief of enterprise applications.

During his time at DoIT, Ragle is credited with building stakeholder relationships, modernizing the IT infrastructure for customer support and operational accessibility, and managing the department’s $1.1 billion budget, the state’s news release said.

“As part of our continued efforts to bolster the technology and innovation sectors across our state, I’m excited to appoint Brandon Ragle as the next leader of DoIT,” Pritzker said in the release. “I’m confident that his extensive expertise and leadership experience will optimize software systems and support staff across the agency. I look forward to leveraging his distinct operational knowledge to further DoIT’s critical statewide initiatives.”

Ragle’s appointment still requires confirmation from the state’s senate.