Between a private sector CTO and a public sector official, the Obama administration went with the latter and appointed India-born-Tanzania-bred Vivek Kundra as its Chief Information Officer. Fortunately for the Obama administration, Kundra does not need them to sponsor a H1B visa. [TOI]
Kundra is no slouch and is well known for his innovative approach to mundane government IT problems. [WP]
Here’s an interesting story from the Washington Post article on Kundra:
One of his earliest memories after moving to Maryland is seeing a TV commercial for dog food. “I was shocked,” he said. “I was used to seeing people starve in Africa. It was mind-boggling to me that people could afford to feed their dogs!”
His frugal upbringing may contribute to his eye for economical solutions. The project managers on the “stock floor” he set up say he bases every decision on reams of data. If a project is losing money, he and his team go to the “Oxford-Union debate room,” where the employees are tasked with convincing him why a venture should be saved.
A government official who understands the concept of sasta aur tikao** gets the Über Desi stamp of approval.
**Hindi slang for economical and effective
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