New Barclays COO to lead IT cost-cutting drive

Barclays has created a new chief operating officer (COO) position within the IT department to run the banking group's 'Getting IT Right' programme.

Barclays has appointed Heather Campbell as the new COO for the CIO office, and she will report directly to the group's CIO Don Trotta. The bank already has a group-wide COO, Paul Idzik, who has been in the post since 2004.

Campbell will be responsible for enhancing IT effectiveness across the Barclays businesses through the 'Getting IT Right' programme. She will also lead strategy, vendor management, governance, quality assurance and reporting, and the co-ordination of the IT agenda with the bank's HR and finance groups.

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Campbell joins Barclays from Canadian telco and media company Rogers Communications, where she was VP of planning, performance and governance. She has previously also held senior technology leadership roles at BMO Financial Group and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Trotta said Campbell brings strong strategic and planning skills to the bank.

He said in a statement: "Her in-depth knowledge of technology and business will be invaluable to help create and develop the COO function and support the on-going development of Barclays IT capability."