PRESS RELEASE : Emran Mian appointed as Director General, Digital Technologies and Telecoms [July 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 17 July 2023.
Emran Mian CB OBE will join the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as Director General for Digital, Technology and Telecoms.
Emran joins from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities where he has served as Director General for Regeneration, Housing and Planning and brings with him a wealth of experience in government having worked across Whitehall, including at the then Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Education.
He will take over the role previously held by Susannah Storey, following her appointment as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As Director General, Emran will oversee Government’s relationship with regulators Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office as well as executive agency Building Digital UK. He will oversee the rollout of Project Gigabit, the government’s flagship £5 billion programme which will enable hard-to-reach communities right across the UK to access lightning-fast broadband. This will ensure over 85% of premises are connected to Gigabit capable broadband by 2025.
Emran will also play a central role in preparations for the upcoming global summit on artificial intelligence (AI) later this year. The summit will agree targeted, rapid, international action to develop the international guardrails needed for the safe and responsible development of AI.
He will also lead on investing in the government’s supercomputing capability, driving economic growth through digital markets and reforming data rights laws to boost productivity, whilst also working with Ofcom to support the introduction of the new online safety regulatory framework, following the passage of the Online Safety Bill.
Permanent Secretary for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Sarah Munby said:
I am delighted to welcome Emran Mian as Director General for the Digital, Technology and Telecoms group at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Emran joins us at a pivotal moment for the Department and brings with him valuable experience from across Government and beyond which will position him well to lead us as we continue to carve out our position as a global tech superpower.
