Two months after stepping down as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s chief digital officer, Sree Sreenivasan has been hired by Mayor Bill de Blasio to reprise the same role for the city of New York. Sreenivasan succeeds Jessica Singleton, who has held the position since January 2014.
In an official statement, de Blasio said: “With Sree Sreenivasan’s wealth of experience, I am confident that he will work to promote transparency, access, and progressive values with our digital tools.”
The mayor is referring, of course, to the celebrated tech guru’s history of heading up the digital teams of some of New York City’s most esteemed institutions, including the Met and Columbia University. Sreenivasan assumes his new post this fall.
Mayor Bill de Blasio. Courtesy photographer Spencer Platt, courtesy Getty Images.
In a statement, Sreenivasan promised to “draw on what I’ve learned working in four critical NYC industries: Education, media, arts and culture, and nonprofits.” The crux of the chief digital officer’s responsibilities will involve managing a young network called Digital.NYC, an technology initiative launched by the mayor in 2014 to connect start-ups, investors, and other members of the industry through “a first-of-its-kind hub for New York City’s tech ecosystem.”
During his three-year tenure at the Met, Sreenivasan spearheaded landmark changes for the venerable institution. As Brian Boucher reported in June: “Sreenivasan oversaw the development of a museum app; a video project in which artists discuss inspiring works from the collection; and updates to the museum’s website, among other initiatives.” The museum, which is currently in the throes of a $10 million deficit, may be forced to lay off up to a hundred employees to offset their debts.