The following is a press release from the City of Santa Monica.
City Manager David White announced the appointment of Feroz Merchhiya as chief information officer to lead the city’s Information Services Department, following a nationwide recruitment.
Beginning his career at Oracle Corporation, Merchhiya has more than two decades of experience in digital transformation, innovation and technology. Most recently he served as the chief information officer and chief information security officer for the city of Glendale, Arizona. He previously led strategic service delivery and technology solutions for Kaygen Incorporated.
“Technology is the cornerstone of city services and operations,” White said. “With Feroz’s wealth of experience in enterprise technology and information security, I’m confident he will build on our information services department’s great work towards even more improvements for our residents and businesses.”
As chief information officer, Merchhiya is responsible for the city’s strategic use of technology and cybersecurity to enhance community experience, leverage data, provide insights and improve services.
Merchhiya will lead the city in implementing strategic technology initiatives in line with the department’s mission to empower people, connect the community and develop solutions to support a digitally literate city. By leveraging technology, the department delivers responsive city services and aims to provide an exceptional digital experience for all residents.
“I am thrilled to join the team of dedicated civic leaders at Santa Monica,” Merchhiya said. “I look forward to leveraging my skills and experience to serve the community, and collaborating with key partners and stakeholders to ensure we embrace the latest technological advancements to deliver streamlined services for all.”
Merchhiya holds a master’s degree in business administration from National University and a bachelor of science degree from Karachi University. He is the recipient of numerous professional certifications and industry awards. He will join the city effective July 15, with an annual salary of $253,674.
