Bill Oates is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston, Massachusetts. Oates was named Boston’s first Cabinet level CIO by Mayor Thomas M. Menino in June of 2006. As CIO, Oates is charged with spearheading the City’s technology initiatives and is responsible for the delivery of IT services in support of the various city functions.
Under Bill’s leadership, the City of Boston has been recognized as a leader in leveraging technology to improve citizen engagement and access to services. In 2011, Oates was recognized as one of the “Top 25 Public Sector Innovators” by Government Technology Magazine and named the New England CIO Innovation Award winner by Mass High Tech. In 2012, Bill was inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame by IDG’s CIO Magazine and was also recognized as a finalist for the MIT Sloan CIO Award for Innovation.
Prior to joining the City, Oates served as the Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Based in White Plains, NY, Starwood is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world. Named CIO in June, 2000, Bill was responsible for delivery of the Company’s global information technology services.
A graduate of Boston College, Oates is also an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar. He received his JD from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and was awarded his LL.M in Global Technology Law in 2005. In 1996, Oates was inducted into the hospitality industry’s “Technology Hall of Fame” for his vision in applying technology to the business.
Mr. Oates is based at Boston’s City Hall. A native of the Boston area, Bill is married with two children.
