Virginia governor appoints former adviser as chief transformation officer
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday appointed Robert Ward, his former senior adviser, to serve as the state’s next chief transformation officer.
Ward started in the governor’s office in August and was responsible for advising Youngkin regarding the management of the state’s real estate holdings, according to Ward’s LinkedIn. He joins the new role just two months after the state’s former chief transformation officer, Eric Moeller, departed the position for a new job as head of transformation at the investment firm Stonepeak.
“It’s remarkable to welcome such distinguished professionals to our team who are committed to enacting meaningful and lasting change across the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a press release announcing several new appointments, including a new lottery director and tax commissioner. “Their experience and expertise will help us build on the progress we’ve made in our first two years and continue to better serve Virginians.”
Ward worked for two decades at the construction firm Skanska USA Commercial Development in a variety of roles. At the time of his departure, he was the company’s president and chief executive officer.
“Robert engaged and partnered with companies across the U.S., Central Europe, and the Nordics, and demonstrated Robert’s ability to transform, develop and lead complex projects in many different geographies,” the release said.
As Virginia’s chief transformation officer, Ward will be responsible for supporting agency secretaries with technologies that improve their operations.
One recent project led by the role aimed to reduce wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Another project was a collaboration with other state agencies to improve the re-entry process for incarcerated people. That project focused on improving access to housing, medical and behavioral health care, substance abuse treatment, employment and supervision via a website.
