Gupta will take over the role from Brandon Ragle, who has been serving as acting secretary since Jennifer Ricker stepped down in January.
In the state’s announcement, Gov. JB Pritzker underlined both the public- and private-sector IT experience Gupta brings to the position.
“His previous work and vision for enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and user experience make him a vital addition to the agency,” Pritzker stated in the announcement.
Gupta previously served as the chief information officer for the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review. He has also held the position of chief technology officer of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Before joining the public sector, he acquired nearly two decades of experience in management, and as a consultant and analyst with various organizations.
“Over decades in IT, I’ve learned how to apply the private sector’s best practices to government work,” Gupta said in the announcement. “The team at DoIT has propelled the state forward tremendously in the past five years, and I look forward to working with the committed professionals in Illinois.”
Gupta holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Punjab Engineering College, a Master of Science from Wayne State University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Ragle, former acting secretary, will remain with DoIT as the deputy secretary, a position that is also pending Senate confirmation. He has been in state service for more than three decades. During Ragle’s time as acting secretary, DoIT was upgraded to an A- in the Center for Digital Government’s 2022 Digital States Survey.*
*The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Government Technology's parent company.
