Wann spent more than three years in the role and confirmed to Government Technology that Thursday, May 11 was his final day in the position.
“I love consulting and want to be able to assist other entities in shaping customer-centric business interactions, not only in vision, but putting a plan together and executing on it,” Wann wrote in a LinkedIn message.
A Missouri Office of Administration spokesperson confirmed that John Laurent, the deputy CIO, has been named acting CIO. Laurent first started working with the state in 2021 as chief of business system development, and was promoted to deputy CIO in November 2022.
"John has extensive experience in information technology leadership roles and will be a great asset for the state in this transition," wrote Office of Administration Public Information Officer Chris Moreland in an email.
Wann announced on LinkedIn on May 15 that he is looking for new opportunities.
“It has been a great experience and I have made huge improvements for the people of Missouri that will affect our children and grandchildren for years to come! I am particularly interested in consulting services, serving on boards and assisting other states in digital government transformation,” he posted.
During his time as Missouri CIO, Wann led the effort to secure $126 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and developed a strategy to overhaul the state’s computer system. He also worked to develop a single sign-on portal for residents and workers in the state, deployed multiple citizen-facing chatbots to increase call center volume and improve customer service during COVID-19, consolidated all call centers using cloud-based advanced call center technology and won multiple awards and designations for his work. Another significant initiative involves citizen journey-mapping to improve experience.
Before his tenure as Missouri CIO, Wann served in technology executive positions in companies including Erie Insurance and Edward Jones, as well as technology officer positions within the Federal Reserve System.
