aneesh chopra named first u.s. chief technology officer

On Saturday, President Obama named Aneesh Chopra to the newly created post of Chief Technology Officer -- apparently somewhat of a suprise pick in technology ciricles, where speculation over the past three months had focused on more high-profile candidates: Obama names first US chief technology officer.

Chopra, whose background is in health policy, has served as secretary of technology for the state of Virginia and as an executive in a company which advises hospitals. Here's an interesting profile on Chopra from several years back: He's No Technologist, But Moves in Tech Circles.

As the country's first Chief Technology Officer, Chopra will use technology to "improve security, ensure transparency, and lower costs." He'll work closely with Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, who is responsible for setting technology policy and federal technology spending. More here: Obama Picks Technology And Performance Officers.