David Burden joined the company on 1 November 2002 from Qantas where he was Executive General Manager, Technology and Services until 2001. His brief at Royal Mail is to drive the development of smart IT and technology investments throughout the business and his appointment demonstrates Royal Mail's determination to get the most out of major IT projects. As the Chief Information Officer at Qantas he led the development of an integrated IT infrastructure and applications portfolio after the merger with Australian Airlines. Prior to joining Qantas, he was Chief Information Officer at Air Canada in Montreal and he also worked with the Canadian Prime Minister's National Advisory Board on Science and Technology with special responsibility for matters relating to the Financing of Industrial Innovation.