James Mason – Chief Executive Officer

Department of Corporate Services – IT ServicesEnterprise Architect and Business Systems Manager Yunus has worked for Bradford Council for the last 15 years in the Information, Communication and Technology Department. He was seconded to IBM and Serco under the Strategic IT Partnership from 2005 – 2015, delivering IT Services to Bradford Council. Yunus’ current remit is to manage and lead the Enterprise Architecture and Business Systems Services at Bradford Council, to deliver solution designs, manage IT security, govern the core council’s network and voice services and provide database and information management to council departments including major business systems that the council uses.  He also leads on the smart cities technology for the council, which can help transform the lives of the citizens, from sensors and devices in homes to the environment they live in. Yunus’ ambition is for Bradford to become truly a technological incubation hub in the country for innovation and creativity in the smart cities space. Born and educated in Bradford, Yunus’ career started off by graduating from the University of Bradford, with a degree in Computer Science, and starting his first job with Bradford Council as a Junior Computer Officer where he worked himself up to where he is now as the Head of Enterprise Architecture and Business System Management. Yunus has achieved and holds the following roles: Recognised by the World CSR Congress as one of 51 Global Smart Cities leaders 2018 – 2019 and 2019 – 2020 Winner of the Partner Excellence Award with Ele at the iNetwork Awards in 2018 – 2019Winner of the Most Creative Video at the iNetworks Awards in 2017 – 2018Finalist in the Local Government Challenge in 2015/2016Launched the LoRaWAN (Low Powered Wide Area Network) and Things Network (Leeds and Bradford) – one of the first open to the public network for IoT (Internet of Things) devices in the United Kingdom and in the NorthChair of the Yorkshire and Humberside National Cyber Security CentreLead at the National Cyber Security Centre Training ProgrammeMember of the National Technical Reference GroupChair of the Yorkshire and Humberside Warning Alerts and Reponses PointChair of the Yorkshire and Humberside Public Sector Network and Health and Social Care    Network (Technical Procurement)Member of the Industrial Advisory Board – University of BradfordChair of the GIS Board for the CouncilChairmen for Unite the Union at Bradford CouncilChair of Governors at Westbourne Primary SchoolBench Chairman of the Bradford and Keighley Magistrate Courts – AdultsBench Chairman of the West Yorkshire Family Panel Yunus is the youngest Bench Chairman in the West Yorkshire Region to hold both Judicial Posts as a Magistrate. Sectors worked in and routes taken:            Sectors worked in and routes taken: Education  Access to working in this sector was a very traditional route for Yunus: 8 GCSEs (A-C)A-Levels in Maths, Chemistry and PhysicsFoundation year in Mechanical Engineering BSc (Hons) Computer Science at the University of Bradford IT/Public Services Yunus gained his knowledge and experience working for the council and working in Public Services such as Chair of Governors at a local primary school and as a Magistrate in West Yorkshire.   Education  Access to working in this sector was a very traditional route for Yunus: 8 GCSEs (A-C)A-Levels in Maths, Chemistry and PhysicsFoundation year in Mechanical Engineering BSc (Hons) Computer Science at the University of Bradford IT/Public Services Yunus gained his knowledge and experience working for the council and working in Public Services such as Chair of Governors at a local primary school and as a Magistrate in West Yorkshire.