The U.S. Small Business Administration has appointed Hartley Caldwell as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO), signaling a continued push to strengthen the agency’s digital operations and leadership capacity. Caldwell replaces Douglas Robertson, who had been serving as acting CIO after previous leadership changes within the agency’s IT office.
Caldwell brings with him a significant track record in financial services and enterprise technology. According to publicly available information, he most recently served as CIO of Global Banking at Fiserv, a leading fintech and payments firm. His earlier roles include senior technology positions at Citigroup, E*Trade, and IBM.
This appointment comes at a critical time for the SBA, which is actively working to enhance the digital tools and services it provides to America’s small business community. From loan access to disaster recovery programs, many of the agency’s core functions increasingly rely on secure, efficient, and scalable IT systems.
Caldwell’s selection aligns with broader trends across the federal government, where several agencies have recently installed new CIOs to lead modernization efforts. With a blend of private-sector experience and enterprise-scale technology leadership, Caldwell is expected to play a key role in ensuring the SBA can meet the growing digital demands of small business owners across the country.
His appointment also reflects a wider recognition within the SBA of the strategic importance of technology—not just as a support function, but as a core enabler of economic growth and service delivery.
As Caldwell steps into this new role, many in the small business community will be watching to see how the agency leverages his experience to improve usability, accessibility, and efficiency across its digital platforms.