Scott Jones

President | Shared Services Canada

Scott Jones was appointed President of Shared Services Canada (SSC) effective September 11, 2023. Previous to this appointment, he was Executive Vice-President of SSC and, concurrently, Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada. Prior to April 2022, Scott was the Federal Lead on Proof of Vaccine Credentials and Associate Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). He collaborated with federal partners, provinces and territories to successfully deliver the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination program that is used for travel in Canada and internationally. Scott also led IRCC’s efforts related to digital transformation, modernization, IM/IT and data, as well as the Citizenship and Passport programs. From October 2018 to August 2021, he was the founding Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Communications Security Establishment (CSE). Since beginning his career in 1999, Scott has held various positions at CSE. They included Assistant Deputy Minister of IT Security; acting Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services; Chief Financial Officer; and Director General of Cyber Defence, providing leadership in the areas of signals intelligence and IT security. Before that, he worked at the Privy Council Office as a National Security Policy Advisor in the Security and Intelligence Secretariat. Scott has been with the public service for over 25 years. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he earned a Master of Business Administration. Scott also holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electronic Systems Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Regina.

Renée DiResta

Author | Invisible Rulers

Renée DiResta studies adversarial abuse online, ranging from state actors running influence operations, to spammers and scammers, to issues related to child safety. She is the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. From 2019-2024 she was the Technical Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, a cross-disciplinary program of research, teaching and policy engagement for the study of abuse in current information technologies.

Edward Santow

Co-Director and Professor | Human Technology Institute

Edward Santow is the Director - Policy & Governance at the Human Technology Institute, and Industry Professor - Responsible Technology at the University of Technology Sydney. Ed is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. Ed co-founded the Human Technology Institute, which he leads with Prof Nicholas Davis and Prof Sally Cripps. Ed's focus areas include digital government, the future of AI regulation, AI assurance, facial recognition technology and digital identity. Ed serves on the Australian Government's AI Expert Group, Government Service Delivery Advisory Board and National Quantum Advisory Committee. Ed also serves on a number of state government advisory bodies, including the NSW Government AI Review Committee. Ed serves on a number of boards and committees, including CareerSeekers. He is a patron of the Refugee Advice + Casework Service, and a Fellow of the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion. The Human Technology Institute promotes human rights in the development, use, regulation and oversight of new technology. HTI has three interconnected laboratories: the Human Technology Skills Lab, Tools Lab and Policy Lab. Ed’s areas of expertise include human rights, technology and regulation, public law and discrimination law. From 2016-2021, Ed was Australia's Human Rights Commissioner, where he led the Commission's work on AI & new technology; refugees and migration; human rights issues affecting LGBTIQ+ people; national security; and implementing the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture. In 2009, Ed was presented with an Australian Leadership Award, and in 2017 he was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Ed previously served as chief executive of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and was a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Law School, a research director at the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, and a solicitor in private practice.

Nina Maturu

Design Strategist, Futurist, and White House Presidential Innovation Fellow

Nina Maturu is a design strategy and future sensing expert with more than fifteen years of experience in social impact, innovation, and customer experience. She is currently a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow, bringing private sector innovation methods to the US government, and is Founder of Constellation Design Strategy, driving human-first thinking for multilateral organizations like the United Nations. Previously, Nina served as a Principal at What If Innovation, where she led teams of designers and technologists to create new products, services, cultures, and policies for Fortune 500 companies. Nina has also led customer experience strategy at American Express and spent six years as a community organizer in New York City, Japan, India, and Tanzania. Outside of work, you will find her training the next generation of innovators at Parsons School of Design, New York University (NYU), and the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. Nina received her MBA and Master of Public Policy at University of Michigan and a BA in History from NYU.

Alistair Croll

Co-founder & Chair | FWD50

Alistair makes early-stage companies improve their go-to-market strategies, and works with some of the world’s largest firms on business model innovation. He also helps governments understand the impact of technology on society, ethics, and resiliency. As an entrepreneur, Alistair co-founded Coradiant; the Year One Labs accelerator; and a variety of other startups. He has also launched and chaired some of the world’s leading conferences on emerging technology, including Startupfest, Strata, Cloud Connect, FWD50, Bitnorth, Scaletech, and more. Alistair is the author of four books on technology and entrepreneurship, including the best-selling Lean Analytics, which has been translated into eight languages and is in its tenth printing in China. He speaks internationally on topics such as data science, innovation, scaling startups, digital government, AI, and applying critical thinking to technology. A graduate of Dalhousie University, he has also been a visiting executive on data science and critical thinking at Harvard Business School.

Hillary Hartley

Chief Executive Officer | U.S. Digital Response

As USDR’s CEO, Hillary sets the strategic vision for the organization and helps oversee all operations. Hillary most recently was the Chief Digital and Data Officer and Deputy Minister for the provincial government in Ontario, Canada. Hillary was previously the head of the Ontario Digital Service, joining the province in April 2017 as Deputy Minister Responsible for Digital Government. She also served as Deputy Minister of Consumer Services, which included the government’s retail services operation (ServiceOntario), and programs focused on consumer protection. Prior to coming to Ontario, Hillary was the Deputy Executive Director of 18F, a digital services agency in the U.S. federal government, and was a Presidential Innovation Fellow in 2013. She has worked with governments across jurisdictions for twenty-five years, serving as a director at NIC Inc., an organization that helps governments deliver programs and services online.

Daniel Davies

Author | The Unaccountability Machine

Dan Davies is an author, economist and consultant who studies decision making systems and the history of management theory. His latest book "The Unaccountability Machine" (long listed for the FT Schroders Book Award) looks at accountability and complexity in the context of information and systems design.

Dan Honig

Associate Professor | Georgetown University McCourt School

Dan Honig is an associate professor of public policy at University College London's School of Public Policy/Department of Political Science, and an associate professor (with tenure) at Georgetown' University's McCourt School of Public Policy. My most recent book, Mission Driven Bureaucrats (Oxford University Press, 2024). explores how the humans who work for the state often are or can be driven by a desire to help deliver on the things their agency does - educating children, helping sick people get better, ensuring the trains run on time. "Managing for compliance" - rules, regulations, targets - works for some kinds of tasks and people, but not others. I conclude based on my own research and that of many others that in some contexts what I call "managing for empowerment" - allowing autonomy, cultivating competence, and creating connection to peers and purpose - is more likely to lead to better organizational performance. Compliance levers are useful; but we have been pulling those levers (and more or less only those levers) for a half-century now in our attempts to improve Government. In all the many places that hasn't worked, it's time to try something else. From 2023-8 I'm the Principal Investigator on Relational State Capacity, a European Research Council-awarded five year exploration of state capacity which argues we need to move beyond simply seeing state capacity as the technical ability of the state to "make" or "deliver" things. Public welfare improvement often involves not just technical, but also social, infrastructure (e.g. developing the best COVID vaccines or contact tracing system will not lead to desired public health outcomes without citizens taking vaccines or responding accurately to contact tracers). I think we will better be able to understand and build the state's capacity to make citizens' lives better if we conceive of capacity as in part a function of the relationship (and relational contract) between citizens and state agents. I'm a member of Georgetown's Better Government Lab; a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development; an associate of Harvard's Building State Capability Program; an SNF Agora Faculty Affiliate; a member of the Scholars Strategy Network; a senior fellow at Artha Global, and on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Policy, amongst other appointments. I've had the impact of my work recognized in a variety of fora, including lists of the 100 most influential academics in government and 50 most influential researchers shaping 21st century politicians. If you're a public servant or leader and believe my work might be of benefit to your team or agency, please don't hesitate to get in touch and explore if we at Georgetown's Better Government Lab can support you. Outside the academy I was special assistant, then advisor, to successive Ministers of Finance (Liberia); ran a local nonprofit focused on helping post-conflict youth realize the power of their own ideas through agricultural entrepreneurship (East Timor); and have worked for a number of local and international NGOs. I've lived, worked, and/or done research in Bangladesh, East Timor, India, Israel, Liberia, The Netherlands, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Thailand, the UK, and the USA. A proud Detroiter, I hold a BA from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), am a "Woo" (alum of Princeton's SPIA, despite receiving no degree; exited to take employment with the Sirleaf administration in Liberia), and hold a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Angeles Kenny

Principal Consultant | Public Digital

Angie Kenny is a Principal Consultant at Public Digital. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, she previously worked as a policy advisor in the Argentine public sector. She worked at the National Government on political reform. At Buenos Aires City Government she was an advisor to the Chief of Cabinet, and before to the Minister of Modernization. She is a Latam specialist and has experience with international organizations in Belize, Colombia and Panama. Angie has also contributed to research projects about adapting institutions to the digital era, and data analytics in government. Angie has an honors degree in Political Science from the Universidad Católica Argentina, where she later joined as an associate professor. As a Chevening Scholar, she completed a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Management at University College London during 2017/18.

Heidi Uchiyama

Director | Public Digital

Heidi Uchiyama is a strategic design specialist. She works with organisations managing and coaching delivery teams in order to improve user experience for government services. Recently, her main focus has been helping organisations transform culture, develop team skills, and change processes.

Pooja Warier Hamilton

Chief Partnerships Officer | Apolitical

Pooja is Chief Partnerships Officer at Apolitical, a global network and learning platform with a mission to help build 21st century governments that work for people and the planet. Prior to Apolitical, Pooja was the Founding Managing Partner of Conduit Connect, an impact investing platform for investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders. She was also the co-founder and CEO of UnLtd India, an incubator for social entrepreneurs. Pooja has been recognised as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, an Aspen India leadership fellow and a TED India fellow.

Jesse Samasuwo

Senior Manager: Policy & Insights | Apolitical

Jesse Samasuwo leads Apolitical's policy and insights work. That centres around understanding key trends in government and their impact on public servants. He has led several major research projects, including most recently the Learning and Skills Trends Survey with over 2,000 public servants globally. Prior to Apolitical, he worked extensively as a researcher on a range of policy topics.

Kimberley Hutchinson

Learning Experience Design Lead | Canada School of Public Service

Kimberley Hutchinson is a learning design lead and mind mapper at the Digital Academy at the Canada School of Public Service. She has worked for Canada’s public service since 1996 for several departments in the Yukon Territory and in Ottawa. Kimberley is from London, Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Education. She is passionate about creating inclusive and engaging learning.

Jessica van Onselen

Director of Communications & Marketing | Apolitical

Jessica is a communications strategist and entrepreneur. Prior to joining Apolitical, she was founder and managing director of BrightGuide Ltd, specialising in dynamic communications to support transparency and good governance. She has spent almost two decades working with governments and the private sector on communication and partnerships in Africa, the UK and the United States. She studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and Wits Business School in South Africa.

Blair Neufeld

Executive Director, Product | Alberta Technology & Innovation

Blair’s role as Exec Director, Product, is to re-imagine how government delivers services by designing and developing products with small agile teams. This involves leading ever-evolving teams, managing change with colleagues and creating conditions for doing good work.

Cale Rubenstein

Product Supervisor, Product Lead | Public Sector

Cale Rubenstein is a product lead with almost four years of experience in leading public sector programs. He currently works at 18F, located within the Technology Transformation Services and part of GSA. Previously, he was the Acting Deputy Director for Login.gov, a Product Manager at 18F, and Product and Technology lead at NASA. Prior to joining civil service, Cale worked in product management at The Washington Post and National Public Radio.

Elizabeth Ayer

Product lead | Public Sector

Elizabeth Ayer is the product lead for Notify.gov, a government-supplied text message service to help agencies communicate with the people they serve. She’s also a writer, speaker, and independent product consultant. Previously, she served as the public benefits portfolio manager for 18F, a consultancy within federal government. She cut her produce teeth in industry as a product and portfolio manager for Redgate, a Database DevOps vendor, and as a product manager for product lifecycle management software at Siemens. As a free-range thinker, Elizabeth joins up the spaces of product leadership, sociotechnical architecture, and inclusive team practices for more humane organisations.

Michael​​​​ Nelson

Senior Fellow, Asia Program | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Mike Nelson is a senior fellow in the Carnegie Asia Program. He helps decisionmakers understand and address the impacts of emerging technologies, such as digital technologies, biotechnology, and machine learning. Prior to joining Carnegie, he started the global public policy office for Cloudflare, , a startup that has improved the performance and security of more than 10 million websites around the world. Nelson has also served as a principal technology policy strategist in Microsoft’s Technology Policy Group and before that was a senior technology and telecommunications analyst with Bloomberg Government. In addition, Nelson has been taught courses on the future of the internet, cyberpolicy, technology policy, innovation policy, and e-government in the Communication, Culture, and Technology Program at Georgetown University. Before joining the Georgetown faculty, Nelson was director of internet technology and strategy at IBM, where he managed a team helping define and implement IBM’s next generation internet strategy. He serves as a trustee of the Institute for International Communications and was selected to be a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum. From 1988 to 1993, he served as a professional staff member for the Senate’s Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space and was the lead Senate staffer for the High-Performance Computing Act. In 1993, he joined Vice President Al Gore at the White House and worked with President Bill Clinton’s science adviser on issues relating to the Global Information Infrastructure, including telecommunications policy, information technology, encryption, electronic commerce, and information policy.

Ryan Androsoff

CEO & Founder | Think Digital

Ryan Androsoff is the Founder and CEO of Think Digital, a consultancy focused on helping public sector organizations to adapt and thrive in the era of digital disruption. He is also the host of the Let's Think Digital podcast that explores how technology is transforming government. Ryan is an international expert on digital government with a passion for public sector entrepreneurship and more than two decades of experience working with government and international organizations in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Ryan is also an Associate with the Institute on Governance where he leads their digital leadership programs. An experienced and dynamic presenter, Ryan has delivered hundreds of presentations over the past decade on various aspects of digital government and public sector innovation and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his leadership and expertise in digital transformation. Ryan was a Co-Founder of the Canadian Digital Service, a startup organization within the federal government launched in 2017 with the mission of helping government design, prototype, and build better digital services. Previously, he had been a Senior Advisor in the Government of Canada’s Treasury Board Secretariat since 2010, where he worked on initiatives to improve digital service delivery capacity across the federal government and led efforts to modernize how public servants communicate and collaborate online. Ryan also served as a member of the OECD’s Digital Government Team in Paris, France where he was involved in projects that included digital governance reviews in Northern Ireland and Slovakia as well as open data and digital capacity building in the Latin American, Middle Eastern and North African regions. Ryan is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he earned a Master in Public Policy degree, with research focused on the impacts for governments of new digital technologies. Ryan also has an Honours degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University in Ottawa.

Natalie Evans Harris

State Chief Data Officer | State of Maryland

Natalie Evans Harris serves as Maryland’s State Chief Data Officer. An ecosystem builder at heart, she is a mission-driven data scientist, strategist and speaker with over 20 years of experience advancing the public sector’s strategic use of data. Leading initiatives, coalitions and organizations to powerfully and equitably leverage data to combat economic and social injustice. As a leading voice in the responsible use of data for social impact, she has spent her career working with a broad network of academic institutions, data science organizations, application developers, and foundations to advance the responsible use of data. Prior to joining Governor’s Moore Administration as the State Chief Data Officer, she was the founding executive director of the Black Wealth Data Center and as a senior policy advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, under the Biden Administration. Ms. Evans Harris served as a senior policy advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer in the Obama administration and spent 16 years at the National Security Agency. She holds degrees from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and George Washington University. Ms. Evans Harris has a master’s degree in public administration from The George Washington University and bachelor’s degrees in computer science and sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter.

Anna Hirshfeld

Director | Public Digital

Anna leads digital transformation programmes which deliver real human impact. She is an experienced leader who builds and scales teams to solve highly complex problems. This includes working with governments and public agencies to transform their services so they are human-centred, secure and efficient for both civil servants and citizens. Clients she has supported include the governments of Nova Scotia and British Columbia, UK Research and Innovation, and Homes England. As Interim Executive Director at the Nova Scotia Department for Cyber Security and Digital Solutions, Anna reset and then led a large-scale transformation to deliver a new digital vehicle and driver licensing service. This involved founding and scaling new multidisciplinary teams, creating a transformational roadmap, designing new end-to-end services, and introducing new governance structures across three government departments. Prior to joining Public Digital, Anna was Senior Product Manager on the Universal Credit programme, successfully taking it from proof of concept to a scaled live service supporting six million people. This was the biggest transformation in the UK benefits system since the founding of the Welfare State. Anna is a leading expert on digital identity. She worked with GOV.UK Verify to integrate it with Universal Credit, and now sits on the OECD panel helping to draft the Recommendation on the Governance of Digital Identity.

Simon Foot

Director, Public Digital

Simon is a product and agile delivery specialist who supports governments and organisations in transforming their services to be intuitive and efficient. With experience leading the delivery of complex government projects, Simon helps teams simplify and solve challenges, focusing on starting small, delivering value early, and then scaling. His deep expertise in service transformation, organisational design and product management enables him to support teams in developing solutions by focusing on outcomes. As a transformation leader, Simon is also highly skilled in building and coaching multidisciplinary teams. Clients he has supported include the governments of Nova Scotia and British Columbia, as well as the What Works Cities Certification Program for Bloomberg Philanthropies. Prior to joining Public Digital, Simon was a Lead Product Manager on Universal Credit (UC) - the UK Government’s radical reform of its welfare system. He led multiple product teams and was instrumental in building culture and ways of working to scale teams across multiple locations as the service went from proof of concept to supporting over six million people. Most recently he led the product development of Move to UC, migrating the remaining 2.5 million households claiming legacy benefits and tax credits to UC.

MacEachern Alexandra

Director of Digital Delivery | Public Digital

Alex is a digital transformation expert who works with leaders and their teams to adopt Internet era ways of working and reap the benefits they afford. Drawing on a rich experience across government policy and politics, Alex specialises in dismantling blockers and translating a vision for change into actionable steps. Engaging a broad range of stakeholders and fostering collaboration, she crafts strategies that support, empower and fund agile teams. Prior to joining Public Digital, Alex enjoyed a varied career at the Treasury Board Secretariat, including at the Canadian Digital Service (CDS), where she was Chief of Staff to the CEO in a period which saw the team grow from 30 to 150 people. She was instrumental in delivering flagship CDS programmes including Covid Alert, which had nearly 7 million users. Her other roles included Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Strategic Engagement, where she worked on the Digital Credentials Programme for Canada. Alex’s career began as a lawyer working against internet child exploitation, and pivoted into senior policy advisor roles for three Cabinet Ministers on Parliament Hill. Alex champions inclusive service design and empowers ways of working that consider bilingualism, accessibility, and Reconciliation from the get go and never as an afterthought.

Ashley Owens

Founder and President| Paradigm Shift Consulting, LLC

Ashley Owens (she/her) is both a public servant and a private consultant, known for her expertise in technology acquisition strategy. She serves as an Acquisition Strategist, providing expert guidance to government programs and project teams. She promotes her concept of the “user-centered procurement lifecycle,” focusing on delivering and managing superior digital services for customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and the public. Ashley began her career with the U.S. federal government in 2010 after earning an MBA in Agribusiness. In her private consultancy, Paradigm Shift Consulting, she advises small business owners, particularly those from minority backgrounds, on navigating federal government contracting and offers a wide range of procurement advice, including structuring offices, processes, and standards. She also collaborates with state and local governments to teach agile acquisition techniques. Colleagues and clients appreciate Ashley's deep expertise in government acquisition, coupled with her boundless energy and passion for agile methodologies. She is dedicated to transforming procurement practices. Her favorite saying is, "Everything in government is acquisition adjacent; let's design contracts for real people."

Erica Vezeau

Director General, Digital Academy and GC Data Community | Canada School of Public Service, Government of Canada

Erica is the Director General of the Canada School of Public Service’s Digital Academy and the Government of Canada Data Community. In this role she provides learning to help public servants gain the knowledge, skills, and mindsets they need to succeed in the digital age. She has 20 years of previous private- and public-sector experience in program administration, service design and delivery, and strategic planning. Erica’s belief in a citizen-centric delivery has driven her experience in several digitally-enabled projects that modernized business processes and improved government services.

Bryon Kroger

Founder & CEO | Rise8

Bryon Kroger is the Founder and CEO of Rise8, spearheading initiatives to deliver software solutions 25x faster than traditional methods. A former US Air Force targeteer with firsthand experience of the devastating impact inadequate software has on mission success, Bryon co-founded Kessel Run, the US DOD’s first software factory, where he pioneered the first continuous Authority to Operate (cATO). Today Bryon is the leading expert on cATO and the bureaucracy hacking necessary to continuously deliver valuable software users love.

Honey Dacanay

Director-General, Digital Policy and Performance | Treasury Board Secretariat

Honey is a digital transformation leader with significant experience leading public sector renewal and reform initiatives in the Governments of Canada and Ontario. In 2019, she was named one of Apolitical’s “World’s 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government.” In addition to being a Director-General, Digital Policy and Performance with the Government of Canada, Honey co-teaches Digital Transformation in the Public Sector at McMaster University. Some of her projects include: advancing implementation of Canada's digital standards and Policy on Service and Digital; designing and overseeing Canada's first agile governance pilot; developing a data-driven approach to modernizing Canada’s income security programs; leading development of an introductory digital curriculum for 289,000+ Government of Canada public servants; leading teams that developed and enshrined Ontario’s digital service standards in landmark legislation, the Simpler, Faster, Better Services Act, 2019.

Natasha Clarke

Deputy Minister | Nova Scotia Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions

Natasha Clarke is the Deputy Minister of the Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions. Natasha is a passionate, values driven leader that empowers her teams to design and deliver solutions that put user needs first. As the public’s digital expectations continue to rise, Natasha meets – and exceeds – these expectations by placing Nova Scotians at the heart of what we do. Her mission is simple: build programs and services that are easy and accessible for the people that use them. She does this by investing in people, challenging outdated mindsets, and creating meaningful partnerships inside and outside the organization. With over 25 years of experience navigating the evolving digital landscape in Nova Scotia and beyond, Natasha inspires the people around her through her courageous leadership and commitment to all Nova Scotians.

Maddy Dwyer

Policy Analyst, Equity in Civic Technology | The Center for Democracy & Technology

Maddy Dwyer serves as a Policy Analyst on CDT’s Equity in Civic Technology team, where she focuses on the responsible, equitable use of data and technology by public agencies and civic institutions to improve outcomes for individuals and the public good, while ensuring it does not come at the expense of privacy and civil rights. Prior to joining CDT, Maddy served as a Communications Associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts working with their Broadband Access Initiative and Civil Legal System Modernization Project. There she supported each policy team’s strategic communications efforts, including building communications campaigns for their state and federal advocacy work, assisting with research publications, and crafting advocacy messages to policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to advance the projects’ goals. Before joining Pew, Maddy served as a Communications Intern for CDT and has completed many communications and public affairs internships in industries such as cosmetics and personal care, healthcare, and water utilities. Maddy holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Stanford University, with a concentration in Race in American History and Politics. She also holds a Master of Arts in Media and Strategic Communication from The School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.

Kent Aitken

Director | Canada School of Public Service Digital Academy

Kent works in public sector technology and innovation as a practitioner, researcher, advisor, and executive. He’s currently a Director at the CSPS Digital Academy, a learning organization designed to support digital capacity and initiatives across the Government of Canada. Primarily a Government of Canada public servant since 2009, he adds experience from sojourns outside of government including the Prime Ministers of Canada Fellowship at the Public Policy Forum to study and advise on governance in the digital age and the OECD to work with countries around the world on public sector innovation.

Luana Silveira de Faria

Ministry of Public Management and Innovation - Brazil | Head of LA-BORA! GOV - Innovative Management Lab

I am a psychologist and a Federal public servant in Brazil, leading LA-BORA! gov, the Innovative Management Lab at the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. With a Master’s in Business Administration specializing in People, Innovation, and Results, I design behavioral science-driven interventions to enhance public sector workplaces. As an Advisor at MIT GOV/LAB, I contribute to global governance innovation. I am also a Danida Fellow with expertise in Nudging & Behavioral Insights from iNudgeyou in Denmark. My leadership has been recognized with nine prestigious awards, including the Creative Bureaucracy Award (Germany, 2023), Global Government Excellence Award (Dubai, 2023), and Global Public Service Team of the Year Awards by Apolitical (London, 2022). My work earned further recognition at the 5th Enap Innovation Contest (2021). Beyond my leadership role, I am a facilitator and professor at many institutions. I specialize in teaching employee experience design, innovation techniques, hybrid and remote team management, empathetic communication, data storytelling, psychological safety, creative confidence, engagement, well-being, productivity, and inclusive management. My mission is to drive innovation in the public sector by creating positive, inclusive, and impactful work environments that foster both personal and professional growth.

Kristel Van der Elst

Director General | Policy Horizons Canada

Kristel Van der Elst is the Director General at Policy Horizons Canada. She is the former Head of Strategic Foresight at the World Economic Forum. Kristel has over 20 years of experience in forward-looking strategy and policy advisory roles. She works with senior executives and policy makers, providing the insights, resources and processes to help them turn long-term strategic thinking into actions and impacts. Kristel holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management, a Masters in Development Cooperation from the University of Ghent, and a Masters in Commercial Engineering from the Free University of Brussels. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar.

Dr. Wafa Snaineh

President, Gov. Design Academy Board Member | The International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government

Dr. Wafa Snaineh is supporting several whole-of-government CX transformation programs in the Middle East region and worldwide. As the Chief Editor of GovCX Journal, she is leading cutting-edge research in the field and collaborating with a number of leading government officials to support advancing the CX profession in the public sector including Singapore, Estonia, Denmark, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA. In 2006, Dr. Wafa was recognized by The European Centre for Total Quality Management in the UK among the top 10 global CX thought leaders, and in 2009 as the first Arab with the highest academic credentials in the field. She is currently working with academics from University College London to further advance the research on competencies of front-line staff and their role in the CX transformation process. Dr. Wafa is the lead author of the Dubai Model for Government Services. She played a founding role in the Dubai Model Centre and in developing the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Program for Smart Government. She is the architect of City Makers, the design lab by the Government of Dubai and the first of its kind in the Middle East region. She is currently supporting the Abu Dhabi Government in its ambitious CX transformation agenda. Additionally, Dr. Wafa authored the Service Delivery Standards across the government omni-channels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and contributed to the definition of its digital transformation assessment method. Dr. Wafa is the President of Gov. Design Academy based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and a board member at The International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government. She has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Jordan University, a post graduate degree in Research Methods, a Master’s degree in Performance Management, a post graduate diploma in Research Methods and a PhD in Customer Experience Management from the University of Bradford, UK.

Andres Raieste

Senior Vice President - Public Sector (Global) | Nortal

As a Senior Vice President at Nortal, a leading global government consulting and digital services powerhouse, Andres is responsible for growth, innovation and leadership in public sector industry. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Andres began his career in Estonia as a digital government expert. Since then he has been responsible for many high-impact large-scale government transformation programs and reforms globally, as well as produced thought leadership and developed practices to make governments digital and deliver better services to its citizen.

Lena Mohr

Service Designer | German federal DigitalService

Lena had already worked several years as a UX designer and researcher, when she started to look for a more meaningful field to apply her skills. Taking a break from her freelance projects, she got in touch with the DigitalService during a three month fellowship. In a small, interdisciplinary team, she worked with the government's department responsible for the Digital Strategy and was amazed by the motivation and dedication of the policy makers she met. She decided to join the field of public services full-time and is now working on redesigning the process of digital-ready legislation. Besides process-mapping and asking the right questions, she writes children’s stories about empowerment and equality.

Sabrina Feuerherd

Service Designer | German federal DigitalService

Sabrina Feuerherd works as a service designer at DigitalService to design better government services for everyone. Using a broad range of design methods, she loves to seek out patterns in complex issues. Before joining the DigitalService, Sabrina was offering Service Blueprint trainings and mapping as a freelancer and worked at Service Innovation Labs with companies from the mobility and finance sector, helping them to design user-centered services. In her free time, Sabrina enjoys strolling through bookstores and, as the former founder of Berlin's only Zero Waste Meetup, pays attention to sustainable living.

Dominic Rochon

Deputy Minister, Chief Information Officer of Canada | Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Dominic Rochon was appointed Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and Chief Information Officer of Canada on February 12, 2024. Before joining TBS, he was the Associate Deputy Minister at Transport Canada, following three years as the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of National Security and Cybersecurity at Public Safety Canada. He has also held senior roles in central agencies, including the Privy Council Office and TBS, and with the Communications Security Establishment. Dominic has extensive experience in strategic policy, strategic planning, strategic communications and in overseeing a range of operational issues within the Government of Canada. Dominic received his B.A. (Honours) in Political Science, International Politics from the University of Ottawa. He is married with two children.

Sultan Abdelkarim Fahad Al Jasmi

Customer Insight & Analytics Director - Customer Experience Sector | Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi

Sultan Al Jasmi is an accomplished communications and analytics professional with over 17 years of experience in strategy, policy development, customer services, and media relations. A graduate of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development Program, he currently serves as the Customer Insight & Analytics Director in the Customer Experience Sector at the Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi. In this role, Sultan leads efforts to analyze customer insights and enhance customer experience strategies. Previously, he worked in communications and campaigning for major government services and initiatives, successfully improving customer experience and strengthening community support for these programs. His extensive background includes serving as Communications Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he played a key role in public diplomacy and media relations. He has also held positions as the Director of Government Communications at the Ministry of Culture and the Director of the Strategic Communication Unit at the UAE Government Media Office. Additionally, Sultan has held significant roles at The Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. Notable achievements in his career include managing communications for the UAE Cabinet and major government initiatives and events, such as the launch of UAE Vision 2021, and the World Government Summit.

Mihkel Solvak

Associate professor (PhD) | University of Tartu

Mihkel Solvak is an Associate Professor in Technology Research at the University of Tartu and Vice Dean for Research and Development of the Faculty of Social Sciences. He manages a research group that develops and pilots data driven machine learning powered digital services in Estonia using registry and log data. He also researches what factors lead more likely to uptake of digital services and how trust affects service usage.

Siim Sikkut

Managing Partner | Digital Nations

Siim Sikkut is Managing Partner at Digital Nation, a digital change advisory network originating from Estonia to build future-ready digital societies around the world. Digital Nation advises government leaders on digital strategy, the leadership and governance for delivery, large-scale digital service reforms, public sector innovation and government AI uptake. Siim led the digital government development and digital policy in the Republic of Estonia for 10 years, most recently as the Government Chief Information Officer (CIO) from 2017 to 2022. He has been recognized as one of the world’s TOP20 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical, and was co-founder of Estonia’s groundbreaking e-Residency program. Siim is the author of “Digital Government Excellence: Lessons from Effective Digital Leaders”, a book published globally in 2022.

Melanie Miles

Director, Enterprise Risk Office | Bank of Canada

Melanie Miles, Director, Enterprise Risk Office, Bank of Canada Melanie Miles is an experienced Enterprise Risk Management professional with a diverse background in corporate communications, technical communications and training. Melanie has been with the Bank of Canada for over 10 years and is currently a Director in the Enterprise Risk Office leading broad risk analysis, monitoring, and reporting to risk committees and the Board of Directors. Melanie’s risk management background includes leading a cyber risk assessment, the development of a cyber risk appetite and KRIs, and experience as a leader in security risk management. Melanie is passionate about the importance of clear, accessible, and actionable risk communication to inform strategic decision making. Melanie holds a Master of Arts degree from York University and completed a Master Certificate in Risk Management and Business Performance Leadership from the Schulich School of Business.

Meghan Hellstern

Facilitator & Trainer| Think Digital

Meghan Hellstern takes complex challenges and turns them into radical ideas and practical solutions grounded in peoples’ needs. Drawing upon a tool belt of innovation approaches, facilitation tactics and human-centred design methods, she leads teams to expand their notions of what is possible. She has worked with organizations like various parts of the Government of Canada, the Dais (formerly the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship) at Toronto Metropolitan University, Code for Canada, MaRS Solutions Lab, and the City of Toronto to create meaningful and long-lasting change over the last 15+ years. In her spare time, she can be found organizing growth retreats for her community and friends, sharpening her mindfulness practice, and DJing in The Junction area of Toronto where she lives.

Dorothy Eng

Executive Director | Code for Canada

Dorothy helps organizations and institutions use science and technology to solve problems. She is passionate about lending not only her voice, but her hands, to develop tech-based solutions that create meaningful change in our communities.

Nyka Alexander

Communications Lead, Health Emergencies | World Health Organization

Nyka Alexander is a communicator and former broadcaster. She works at the World Health Organization where her team provides information to the public on WHO’s work in emergencies such as disasters, outbreaks and conflict, on the risks people face in these emergencies, and on how they can protect themselves. She has degrees in physics, journalism and international relations.

Silvana Santos Gomes

Instructor and PhD Candidate in Public Administration | University of Ottawa

Silvana Gomes is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration at the University of Ottawa, where she is affiliated with the Centre on Governance. With a background in law, political science, and public administration, her experience spans applied research, policy analysis, and legal advisory for several organizations in Canada, Brazil, and Europe. Her research interests include digital government, public sector innovation, federalism, and multi-level governance.

André Côté

Director, Policy and Research | The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University

André (he/him) has worked in a variety of roles at the intersection of policy, higher education and tech. As mission-driven consultant, offering strategic advice, research and other services to a range of clients. As senior advisor to Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of advanced education and skills development, and for digital government services. As chief operating & strategy officer with NEXT Canada, a national non-profit incubator for entrepreneurs and start-ups. As ed tech innovator, developing the Dive: Student Aid digital case learning model with TMU’s Leadership Lab and other partners. And as a director on the Board of eCampus Ontario. He’s published many papers, reports and articles, including in other past roles with IMFG, a cities-focused research institute at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; and with the Public Policy Forum. André is a graduate of the Munk School’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) program and Queen’s University, and grew up in Ottawa.

Tanya Coyle

Director of Communications | The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University

Tanya (she/her) leads marketing and communications strategy, branding and public positioning at the Dais, where she brings two decades of creative experience to inspire people to do their best work. Tanya began her public service career as a speechwriter for Ontario premiers, Cabinet ministers and other senior officials. Drawn to new ventures, she then co-founded the provincial government’s first online Newsroom, content design practice, and the Ontario Digital Service, a tech startup in the heart of government, where she was Director of Engagement responsible for community partnerships. Before that, Tanya led narrative strategy for some of Ontario’s highest-profile public policy initiatives to help improve peoples’ lives. Tanya is an active community member, serving on the Board of Directors of a Canadian-Lithuanian youth leadership camp and her local school council. Previously, she was Chair of the Board of Directors at the Queen’s Park Child Care Centre. Tanya holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminology, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations.

Natalie González

Center of Government Leader | Municipality of Maipú

Industrial Civil Engineer, University of Chile. Master Public Policy from the University College of London. Member of the Permanent Advisory Council for the Modernization of the State and expert professional of the Civil Service, both from the Ministry of Finance. I have developed my entire career in matters of public policy implementation and modernization of the State, from the University of Chile, Ministries of Education and Ministry of Finance. I currently lead the Government Center of the Municipality of Maipú, Chile's second largest local government and the first in the country to implement a Delivery unit. In this role, I have led the implementation of strategic management projects and digital transformation actions to improve the efficiency of municipal processes and improve the user experience of municipal services.

Eliseo Bonilla Tinoco

Director of Technology Development | Government of Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

Eliseo Bonilla Tinoco, Ingeniero en Sistemas Computacionales y estudiante de Maestría en Ingeniería con Orientación en Ciencia de Datos, es Director de Desarrollo Tecnológico en el Gobierno de Guadalajara. Destaca por su experiencia en innovación tecnológica y habilidades en resolución de problemas​. Eliseo Bonilla Tinoco is a Computer Systems Engineer and a Master's student in Engineering with a focus on Data Science. He currently serves as the Director of Technological Development for the Government of Guadalajara, recognized for his expertise in technological innovation and problem-solving skills.

Jordan Storozuk

Senior Analyst, Transparency by Design | Human Capital Management, Public Services and Procurement Canada

Jordan is leading the Transparency by Design team at PSPC, which is working to shine a light on the transformation of the federal government's human resources and pay system. In previous roles at Service Canada and Shared Services Canada, she advocated for user-centred design and enabled teams to do hard things in the context of benefits delivery modernization. In 2018, Jordan was the first person to lead the Secretariat for the Digital Nations, a collaborative network of the world’s leading digital governments. Jordan's experience in transformation, digital government, and international relations spans seven departments in the Government of Canada. Prior to joining the core public service, she enjoyed non-partisan roles in House of Commons and Library of Parliament. Jordan has a BA in International Studies and Modern Languages and an MA in Public and International Affairs from the University of Ottawa.

Brandon Lee

Director General, Grants and Contributions (G&Cs) Transformation | Global Affairs Canada

Brandon leads a ‘once in a generation’, enterprise-wide reform to rethink and enhance how Global Affairs manages the entirety of its grants and contributions globally. This effort will be focused on the implementation of a completely new enterprise system that will rethink all of the major elements of how Canada manages over $6B of grants and contributions globally.

John Ogilvie

Consulting Solution Architect for Public Sector | Bifrost Consulting Group

John is a systems engineer and serial founder of startups, twice VC-funded. John moved to public sector consulting in 2007, because that's where the big problems are. His specialty is applying startup drive and creativity to public sector cloud adoption, as an architect. He is arguably the most experienced public sector cloud consultant in Canada, with twelve different public sector clients since 2020. John helps Govt of Canada (GC) departments to move hard into cloud, with a heavy focus on security. In 2021, John was asked by GC's Treasury Board to assist with an updated cloud strategy and to prepare internal playbooks capturing proven best practices for cloud areas like collaboration, CRM, data analytics, etc. John is a ranty industry blogger, cruelly encouraged by readers who say "I'm glad you said that, since in my position, I can't." In his spare time, John experiments with GenAI and VR. He has no known hobbies or outside interests.

Eugene Chen

Chair | Canadian Open Data Society

Eugene Chen has spent over a decade in the design and development of data visualization tools. His public work has been shared in media outlets like the New York Times, CBC, NPR, and CTV. He is the Chair of the Canadian Open Data Society, a member of Canada's Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Open Government, and has just recently published a Top 3 paper on using AI in puzzle games for IEEE's AAAI conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment. After spending a decade as the CTO of a successful data visualization firm, he has transitioned to contracting and completed visualization and development work contracts, most recently with Natural Resources Canada.

John Williams

Executive Director | SBIRC

John Williams has dedicated his career to ensuring that tech startups, particularly those from underserved communities, receive the necessary resources and support through effective federal policies. With a recent capstone on his 35-year federal career, Mr. Williams served as a Senior Executive at the Small Business Administration (SBA), where he led the strategic planning, management, and implementation of the $4.4 billion Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. His oversight spanned 30 federal offices and required close collaboration with Congress as he established and implemented policy to execute these two program Mr. Williams played a pivotal role in constructing a national innovation support ecosystem that enhanced the participation and success of underserved communities in securing Federal R&D funding. Under his leadership, programs such as the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program and Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). A seasoned advocate, Mr. Williams testified before Congress on five occasions and served as the SBA lead for various White House initiatives. For a five-month period, he assumed the role of Acting Associate Administrator for the SBA Office of Investment and Innovation (OII), overseeing the Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC) program. Prior to joining the SBA in 2014, Mr. Williams served as the Director of the Navy SBIR and STTR programs and the Navy Technology Transfer Office. Notably, he conceptualized the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to accelerate the integration of SBIR-developed technologies into DOD systems and private sector applications.

Annette Hester

CEO | TheHesterView Inc.

Annette Hester heads TheHesterView Inc., specializing in making data more approachable and effective through innovative data structuring and visualization. She advised the president of Petrobras and recently completed a data project with Natural Resources Canada. Ms. Hester serves on the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council and is the region head for data governance and policy at Oxford Analytica. Previously, she coordinated projects for the Canada Energy Regulator and the Inter-American Development Bank, both developing interactive data-rich websites. In 2012, she was a senior strategic advisor to the Deputy Minister and Premier Policy Director in the Government of Alberta, Canada. Ms. Hester holds a master’s degree in economics and was the founding director of the Latin American Research Centre at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Alexis Wichowski

Professor of Professional Practice & Program Director | Columbia University School of Professional Studies

Alexis Wichowski works, teaches, and writes on technology, government, and power. She currently serves as Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies as well as Program Director at ColumbiaTech, the university's newly relaunched MS and Exec MS programs in Technology Management. Wichowski's public service work focuses on technology in government, digital communications, and tech policy. Prior roles include Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York, Associate Commissioner for NYC's Department of Veterans' Services, and various roles within the US Department of State and the US Mission to the United Nations. Past life work includes disaster relief, literary translation, media impact research, indexing, coding, theater production, and pretzel vending. Wichowski holds a PhD in Information Science from SUNY Albany and a BA in Chinese from Connecticut College, completed in three years. She published the 2020 book The Information Trade: How Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges Our Rights & Transforms Our Worlds (HarperCollins) and has written for various media outlets, including WIRED, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, TechCrunch, among others.

Skaidra Puodžiūnas

Director of Ontario Relations | Council of Canadian Innovators

Skaidra (pronounced "sky-dra") is Director of Ontario Affairs at the Council of Canadian Innovators. In her role, she spearheads CCI’s advocacy and engagement efforts with the Ontario government, with a primary emphasis on enhancing talent, capital, and customer access for Ontario's rapidly scaling companies. Her responsibilities include advocating for streamlined government approaches within the digital economy, such as facilitating agile procurement, intellectual property strategies, and promoting interoperable systems like data authorities. Skaidra is proud to support some of the world’s most innovative companies headquartered right here in Ontario, a province she calls home. Previously, Skaidra worked across the Ontario Government serving as a Team Lead in Ontario’s Chief Corporate Information Office and a Senior Advisor at the Ontario Digital Service. She had the unique opportunity to directly support Ontario’s first Chief Digital and Data Officer and Ontario’s first Minister Responsible for Digital Government. Lately, Skaidra is facilitating a series of Canada-Nordic-Baltic Innovation engagements with the goal of bringing Canadian innovators and policymakers across these regions closer together.

Paul Craig

Technical Strategist | Bloom Works

Paul Craig is a Technical Strategist who helps government teams with product strategy, rapid prototyping, and impactful service delivery. Currently, he is making US federal healthcare grants easier to read, better looking, and more accessible. Paul has worked in 4 different governments in 3 different countries: the UK, Canada, and the USA. Paul was at the Canadian Digital Service (CDS) until 2022, eventually moving on after determining that digital transformation in Canada was proceeding terrifically, with no delays or setbacks at all. Paul is the creator of TaxGPT.ca: a free AI service that answers questions about Canadian taxes using public government data. He is also the author of Federal Field Notes: a speculative fiction newsletter about how agile approaches could be used modernize federal IT practices if anyone would ever try them. Paul believes in the tremendous potential of governments to scale positive societal outcomes by prioritizing user-centric service delivery.

Jagoda Walny Nix

Technical Specialist, Visual Data | Digital Transformation Team | Canada Energy Regulator

Jagoda Walny Nix is a data visualization and design specialist focusing on government open data innovation projects. In 2023, she led the design of NRCan’s Canadian Minerals and Metals Statistics data visualization. Her previous projects include the BERDI environmental assessment database at the Canada Energy Regulator and the then-National Energy Board’s Data Visualization Initiative. Jagoda holds a PhD in information visualization from the University of Calgary, where she learned to use a human-centered design approach to making useful, usable, and engaging data visualizations.

Sarah Heath

Director | Polar Continental Shelf Program, Natural Resources Canada

Sarah Heath is former Director for Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Minerals and Metals Statistics Division. She led the modernization of Canada’s national mining statistics programs, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, to improve data quality and integration with the System of National Accounts. As a capstone to the transformation initiative, Sarah created the vision for the Canadian Minerals and Metals Statistics Data Visualization project – to make it easier for the average Canadian to engage with data and information about Canada’s exploration and mining industry. Sarah is now the Director for the Polar Continental Shelf Program, which provides logistics services to science and sovereignty operations in Canada’s Arctic. She joined the public service in 2001 and has held a range positions with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Embassy of Canada to the United States, Privy Council Office, Embassy of Canada to the People’s Republic of China, and Natural Resources Canada. Her career includes three years family leave to raise her children and time in the private sector in Canada and the US as an editor and energy management consultant.

Isa David

Manager, Digital Talent Development | Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Isa David is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in digital government and corporate training. As a manager in Digital Talent Development at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, she is at the forefront of initiatives that shape the future of the federal public service’s digital workforce. Isa leads a team responsible for crafting and implementing the Government of Canada’s first Digital Talent Strategy, focusing on equipping public servants with the digital skills needed to enhance service delivery for all Canadians. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Université Laval and is a certified Talent Management Practitioner. Her extensive career in digital transformation and public service training, coupled with her forward-thinking approach to skills development, makes her an influential voice in the digital government space. Beyond her professional commitments, Isa dedicates her time to volunteering as the Team Lead for Emergency Response Services at the Canadian Red Cross in Quebec.

Lewis Eisen

Speaker, Consultant, Author

Lewis Eisen is a leading global authority on the use of respectful language in policy drafting. He draws on over 40 years’ experience as a practising lawyer, business consultant, and federal policy writer. The 4th edition of his Amazon international bestseller Rules: Powerful Policy Wording to Maximize Engagement was released in June 2024. Lewis's approach to drafting policies has been adopted at private, government, and not-for-profit organizations around the world. HIs work with the Government of Canada includes policy development groups at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Library and Archives Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and First Nations Financial Management Board. He has also worked with the Inspection Office in the UK, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and a variety of provincial government organizations.

Gideon Lichfield

Author | Futurepolis

Gideon Lichfield has been the editor-in-chief of WIRED and MIT Technology Review, one of the founding editors at Quartz, and a science writer and foreign correspondent at The Economist. Currently he writes Futurepolis, a newsletter devoted to the question of how to reinvent democracy for the 21st century.

Elizabeth Laird

Director, Equity in Civic Technology | Center for Democracy & Technology

Elizabeth Laird serves as CDT’s Director, Equity in Civic Technology, where she leads the organization’s work in this critical area. Building on the work she leads in CDT’s Student Privacy Project, her work engages civic institutions to promote the responsible, equitable use of data and technology to improve outcomes for individuals and the public good, while ensuring it does not come at the expense of privacy and civil rights. Prior to joining CDT, Elizabeth served as deputy assistant superintendent of data, assessment, and research at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), DC’s state education agency. In that role, she served as OSSE’s privacy officer and led the implementation of student privacy training for all staff, reviewed and approved data requests and data systems application releases, and provided guidance to staff on how to collect and protect student data. Before joining OSSE, she was accepted into The Broad Residency in Urban Education and worked at the Louisiana Department of Education where she oversaw the implementation of a restrictive student privacy bill. She began her career in education data and privacy at the Data Quality Campaign, where she worked for seven years, most recently as the director of communications and external affairs. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems.

Nicholas Scott

Associate | Think Digital

Nick Scott is a passionate advocate for design and innovation in large organizations. Since 2012, he has been at the forefront of transformational change, leveraging design-thinking to reimagine and improve public services. His journey has taken him from leading digital initiatives at the Government of Canada’s Digital Academy to establishing innovation frameworks as the Executive Director of Innovation and Open Government at the Government of New Brunswick, and most recently, overseeing the development of a massive Life Experience CX Transformation initiative in the UAE. He co-founded NouLAB, a hub for collaborative problem-solving, and has shared his insights as a lecturer on Science, Technology, and Innovation. His mission is to blend design principles with innovation strategy to create human-centered and life-affirming organizations, programs, and services. In Nick founded ShiftFlow Innovation and Design in 2022, is an associate at ThinkDigital, a Board member at Code For Canada and was recently named New Brunswick’s 2023 Innovation Champion.

Shingai Manjengwa

Head of AI Education | ChainML

Shingai Manjengwa is the Head of AI Education and leads Solutions Engineering at ChainML. ChainML is a startup based in Toronto and San Francisco specializing in conversational analytics. This AI technology allows clients to interact with databases through a chat interface, receiving accurate, insightful responses in natural language. Shingai oversees all aspects of AI adoption with clients, from conceptualization to scalable, cost-effective deployment. A seasoned data scientist, Shingai previously directed Technical Education at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, where she transformed complex AI research into practical educational programs. These initiatives promoted AI adoption and spurred innovation across industries and government. She is also the founder of Fireside Analytics Inc., a company dedicated to educating diverse audiences about AI literacy, data science, and issues of bias and fairness in AI. Her online courses on platforms like IBM’s CognitiveClass.ai and Coursera have engaged over 500,000 learners. Additionally, Shingai authored ‘The Computer and the Cancelled Music Lessons,’ a book that introduces data science concepts to children aged 5 to 12. An acclaimed leader in the AI field, Shingai has been recognized with numerous awards and is a Public Policy Forum Fellow. Connect with Shingai on LinkedIn and Twitter/X at @Tjido

Anna Wong

Director | Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Anna is currently the Director of Digital Talent Development at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat where is focused on developing and upskilling digital talent across the Government of Canada. She is passionate about enhancing organizational performance through digital transformation, leadership development, and effective change management. With a strategic, solution-oriented mindset, Anna navigates complex environments and drives large-scale transformations. Her dedication to coaching and developing leaders to level up enables organizations to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.

Sandy Kyriakatos

Chief Information Officer | National Research Council of Canada (NRC)

Sandy Kyriakatos has been driving change in data and tech for longer than she cares to admit. Her mission is to help clients harness the power of their second most valuable asset, Data, through the relentless pursuit of both Innovation and Ethics. Her mantra is to use the Power of Data and Technology for Good. As Chief Information Officer at the National Research Council of Canada Sandy’s primary goals are to Enable Researchers in using leading edge technologies to find sustainable solutions to Canada's most consequential challenges and to drive NRCs Data and Digital journey. Her career in highly sensitive senior information and analytics roles in both public and private sector include Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Equifax Canada driving the use of Alternative Data Sources to improve the financial lives of Canadians. She was the first Chief Data Officer for the GC at Employment and Social Development Canada, as well as CDO at Canada Border Services Agency and has led analytics across industry verticals including Loyalty One, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros.

Kate Arthur

Partner & co-founder | Comz

Kate Arthur is a British-Canadian entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in founder-leadership roles in technology, communications and digital education. She is currently co-founder at Comz, a global consulting group that empowers and supports executive leadership to bring AI & digital literacies into their organizations, communities, and countries. She has been a contributor to UNESCO's AI education frameworks, a Canadian Delegate for the United Nations High-Level Political Forum, a member of CCUNESCO's AI & UN Sustainable Development Goals Working group, and a member of Canada's Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development's AI Public Awareness Working Group. Kate recently completed a book A(m)I Literate?, scheduled for publication in Winter 2025.

Tanya Woods

Managing Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs & Policy Counsel | Questrade Financial Group

Tanya Woods leads Government and Regulatory Affairs for Questrade Financial Group, a successful private Canadian company with $45B AUA and a portfolio of leading companies offering innovative financial, home, lending, and insurance services online to help clients become much more financially successful and secure. She is a dynamic and specialized technology, regulatory, and trade lawyer, former Canadian trade negotiations expert advisor, and technology policy expert. Woods advises governments and companies on digital trade, open finance and fintech issues, intellectual property, sustainability and resiliency, cyber security policy and global enforcement, digital literacy, and emerging technologies. She has served in Advisory, Board and C-suite legal and business roles successfully advancing the commercial and regulatory agendas of technology companies for 20 years, including Microsoft, Nintendo, Interac, and BCE Inc. Woods also launched and led Canada’s first blockchain and digital assets trade association, served as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary to launch Canada’s first digital asset miner on NASDAQ, supported the development of the first global charity-led algorithmic (AI) literacy program, and sat on the Board of Canada’s first publicly traded 4D “metaverse” studio. Tanya’s leadership and contributions have been recognized by the Government of Canada, IT World, the Obama Foundation, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, amongst others.

Liam Whittington

Senior Program Manager | Forum of Federations

Liam Whittington is Senior Program Manager at the Forum of Federations. In his work at the Forum, he has overseen various thematic and development assistance programs supporting federal and multilevel governance improvement processes the world, including projects in Myanmar, Cuba and Sudan. Liam’s thematic research areas include gender equality and federalism, peacebuilding and power-sharing settlements, intergovernmental relations, and social welfare and federalism. He has produced research publications in a variety of different policy areas, including: A Guide to Strengthen the Role of Women in Peacebuilding: Developing Practical Negotiation Skills and Mediation Networks in the Americas (Organization of American States, Forum of Federations, University of Kent 2022) and Apex-Level Intergovernmental Relations Mechanisms: Lessons for the Indian Context (Forum of Federations 2019). Liam edited the comparative volume Federalism and the Response to COVID-19: A Comparative Analysis (Routledge, 2021). Liam is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Federal Studies at the University of Kent (Canterbury, UK), a Research Fellow of the Council of Hemispheric Affairs (Washington DC, USA) and an Expert Associate of UK Research and Consultancy Services (Northampton, UK). He has contributed to governance and policy research and development projects commissioned by the European Commission, the World Bank, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, UNWomen, and the governments of Canada and Wales.

Vanessa Thomas

Senior Advisor, Technology Review | Government of Canada

Dr. Vanessa Thomas, CIPT (all pronouns), is an award-winning technologist, designer, and researcher with a background that spans computer science, mathematics, privacy engineering, human security, peace building, leadership, feminist studies, and public policy analysis, amongst other topics. During their career, Vanessa has been privileged enough to live and work in Ecuador, Bolivia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and a couple of provinces in Canada. While Vanessa has worked for the Government of Canada since 2019, they have also maintained a presence in academia. Vanessa teaches part-time with Carleton University's School of Information Technology and sits on the Advisory Board for the National Research Council’s Digital Technology Research Centre; they have also published over a dozen peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.

Jamie M. Thomas

Program Officer | Forum of Federations

Jamie M. Thomas is a Program Officer at the Forum of Federations where she works on the Forum’s thematic research programs. She has worked on a variety of topics related to federalism and multilevel governance including climate change, gender equality, language policy, and state fragility. Her areas of focus currently include federalism, peacebuilding, and transitional justice as well as digitalization of public administration. She is one of the co-editors of the Forum of Federations and the Centre on Governance’s upcoming volume on the Digitalization of Public Administration in Federal Countries. Jamie holds a Master of Arts in Political Studies (International Relations) from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), First Class in Political Science from the University of Calgary.

Stephanie Gauthier

Manager, NC3 Implementation Team | RCMP

Stephanie Gauthier has spent most of her career working in the RCMP across many operational and enterprise services. Ensuring proper alignment of resources for federal spending, establishing sound governance mechanisms and developing teams to drive client service have been her areas of greatest interest. Her most recent role with the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre is where she leads digital product development to support law enforcement activities. Of late, her focus is in transition management, Agile software development, striking meaningful conversations around cybersecurity in enterprise solutions and employing Design Thinking strategies to drive cultural change.

Eric Champagne

Full Professor | University of Ottawa

Eric Champagne, Ph.D. is Full Professor in Public Administration at the School of Political Studies and Director of the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa. He teaches courses on the theory and practice of public management and governance, public policy development, program evaluation and risk management. His current research focuses on infrastructure financing and asset management in the context of multilevel governance (basic infrastructure, transports, water; housing) and on transforming the public sector in the aftermath of the pandemic (digitalization, telework, hybrid policies). Before joining the University of Ottawa, Professor Champagne spent about ten years as a World Bank’s public sector reform specialist and a senior strategic advisor to the government of Canada.

Shaifa Kanji

Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada

Shaifa Kanji Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Shaifa joined the Federal Government in August 2021 as the Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Previously, she has led digital transformation in Public Sector and Not-for-Profit including establishing vision and strategic technology direction within a highly complex, political and multistakeholder environment. Before joining the public sector, Shaifa spent her career across multiple industries including Telecommunications, Banking and Consulting. Those invaluable experiences have given her a broad perspective on the critical elements required to drive transformation including focusing on transparency, empathy, building relationships and continuous learning. Shaifa holds an Executive MBA and a degree in Computer Science

Daphnée Nostrome

Director, Office of the Chief Client Experience Officer | Canadian Digital Service

Daphnée is a change leader with 20 years of experience building products and driving the adoption of innovative digital practices. Currently, she is enabling modern service delivery practices, so teams can develop inclusive and accessible government services. Past speaking engagements include GovTech 4 Impact World Congress, Public Sector Innovation Show Federal 2024, Policy Ignite, GovConnect, NYC[x] Innovation Fellows program (Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer), FWD50, Haiti Tech Summit and Diversity in Digital Services (Canadian Digital Service).

Katy Lalonde

Director, Digital | Supply Ontario

Katy Lalonde is Director, Digital at Supply Ontario where she is helping improving the digital experience for government procurement. Previously, Katy was the Assistant Deputy Minister, and founding member of, the Ontario Digital Service. She also serves as a Special Advisor to the Board of Directors for the Institute for Public Administration of Canada (IPAC). Her expertise is in digital and product strategy, in the leadership and operations of digital organizations inside government, and in organizational design to support empowered, multi-disciplinary teams.

Markku Heimbürger

Chief Funding Advisor | Business Finland

Markku is a Chief Funding Advisor for Business Finland, with 13 years of experience in public funding for applied research and development projects, innovation ecosystem orchestration projects, and demand-driven innovative public procurement projects. Previously, he worked for over 10 years as a researcher at Aalto University and the Helsinki University of Technology, with research projects focusing on innovation and inter-organizational collaboration. He also served as the Programme Manager of the Smart Procurement Program at Tekes (currently Business Finland) from 2015 to 2017. With a forward-thinking mindset, Markku is passionate about the power of innovation and working on cutting-edge R&D projects. He believes that by aligning innovative efforts with real-world needs through innovative public procurement, it is possible to catalyze breakthrough innovations.

Robert Butler

Senior Advisor, Canada Free Agent | Global Affairs Canada

Rob Butler is a senior advisor and Canada Free Agent (CFA) at Global Affairs Canada (GAC). He is passionate about improving the Government through interdepartmental collaboration. He is working on a #GCDigital Grants and Contributions Initiative (GCTI) modernization project within the Project Value and Management Office (PVMO) and providing some advice on other projects where users are at the foundation of design. Rob is known for his practical approach to networking. He effectively loves connecting individuals across Government and the private sector, building communities that emphasize idea-sharing and positive, authentic interactions. In his recent roles with the Government of Canada, Rob has achieved notable successes: > Digital Credentials Community of Practice (DCCP): Launched this initiative within the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. >Outreach and Engagement: Organized virtual events for Shared Services Canada during the pandemic and for Employment and Social Development Canada's Benefits Delivery Modernization project. > Hybrid and In-Person Conferences: Led technical direction and user experience design for the Policy Community Partnership Office and the Communications Community Office at the Privy Council Office (PCO), including Learning Days 2020. > Event UX: Continuously working to improve hybrid and in-person conferences and meetings. From co-designing and producing the virtual agenda of the TBS-led Ministerial Digital Nations Summit to the PCO/PHAC information COVID session, Rob looks to merge the in-person and hybrid experience through technology and facilitation that meets not only accessibilities by design but by its foundational principles and implementation. Rob continues to influence community building and design through his work with the Free Agent Program. He uses multimedia and production tools to create collaborative, informative, and accessible events, aiming to unify diverse ideas and efforts to address governmental challenges for the benefit of attendees internally and externally to the GoC. Rob's career also includes: > Public Service Accessibility: Rob has developed engagement practices while working in the Deputy Minister's Office at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. > Digital Enablement: Led mapping projects and connected individuals working in digital areas within the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. > Benefits and Delivery Modernization: Developed engagement events for Employment and Social Development Canada to inform employees about transformations in old-age security and employment insurance. > Policy Community Partnership Office: Contributed to initiatives at TBS/PCO, now at the Canada School of Public Service. > Event Logistics and Production: Private sector experience where he managed significant seasonal events in Mexico, Dominican, Montreal and South Padre, Texas for over 15 years. > Promotion and Marketing: My private sector experience includes hosting film screenings for Walt Disney Motion Pictures and, previously, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. Let's do Government better and engage the citizen, the "user," in all of our #GCDigital endeavours.

Martha Edwards

Lead Service Designer | BC Public Service

Martha is a service designer with 12 years experience working in user-centred design and research roles in all levels of government in Canada, plus the Government Digital Service in the UK. She has spent most of that time working in the tech space on problems like digital identity, cybercrime and Brexit.

Colin Deacon

Senator | Senate of Canada

Senator Colin Deacon was appointed to represent Nova Scotia in the Senate of Canada in June 2018. A lifelong entrepreneur, he spent much of his career turning ideas and research into solutions that improve lives. He believes that the role of government is as a catalyst – enabling the conditions necessary to empower evidence-driven, market-based innovations that can address the most pressing problems facing Canadians and the world. Recently, Senator Deacon is most focused on digitizing government, improving Canada’s public and private sector competitiveness, enabling greater regulatory agility, particularly in response to emerging technologies, and building Canada’s capacity to create and implement innovative and market-based solutions to climate change.

Elizabeth Dussault

Director, Digital Product Delivery, Canadian Digital Service | Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Elizabeth Dussault is an experienced public servant with 20 years of experience. Currently serving as Director, Digital Product Delivery team at ESDC. She has fostered and delivered various user-centered digital products through understanding, setting standards and identifying opportunities for the continuous improvement of client and employee experiences. She continues to play a key role in reshaping and providing practical enablement for the GC Digital Standards. She cultivates an environment that empowers digital teams to thrive and ensures that delivered products meet the needs of the people in Canada. Elizabeth has honed her expertise in several fields, including digital service delivery, service design, product and project management, identity management, and regulatory and policy development. Previously, she was A/Director for the Youth Digital Gateway, where she played a crucial role in policy development and implementation, championed agile and product management practices and successfully launched the Youth Digital Gateway. In addition, Elizabeth is a dedicated advocate for accessibility, committed to fostering inclusivity. She previously served as Co-Chair, ESDC Employees with Disabilities Network, where she tirelessly raised awareness of disability issues to dismantle barriers.

Dianna Miller

Director, Minerals and Metals Statistics Division | Natural Resources Canada

Dianna Miller discovered a new passion for data literacy late in her career, after almost 20 years developing and administering programs and policy in the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) at Natural Resources Canada. She has spent the last year relying on her change management expertise to transform a largely analog data and statistics division into an agile, digital-first, innovative team. Early successes include an exciting data visualization pilot, an electronic questionnaire prototype, and innovative processes to improve data quality and reduce administrative burden. In her previous roles with the OEE, Dianna was best known for designing and delivering building retrofit programs, administering and acting as the spokesperson and brand manager for ENERGY STAR Canada, and representing the government of Canada on the board of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, a bi-national membership organization of gas and electric efficiency program administrators. Previously, Dianna held strategic communications and marketing roles with Environment Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and for several Members of Parliament at the House of Commons. A prairie transplant to Ottawa since 1999, Dianna enjoys gardening, travelling and baking (in no particular order).

David Kershaw

Founder and Managing Director | Posterity Global

David is a globally recognised procurement leader specialising in using his experience of Digital-era methods to modernise public procurement. He’s respected for his notable work applying agile ways of working to public procurement, AI procurement, moving from ‘spending’ to ‘investing' public money through public procurement and contracting, helping organisations improve their market engagement approaches, and ensuring contract exit is thought through from the start. He advised and led some of the most innovative digital and technology procurement activities of recent times in the UK Public Sector and overseas governments, centred around the needs of all users, being an expert on all Digital, Data and Technology commercial-procurement and links to the well-being of future generations. He’s a founding member of the GOV.UK Digital Marketplace, a former advisor to the Agile Business Consortium, and former global congress member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, and he takes pride in developing communities of interest and practice to transform procurement teams. David believes that, through the use of digital-era methods and culture, public procurement can enable better public service delivery, stronger economic growth, stimulation of innovation, and development of modern public sector capability and capacity.

Warren Smith

Director of Insight, Innovation and Impact | Posterity Global

Warren has almost 30 years experience across private and public sectors, leading transformative projects to introduce new ways of thinking and working in procurement. He joined the UK Government Digital Service (GDS) in 2012, with responsibility for ensuring the UK government’s Digital Marketplace directly supported digital transformation. He introduced user-centred, design-led, data-driven and open approaches to public contracting – the foundational step-change in procurement envisioned in the UK Government Transformation Strategy. Between 2018-2021, Warren led the GDS Global Digital Marketplace Programme, helping emerging economies make their public procurement more transparent, improve systems that govern public spending, improve scrutiny through better quality open data, and build institutional capability and capacity to ensure sustainable change. In addition to co-leading the U4SSC Thematic Group on ‘Procurement for Smart Sustainable Cities’ and 'Intergenerational Procurement for People-Centred Cities', Warren has also led a Thematic Group of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working Party of Senior Digital Government Officials, focused on ‘GovTech Commissioning’, supported the OECD Working Party of Leading Practitioners on Public Procurement as a peer reviewer, and contributed to the development of the OECD ‘Integrating Responsible Business Conduct in Public Procurement’ report. Warren is Founder and Principal Consultant at Dangersmith SARL, and now operates through Curshaw Commercial.

Cori Zarek

Vice President | North America, Apolitical

Cori Zarek is a lawyer, technologist, and civic entrepreneur with expertise in tech policy, civic tech, digital rights, open government, access to information, and press freedom. Throughout her career, she has been drawn to public service and leading teams to carry out missions in the public good. She has co-founded civic tech organizations and built and led teams inside and outside of government. She was recognized in the 2024 Federal 100 list of top leaders in federal information technology. Currently, Cori serves as Vice President for North America at Apolitical, which strategically partners with governments on learning opportunities and to build connectivity on a key issues including AI, climate, and digital delivery. Most recently, Cori served as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Digital Service, the 200+ person technology team based at the White House that partners with agencies to implement policies and programs through design and technology. Previously, Cori served as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer and led the U.S. government's open government and open data efforts. She has advised governments around the world on data, digital services, and access to information. Outside of government, Cori has been on the faculty at Georgetown University and served as Executive Director of Georgetown's Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, a 50-person applied research center that uses data and technology to improve public systems. Cori also held roles with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Mozilla Foundation, and Code for America. In recent years, Cori co-founded civic tech organizations including U.S. Digital Response which pairs pro bono technologists with governments for emergency support, Technologists for the Public Good which is the first professional association for the field of public interest technology, and the Judicial Innovation Fellowship which partners technologists with state courts to improve access to justice with data and design. In 2016, Cori was inducted into the U.S. Freedom of Information Hall of Fame. She is on the advisory council for the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and the advisory board for the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Cori holds a B.A. and J.D from the University of Iowa and was named its Distinguished Young Alumna in 2020. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the Supreme Court of the United States. She has taught First Amendment law since 2007 and currently teaches Data for Social Impact at Georgetown.

Jake Hirsch-Allen

Senior Advisor, North America | Apolitical

I connect people and ideas to create social and economic impact. I build public private partnerships to fight inequality. I have done so through international criminal law and intellectual property law, global health, software development entrepreneurship and education. I work with governments, think tanks, AI institutes and tech companies helping society build a healthier relationship with technology and strengthening democracy and human rights. I advise startups, non-profits, investors and foundations on AI policy and how to improve education, employment and social service systems, particularly in their use of tech. I speak regularly on society's relationship to tech, AI policy, the future of work and learning. Most recently I worked with North America's governments, workforce development organizations, colleges and universities to leverage LinkedIn Talent Solutions to close skills gaps and increase sustainable employment. I am passionate about supporting disadvantaged groups such as newcomers and refugees, indigenous populations, the formerly incarcerated and people with disabilities. I founded Lighthouse Labs, Canada's leading immersive software development bootcamp which operates in 6 cities. I co-founded Hacking Health and have advised a number of tech startups and non-profits. I managed the non-profit behind the Health Impact Fund, a new means of incentivizing access to medicines, and I taught global health at McMaster University, I have clerked for the Supreme Court of Israel and articled at an intellectual property litigation boutique. I was the Executive Director of McGill’s International Criminal Law Clinic and Chair of the Global Education Platform's Technology Committee. I have worked for Global Affairs Canada, McGill’s Centre for IP Policy and UofT’s Munk Center. I also interned at Human Rights Watch and on defense teams at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Manu Singh

CIO and Chief Services and Digital Officer | Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

With over two decades of experience in the government's digital realm, Manu Singh has honed his expertise across multiple departments and agencies, including CBSA, CNSC, CRA, and the Treasury Board Secretariat, where he served as a policy chief in digital communications. His journey has been a tapestry of diverse learnings and collaborations. At the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Manu takes pride in leading a team of talented professionals who bring their expertise in technology analysis, information management and information technology to support the organization's mandate of protecting and promoting the privacy rights of Canadians. Manu's academic background is a blend of computer science, biology, and psychology, reflecting his multifaceted interests and curiosity. His true passion lies in fostering collaborative environments that deliver remarkable results for people, harnessing the power of diverse perspectives towards collective ingenuity. With a wealth of experience, a multidisciplinary mindset, and a commitment to excellence, Manu continues to drive innovation and shape the digital landscape, ensuring that privacy remains a cornerstone of our increasingly connected world.

Brendon DeLong

Partner, DMV Industry | Kyndryl

Brendon DeLong is an account partner at Kyndryl who leads the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) industry modernization team. Having focused on DMV projects where identity management is core to the modernization solutions being implemented, Brendon has accumulated a wealth of knowledge on identity management for DMV’s and has a keen understanding of best practices and considerations for a successful identity management initiative.

Kasia Polanska

Lead Advisor | Canada School of Public Service’s Digital Academy

Kasia is the Lead Advisor at the Canada School of Public Service’s Digital Academy, where she provides strategic advice, leads planning initiatives, and plays a key role in shaping the organization’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI). She has also held advisory roles at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and brings nearly a decade of experience as a management consultant, working across various sectors. Outside of her professional career, Kasia is a PhD candidate in Public Policy at Carleton University, specializing in the governance of emerging technologies. Her research is centered on critically analyzing AI systems and promoting responsible, human-centered AI deployment within government frameworks. Kasia holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Business.

Roxane Dion

Digital Products Team Lead | Canada School of Public Service

Roxane joined the federal public service in 2010, initially working as a call centre agent for the Canada Revenue Agency before moving on to the Department of National Defence, where she helped align CIO policy and governance with the then-new Policy on Service and Digital. In July 2022, Roxane joined the Digital Academy at the Canada School of Public Service to lead the Digital Products team and help bring meaningful learning experiences around digital government for all public servants and offer engaging learning opportunities for the executive community.

Élise Legendre

Chief Data Officer | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

Élise was appointed Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Chief Data Officer in the summer of 2021. She leads a small, passionate team of policy and IT professionals dedicated to harnessing and unleashing the power of data to improve service delivery and to support the sector’s sustainable growth. In 2003, after having worked in strategic marketing in the private sector for nearly 12 years, her career with the federal public service began as a Commerce Officer with AAFC. She has since held positions in several branches, including Strategic Policy, Corporate Management and Programs. She is passionate about the role of government and the impact it can have to improve the quality of life for Canadians. Élise holds a Master's in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, BC) and a bachelor's degree in Arts, major in Political Sciences from Laval University (Sainte Foy, QC).

The Honourable Anita Anand

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, Represents the riding of Oakville | Government of Canada

The Honourable Anita Anand was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019. She has previously served as Minister of National Defence and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement. As Minister of Public Services and Procurement, from 2019 to 2021, Minister Anand led contract negotiations to secure vaccines, personal protective equipment, and rapid tests for Canadians during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, as Minister of National Defence, she spearheaded initiatives to tackle sexual misconduct and bring about cultural change in the Canadian Armed Forces. During this time, she also led Canada’s efforts to provide comprehensive military aid and personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. As President of the Treasury Board, Minister Anand has spearheaded a government spending review and engaged in work to reduce regulatory burdens for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She has also supported the development of the Government of Canada’s first-ever Action Plan for Black Public Servants and the launch of the Greening Government Strategy, helped modernize and strengthen the federal government’s digital capabilities, and revived the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council. In September 2024, she was appointed as Minister of Transport, in addition to her role as President of the Treasury Board. Minister Anand has worked as a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She has been a legal academic, including as a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she held the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. She served as Associate Dean and was a member of the Governing Board of Massey College and the Director of Policy and Research at the Capital Markets Institute, Rotman School of Management. She has also taught law at Yale Law School, Queen’s University, and Western University. Minister Anand holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994. Born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, Minister Anand moved to Ontario in 1985. She and her husband, John, raised their four children in Oakville.

Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta

Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs | Republic of Estonia, Ministry of Justice

Minister of Justice of the Republic of Estonia from 23. July 2024. She is a member of the Eesti 200 Party. For career highlights please visit: https://www.just.ee/en/ministry-news-and-contacts/about-ministry-and-minister/minister-justice