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2025 On Demand

 

December 9th

All times provided are local (Ottawa, EST)

 

 

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM

 

Welcome Address

Location: Accelerate Stage

A welcome introduction from Global Government Forum’s moderator and government expert Siobhan Benita

9:10 AM – 9:20 AM

Keynote address

Location: Accelerate Stage

Speakers:

Dominic Rochon, Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer of Canada

9:20 AM – 9:30 AM

Keynote Address

Location: Accelerate Stage

Speaker:

Ben Piercey, Chief Technology Officer, AffinitiQuest

Supported by:

9:30 AM – 9:50 AM

Fireside Chat

Location: Accelerate Stage

As technology rapidly reshapes the public sector, governments are exploring new ways to deliver secure, efficient, and citizen-focused services. In this fireside chat, Deb Pimentel, President of IBM Canada, and Scott Jones, President of Shared Services Canada, will discuss how organizations can responsibly integrate AI, leverage hybrid cloud, and strengthen collaboration to drive meaningful outcomes for Canadians. The conversation will highlight practical lessons, emerging opportunities, and the leadership needed to accelerate digital transformation in government.

Speaker:

Deb Pimentel, President and General Manager, Technology, IBM Canada

Scott Jones, President, Shared Services Canada

Supported by:

9:55 AM – 10:45 AM

How to Rewire Government to Achieve True Digital Transformation

Location: Accelerate Stage

True digital transformation of government can ensure timely, accessible, and high-quality services that meet user’s needs.  

However, transformation goes beyond new tools: it requires reshaping the processes, mindsets, and incentives embedded in public institutions. This session will explore how to redesign policy, operations, and organisational architecture to make the most of the potential for technology to unlock lasting change. Drawing on international best practice and the Canadian government’s own transformation initiatives, speakers will examine what it takes to drive whole-of-government agility, and how to leaders can accelerate reform.  

Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A 

Speakers:

Dr Louise Maynard-Atem, Deputy Director, Data & Insight, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom

Yuriy Matsyk, Advisor, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ukraine

Stéphane Le Bouyonnec, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Cyber Security and Digital, and Chief Information Officer, Government of Québec

Kim Steele, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Transformation Officer Human Capital Management, Public Services and Procurement Canada

Charlie Cattran, Partner, Federal Public Sector, IBM Canada

Moderator:

Siobhan Benita, Event Moderator, Global Government Forum

Supported by:

10:45 AM – 11:10 AM

Networking Break

11:10 AM – 12 PM

Workforce of the future: Reskilling for a digital, sustainable public service

Location: Accelerate Stage

The success of digital transformation initiatives hinges on people. This session will explore how the Canadian public service can build a digitally savvy workforce by understanding and addressing skills gaps, reskilling employees to meet them, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Drawing on success stories from Canada and other governments, the panel will highlight strategies for large-scale upskilling, recruiting digital talent, and aligning workforce development with sustainability and inclusion goals.

The session will also set out the development of digital competencies in government, and provide practical insight for public servants on where they should prioritise their own learning and development.

Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A

Speakers:

Nadia Ahmad, Chief Data Officer & Head of Evaluation, Global Affairs Canada

Liz McKeown, Executive Director, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Frances McRae, Deputy Minister, Women and Gender Equality Canada

Ryan Alvin R. Acosta, Commissioner, Civil Service Commission, Republic of the Philippines

Chris LaBossiere, CEO & Founder, We Know Training

Moderator:

Siobhan Benita, Event Moderator, Global Government Forum

Supported by:

12 PM – 1 PM

Lunch and Networking Break

1 PM – 1:50 PM

From hype to delivery: Implementing Canada’s ai strategy for the public service

Location: Accelerate Stage

Canada has launched an AI Strategy for the Federal Public Service 2025-2027, setting out a vision to serve Canadians better through responsible AI adoption. This session will explore the strategy for operationalizing AI across departments, addressing issues such as governance, procurement, and workforce capacity.

Panellists will discuss what comes next on implementation – how to move beyond cautious pilots and embed AI tools in everyday workflows while upholding public service values.

Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A 

Speakers:

Liam Wilkinson, Head of AI Incubation, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom

Kara Beckles, Executive Director, Privacy and Responsible Data, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Elise Legendre, Chief Data Officer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Christine Jackson, Executive Director, Public Sector Canada, SAS

Moderator:

Siobhan Benita, Event Moderator, Global Government Forum

Supported by:

2 PM – 2:50 PM

Data sovereignty in an age of AI and fragmentation

Location: Accelerate Stage

Data is central to sovereignty in the digital age. This session explores how governments can retain control over critical data infrastructure, ensure secure cross-border flows, and build domestic capacity in cloud and AI. Drawing on global trends and Canada’s challenges, it will examine how to design data strategies that are inclusive, secure, and future-ready.

Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A

Speakers:

Hayden Lansdell, Associate Deputy Minister and Government Chief Information Officer, Government of British Columbia

Ima Okonny, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Data Officer at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Ross Ermel, Assistant Deputy Minister (Digital Services) and Defence Chief Digital Officer, Department of National Defence, Government of Canada

Jordan Zed, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for the AI Secretariat, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Nihar Dalmia, Public Sector Data, Analytics and AI Leader, Deloitte

Moderator:

Michael Wernick, Former clerk of Canada’s Privy Council and secretary to the cabinet

Supported by:

2:50 PM – 3:10 PM

Networking Break

3:10 PM – 4 PM

How artificial intelligence can lead to greater productivity: sharing best practice from the Government of Canada and beyond

Location: Accelerate Stage

AI is already helping parts of the Government of Canada reduce administrative burden, improve analysis, and accelerate service delivery — but its potential is far greater.

This session will bring together leaders from across the federal public service to share case studies of how AI is improving productivity, from automating repetitive tasks to enhancing policy analysis and fraud detection.

Discussion will focus on lessons learned in responsible deployment, balancing efficiency with accountability, and scaling solutions across departments. International perspectives will provide additional insights into how governments can harness AI to do more with less while maintaining trust and transparency.

Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A

Speakers:

Nadine Boudreau-Brown, Director General, Transformation and Modernization Services, Information Systems Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Dr Carlos Santiso, Senior Adviser on Digital Government and Artificial Intelligence in Government, OECD

Janak Alford, Deputy Minister of Technology and Innovation, Government of Alberta, Canada

Romina Kostani, Director of Digital Agenda Coordination and Foreign-Funded Projects for e-Government, National Agency of Information Society (NAIS), Albania

Daniel Nagle, Global SVP of Solutions Engineering, Quantexa

Moderator:

Siobhan Benita, Event Moderator, Global Government Forum

Supported by:

4:10 PM – 4:20 PM

Keynote Address

Location: Accelerate Stage

Speaker:

Warren Roy, CEO & Founder, Global Relay

Session supported by:

4:20 PM – 5:10 PM

From Vision to Action: What Comes Next for Canada’s Digital Future

Location: Accelerate Stage

Canada’s Digital Ambition sets out the need to improve the government’s digital services to ensure we can deliver services in the modern, digital age.

The Ambition sets out long-term objectives for how the government will put people, policy, and technology first to deliver for Canadians, with a focus on four specific outcomes:

  1. Services are user-centric, trusted and accessible.
  2. Data and information are foundational to service delivery and informed decision-making.
  3. Technology empowers innovation, efficiency and security.
  4. The workforce is digitally savvy and adaptable to the digital landscape.

This session will set out details on how the Government of Canada will measure progress against these outcomes, and will share international best practices on how to use milestones to drive progress.

Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A 

Speakers:

Dominic Rochon, Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer of Canada

Raj Thuppal, Executive Vice-President, Shared Services Canada

Karen Myers, President and CEO, Blueprint

Moderator:

Siobhan Benita, Event Moderator, Global Government Forum

Session supported by:

 

5:10 PM – 5:15 PM

Summary and Thank You

Location: Accelerate Stage

5:15 PM – 6 PM

Networking Reception

Welcome remarks by Jonathan Drover, AVP, Business Development – Public Sector, Interac

Supported by:

6 PM

Conference Ends

Public Service Data/AI Challenge Finale

1 PM – 4:05 PM

 

[Location: Challenge Stage]

Making better use of data and AI

Through the Public Service Data/AI Challenge – organised by Statistics Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Global Government Forum, and supported by TBS and knowledge partners IBM, Dell and Nvidia – we received over 150 entries from federal public servants on how government can improve its use of data and artificial intelligence. We recruited volunteers to join the originator of the idea to take forward the best ideas in interdisciplinary, cross-departmental teams, with the goal of catalyzing reforms and improving public services.

After stages of research and development, eight teams of public service volunteers pitched their ideas to the judges at the Semi-Final: four were selected to move forward, and they are now in the final stages of developing their ideas in advance of the grand finale – please join the Judges and Champions to hear the final four pitches, and find out who this year’s winner will be!

Learn more about the final teams and the Public Service Data Challenge Finale here!

Want to get involved in 2026?

AccelerateGOV is part of the Global Government Forum, Global Government Finance and Pendragon International Media portfolio of events.