Catherine Luelo
Chief Information Officer of Canada
Catherine Luelo is a Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Chief Information Officer of Canada.
Prior to her appointment as CIO in July 2021, Catherine was the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Air Canada, where she was responsible for the Information Technology systems that support and enable Air Canada’s global business. In this role, she additionally led innovation in the artificial intelligence space while managing the security and reliability of Air Canada’s worldwide systems in an operational landscape that substantially shifted during the global pandemic.
From 2001-2017, Catherine held senior management and executive roles at major Canadian companies, including Enbridge Inc., WestJet Airlines Ltd., and TELUS Communications.
Catherine holds an MBA from Athabasca University in Alberta and a BSc from the University of Alberta.
From 2018-2021, she served on the Board of Directors for scale ai, the Montreal-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) supercluster that aspires to increase competitive advantage for Canada globally in AI . She has also served as a Board Member for Creative Destruction Labs, as well as serving as Chair for Health Canada’s Industry Advisory Roundtable on COVID-19 Testing, Screening, Tracing and Data Management.
Catherine is a proud mother of two children and is a fierce advocate for mental health. In March 2020, she was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation and participates regularly as a panelist and speaker on Mental Health in the workplace.
Nadia Ahmad
Director General, Evaluation, Data and Results, Global Affairs Canada
In September 2022, Nadia Ahmad was appointed Director General of Evaluation, Data and Results at Global Affairs Canada. In this capacity she serves as Head of Evaluation, and is also responsible for the Departmental Data Strategy. This role enables her to contribute to the department’s knowledge base, which informs decision-making and fosters more impactful policies, programs and services.
Nadia has held a number of executive positions within the Department. From 2007-2009, in her capacity as Director in the Afghanistan Task Force, she was responsible for Canada’s bilateral relationship with Afghanistan. In August 2009, Nadia became the Director of Environmental Issues and Community Outreach in the Summits Management Office, where was responsible for ensuring that the G8 and G20 Summits hosted in Canada were sustainably managed. Nadia took on the role of Director of the North America Partnerships and Operations Division in 2010, where she led efforts to promote Canadian interests in the U.S. and Mexico. Joining the Sub-Saharan Africa Branch in 2013, Nadia was first responsible for Canada’s bilateral relationships with countries in North Africa and then served as Director of Pan-Africa Affairs, where she provided leadership on cross-cutting thematic issues of importance to Canada and the continent. Prior to assuming her current position, Nadia served as Director General of Geographic Coordination and Mission Support, where she brought coherence, innovation and a results-based approach to support the work of Headquarters and Canada’s diplomatic missions abroad.
Nadia holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University and a Master of Laws from the University of Ottawa.
Akinjide Nurain Akintoye
Chief Technical Officer, Information Technology Unit, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Nigeria
Nurain Akinjide Akintoye is a Data Analyst (Statistician) with over 25 years of Research data analysis experience at a top and renowned Research Institute and University in Nigeria. Presently he is an Assistant Chief Technical Officer at Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R&T), Obafemi Awolowo University, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria where basic and applied agricultural researches are carried out on crops and livestock with national mandate. His main responsibility is to design experiments and carry out statistical analysis and visualization of data obtained from field, laboratory and survey experiments conducted by researchers from which scientifically proven decisions and policies are made or recommended.
Mr. Akintoye attended St. Patrick’s Grammar School, Basorun, Ibadan from 1985 to 1991. For his tertiary education, he attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan for both National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) both in Statistics, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) now Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) for Post graduate Diploma (PGD) in Planning, Research and Statistics.
He has hands-on experience in data analysis and remarkable knowledge of various computer based statistical applications.
He Managed the Institute’s Electronic weather database and assisted the Network Administrator in the management of the Institute’s Local Area Network (LAN). He serves as Statistician in the teams handling collaborative externally funded projects of the Institute and served as External Examiner for the Department of Statistics, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation, Ibadan.
He had co-authored and published research and professional articles in both local and international journals of repute. He served and still serving the Institute in Committees, Staff Union and Staff Cooperative Society in various capacities and has attended many training courses.
In April 2015, he was given Annual Merit Award as Outstanding Non-Academic Senior Staff of the Institute for 2013/2014 Academic session.
Len Bastien
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Len grew up in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1991. After a short stop in Halifax Nova Scotia, he moved to Ottawa to begin graduate studies at Carleton University, met his wife and settled in the National Capital Region. Most of his professional career has been spent in the information and telecommunication technology field. In the private sector, as Director of Consulting Services for Enterprise Outsourcing at CGI Ottawa, he was responsible for the overall management, growth and profitability of the Enterprise Outsourcing program. In April 2007, Mr. Bastien joined the Federal Public Service, serving initially at National Defence as Director of the Information Management Service Transformation and then as Director General (DGIMST), leading the division in the strategy and planning for further discovery and alignment of a rationalized Defence IM/IT Program. After a brief term as the Executive Director IT Infrastructure, Operations and Security, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Mr. Bastien returned to National Defence in March 2011, where he was appointed Director General Information Management Technology (DGIMT). A year later he assumed the role of Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management) and Chief Information Officer. Len Bastien was the Defence Champion for Persons with Disabilities, a role he took very seriously. He’s also volunteered for several years on the Board of Directors for Valoris, a Family Resources Organization in Eastern Ontario. He has two kids and many hours invested in the local arenas during the winter months. He recently built a beach house in PEI where he plans to spend more time in the coming years with friends and family.
Thomas Beautyman
Deputy Director, Government Digital Capability, Cabinet Office, United Kingdom
Thomas joined the Cabinet Office in 2021, in the new Central Digital and Data Office, and is responsible for transforming how Government grows capability in digital and data. This including attracting, recruiting and building digital expertise, through to developing the many leaders in government who have specialism in other domains, but increasingly need digital and data confidence to deliver. Thomas moved to the Cabinet Office from DWP Digital, having joined Government in 2019 from BT where he led workforce planning, apprenticeships and learning transformation.
Sylvain Bélanger
Executive Director and Chief Information Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Canada
Sylvain Bélanger is the Chief Information Officer and Executive Director for Information Management and Technology of the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada. Previously, he served as the Senior Director General, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Data Officer at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) from April 2021 to 2023. Over his 17-year career at LAC, he held several roles, including Chief of Staff, Corporate Secretary, and led the development of LAC’s Vision 2030. He also oversaw digital business operations and preservation of all LAC collections, playing a crucial role in their digital transformation.
With degrees in Political Science and Economics, as well as a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training (MALT) from Royal Roads University, Sylvain brings a strong educational foundation to his leadership positions. He holds the Certified Executive Coach designation and completed the Executive Coaching program at the Royal Roads University Centre for Advanced Management, as well as the University of Windsor Law School Executive Certificate in Conflict Management.
Sylvain’s career spans the private sector, Canadian Forces, and public service, where he held significant roles, including Manager, Business Services at the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College and Special Advisor to the Associate Deputy Minister at the Department of National Defence. He is known for his contributions to the International Internet Preservation Consortium and the IFLA Section on Information Technology. Currently, Sylvain serves as President of DPI Canada, the non-profit Association of Public Sector Information Professionals. With his diverse background and dedication, he is a valued leader in the field of information management and technology.
Christine Bellamy
Director of Publishing, GOV.UK, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom
GOV.UK is the digital home for the UK government and the best place for people to access government services and information. Christine joined GDS from the BBC where she held a number of roles over a ten year period (2012-2022) and most recently was Head of Product for BBC News and Sport UK and Global. Prior to working at the BBC, Christine was a Managing Director at Johnston Media (2009-2012).
Nadine Boudreau-Brown
Director General, IT Transformation and Modernization Services, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Nadine is the Director General of Digital Transformation and Modernization Services at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). As an executive with experience in digital and technology, communications, human resources and strategic policy, she brings an horizontal perspective and a wealth of knowledge in large and complex transformations. She has been the lead on AAFC’s Future of Work DG Task Force, more specifically leading AAFC’s digital transformation and driving initiatives using innovation and experimentation with emerging tools and technologies.
Marc Brouillard
Chief Digital Officer, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Marc Brouillard is the Chief Digital Officer for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in the Government of Canada. He has also served as Chief Technology Officer and acting Chief Information Officer of Canada at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Marc also served as deputy departmental CIO and acting departmental CIO at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Marc was VP of Business Development for a local eCommerce Services start-up. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at MONTAGE IT Services, a division of MTS/Allstream, where he held numerous positions in technology consulting and business development.
Marc provides strategic leadership in pursuing world class excellence in digital transformation, data and information management, and cyber security. He has had a long and successful career as a senior public and private sector executive in information management and technology.
Samuel Bryan Buabeng
Deputy Head, Digital Media, Office of the President, Ghana
Is a Presidential Staffer and Deputy Head of Social Media at Office of the President – Ghana for the last six and four months. I convey government’s internal and external messages, provide government with evidence required for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies and also I assist in managing official handles of the President, develops content for use on various media platforms especially Social Media. I hold a Diploma in Computer Network Engineering from NIIT Ghana and Bachelor of Science in Procurement & Logistics from Ghana Communication Technology University.
Stephen Burt
Chief Data Officer of Canada
In March 2022, Stephen Burt was appointed Chief Data Officer for the Government of Canada, at the Treasury Board Secretariat. His mandate is to provide leadership across government on information and data governance and integration, privacy modernization, and data-enabled digital services and programs. He is also responsible for providing enterprise level guidance on instruments and performance linked to the digital agenda, in the fields of service, security and access to information.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Burt was the functional authority for data governance and analytics capability for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF). He drove the analytics adoption and maturity throughout DND/CAF, and led the department-wide initiative to establish analytics and data governance.
Mr. Burt began his career in the Government of Canada in 1997 with Revenue Canada. In 1999, he joined DND, where he worked in a variety of policy, operational and defence intelligence roles, including two years as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister.
Mr. Burt moved to the Privy Council Office (PCO) in 2007 to work in the Security and Intelligence Secretariat as Senior Advisor on National Security. In that role, he was secretary for the committees of the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. In 2009, he joined the Intelligence Assessment Secretariat (IAS) at PCO, and held positions as Director for Afghanistan and, later, for Asia. Mr. Burt was appointed Director of Operations for the IAS in January 2012, and took on the position of Assistant Secretary on an acting basis in March 2014.
In April 2015, Mr. Burt assumed the role of Assistant Chief of Defence Intelligence at Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, where he led the federated production of intelligence within DND/CAF, and oversaw defence intelligence policy.
Mr. Burt has an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Ottawa, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Luis A. Campudoni
Deputy Chief Information Officer and Acting Chief Technology Officer, US Small Business Administration, United States of America
Mr. Luis Campudoni joined the SBA Senior Executive Services (SES) team in January of 2021 as the newly appointed Deputy Chief Information Officer for the agency. In this role, Mr. Campudoni supports the Chief Information Officer in leading, executing, and overseeing the information technology products, services and operations that support SBA’s mission nation-wide.
Before joining SBA, Mr. Campudoni served in multiple senior executive leadership roles at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Campudoni’s leadership roles at DHS included serving as the Department-level Acting Deputy Chief Information Officer (ADCIO), Executive Director of the DHS OCIO Headquarters Services Division (HSD), Information Technology Operations (ITO) Acting Executive Director, and OCIO’s Continuity of Operations (COOP) / Continuity of Government (COG) and Emergency Management Executive Director. In these roles, Mr. Campudoni provided leadership and oversight of DHS Department-wide tactical, strategic, and mission critical technology and operational support and services in the areas of Law Enforcement, Immigration, Emergency Management, Continuity & Resiliency, Intelligence, and other sensitive functional areas.
Before joining DHS OCIO, Mr. Campudoni served as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) CIO and Executive Director of three department-level operations: IT, Facilities Management, and Continuity of Operations (COOP) / Continuity of Government (COG) / Emergency Management. While with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, he successfully contributed to overall Metropolitan Washington Regional, States, and Local Governments enterprise business strategy development by leveraging IT, cybersecurity, facilities operations, and business resiliency in support of 24 local governments in the Washington metropolitan area, as well as area members of the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives.
With over 25 years of professional experience, Mr. Campudoni’s career also includes senior leadership experience in two DHS Components. At the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) OCIO, he led as Division-Chief the full lifecycle implementation of mission critical capabilities for DHS and FEMA in such areas as cybersecurity, enterprise IT operations, enterprise engineering, software development, contract oversight and management, COOP, COG management, and disaster recovery. He was responsible for recommending, developing, implementing, and sustaining agency-wide technical solutions, policies, and procedures that are synchronized with the FEMA vision and mission. At U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Mr. Campudoni was the Field Technology Officer and Program Manager for the Office of Field Operations (OFO) National Targeting Centers (NTCs). In this capacity, he was the inter-agency liaison and coordinator of all national security operational and technological mission critical needs for an anti-terrorism and intelligence joint-force operation of more than 600 end-users.
Mr. Campudoni holds three Masters of Science degrees, a Master of Divinity degree, four Post-Graduate Certificates, and a Bachelor of Science degree. He has a myriad of professional certifications, including certificates as a Certified Government CIO from Rutgers University & Public Technology Institute, and as a Federal Government Senior Executive Service from the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC).
CHANG Sau Sheong
Deputy Chief Executive, Government Technology Agency, Singapore
Sau Sheong is the Deputy Chief Executive, Product & Engineering, for GovTech Singapore.
Prior to GovTech, he was an Operating Partner, Digital for Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore and part of the AI Strategy and Solutions team.
Before that, he ran SP Digital, the digital business unit of SP Group. He also headed IT, OT and digital transformation for the whole of SP Group for more than 6 years. Sau Sheong was instrumental in changing SP Group from a traditional utility company to a regional energy player.
In his 28 years of industry experience, he has built and led product engineering teams at PayPal, Yahoo and HP building various software products for enterprise businesses and consumers globally.
He was previously a co-founder of a software company and was involved in startups for more than 10 years. He is active and contributes to many technology communities in Singapore and Southeast Asia and has written 4 programming books, currently working on a 5th book.
Sau Sheong has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, a Master’s in Commercial Law and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Arbitration.
Franco Chirichella
President and Chief Executive Officer, Innovapost Inc., and Chief Digital Officer, Canada Post, Canada
Franco Chirichella is responsible for Canada Post’s digital strategy through Innovapost, the Information Technology Shared Services provider for the Canada Post Group of Companies (Canada Post, Purolator, and SCI Group). He oversees all technology functions for Canada Post – including national networks, processing platforms, technology hubs, information security, technology operations and data analytics – as well as end user computing services for Purolator and SCI. The Canada Post portfolio of technology services connects approximately 68,000 Canada Post employees and enables the delivery of mail and parcel services across Canada, from coast to coast to coast.
As President and CEO of Innovapost, Franco is leading transformational initiatives that are accelerating IT delivery, improving enterprise agility, and helping Canada Post thrive in the digital economy. Under Franco’s leadership, Innovapost was awarded the 2022 IT World Public Sector Digital Transformation Award in recognition of the company’s foundational transformation that continues today. Franco has also been instrumental in advancing Innovapost’s sustainability initiatives for which Innovapost was awarded the 2023 Pure Good Sustainability Award.
During his more than 20 years at Canada Post and Innovapost, Franco has led teams of technology and business professionals across operations, finance, administration, retail, customer service, and IT. Immediately prior to being named CEO, Franco led the Business Solution Delivery teams at Innovapost that support the Commercial, Marketing and Operations teams within Canada Post. In this role, he led the end-to-end solution delivery of hundreds of parcel, direct marketing, customer experience, transaction mail, and mobile systems.
Before joining Innovapost in 2013, Franco led complex initiatives and geographically-dispersed teams within Canada Post as they realized new revenue, delivered operating efficiencies, and reduced costs. Franco was also instrumental in leading the growth and evolution of the Agile practice within Canada Post’s digital groups.
Franco holds a Master of Business Administration in Innovation from the University of Fredericton, and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Management from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. He also holds a Project Management designation and is Agile Certified. Franco lives in Toronto with his wife and 2 sons.
Meagan Collins
Chief, Enterprise Information Management, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Canada
Meagan is the current acting Chief of Enterprise Information Management in the Corporate Services Sector of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Previously she was a Lead in Digital Strategy Information Management at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. Meagan also has experience working for the Provincial government, Conference Board of Canada and in the private technology sector. She also holds the role of Board President for ARMA’s National Capital Region Chapter.
Peter Samai Conteh
Chief Technology Officer, Public Sector Reform Unit, Sierra Leone
Mr. Peter Samai Conteh is the Chief Technology Officer in Public Sector Reform Unit, providing technical support to the Ministry of Information and Communication. Prior to his posting at the Public Sector Reform, he served as Senior Networking and Data Analyst at the Accountant-General Department on the IFMIS system, which is financial software system used by the government of Sierra Leone to make and monitor all financial transactions.
Angela Copeland
Chief Information Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care, Canada
Angela Copeland is the Chief Information Officer/Assistant Deputy Minister for the Health Services I&IT Cluster. The portfolio includes over 230 technology solutions that support both the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-term Care. Key systems enable core services such as OHIP, emergency services, public health, inspections and analytics.
Prior to joining the OPS in 2022, Angela held progressively senior executive positions in the healthcare and social services sectors. She has overseen the development and implementation of numerous initiatives, including new hospital builds, data and analytics programmes, and technological solutions that have enabled business modernization.
She is known as a business partner with the ability to reimagine the possible, take initiative and test limits to achieve better business outcomes.
She is passionate about creating an inclusive environment with equal access to data and technology.
Kevin Cunnington
Former Director General, Government Digital Service (GDS), United Kingdom, and Expert Advisor, Global Government Forum
Kevin was Director General of the International Government Service and Digital Envoy for the UK from August 2019, until April 2021. Prior to that, he was the Director General of the Government Digital Service from August 2016 to July 2019. Kevin left the UK Civil Service in April 2021.
Kevin has led a variety of large scale, and global, digital transformation programmes. He spent his early career in programming and IT consultancy. More recently he was the Global Head of Online for Vodafone Group and Business Transformation Group Director General at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Kevin now advises Global Government Forum, and leads the Global Government Digital Leaders’ Study.
Vid Desai
Chief Information Officer, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, United States of America
Vid Desai is a seasoned technology leader with more than 30 years of experience in the information technology (IT) field, and healthcare and life sciences industries. He has previous experience working for large pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and clinical research organizations (CRO).
As the FDA’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the newly-established Office of Digital Transformation (ODT), Mr. Desai sets and leads the agency’s IT strategy, as well as the agency’s enterprise IT, data management, and cybersecurity. The ODT team oversees the overall FDA IT spend of more than $750M and a staff of around 2,500 employees and contractors. Prior to being named CIO, Mr. Desai served as the FDA’s Chief Technology Officer, overseeing day-to-day technology operations as the leader of the Office of Information Management and Information Technology.
Prior to joining the FDA, Mr. Desai held the CIO roles at Vyaire Medical, a respiratory medical device company formed from a divestiture from Becton Dickinson. He was CIO at Endochoice, a GI device and services provider, and Lake Region Medical, which was acquired by Greatbach to form Integer, a medical device, outsource manufacturer. His previous experience includes IT leadership roles with large CRO and pharmaceuticals, including Quintiles Transnational, where he served as executive director, Global IT Infrastructure. Prior to Quintiles, Mr. Desai held several leadership positions of increasing responsibility with GlaxoSmithKline. He started his career in IT as a software engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation in Reading, U.K.
Mr. Desai holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (first class with honors) from Royal Holloway College, University of London.
João Dias
President, Administrative Modernisation Agency, Portugal
João began his career as a Higher Technician for the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Prospective and Planning, predicting trends and looking towards the future.
He led the Portuguese Agency for Investment and External Commerce’s (AICEP) Digital Transformation through his role as Executive Director; Introduced the payment App (ePark) and the electric bike sharing system (Gira) as Board Member for the Lisbon Municipal Enterprise for Mobility and Parking (EMEL); and was responsible for digital innovation as Board Member for Prio Energy and CEO of Prio Electric.
João Dias was appointed as President of AMA’s Director Council on September 1st, 2022.
Jean Paul Donoghue
Chief Information Officer, Global Affairs Canada
JP is an experienced executive in the field of information management, and information technology. For over 20 years, JP has worked for the Government of Canada in various roles.
He graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2003 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree specializing in International Management and Marketing. In 2009, he pursued post-graduate work also from the University of Ottawa in the field of Business Administration, Information Technology Project Management and Software Engineering Management.
JP has led and successfully delivered large and complex information and technology projects internationally for the Government of Canada. Some of his key accomplishments include the global deployment of Office 365, pivoting towards an agile, adaptable and client-centric IM/IT organization, establishing GAC’s digital transformation strategy with sustainable funding, successfully supporting the department’s hybrid workforce during the pandemic, and leading the digital enablement of GAC so that it meet the demands of future diplomacy.
His areas of interest include digital transformation – including digital policy, agile development, as well as automation, service delivery modernization and artificial intelligence.
Ann Dunkin
Chief Information Officer, Department of Energy, United States of America
Ann Dunkin currently serves as Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she manages the Department’s information technology (IT) portfolio and modernization; oversees the Department’s cybersecurity efforts; leads technology innovation and digital transformation; and enables collaboration across the Department. She served in the Obama Administration as CIO of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior roles include Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Dell Technologies; CIO, County of Santa Clara, CA; CTO, Palo Alto Unified School District, California; and various leadership roles at Hewlett Packard focused on engineering, research and development, IT, manufacturing engineering, software quality, and operations.
Ann is a published author, most recently of the book Industrial Digital Transformation, and a frequent speaker on topics such as government technology modernization, digital transformation, and organizational development. Ann received the 2022 Capital CIO Large Enterprise ORBIE Award, and she has been given a range of previous awards, including DC’s Top 50 Women in Technology for 2015 and 2016, ComputerWorld’s Premier 100 Technology Leaders for 2016, StateScoop’s Top 50 Women in Technology list for 2017, FedScoop’s Golden Gov Executive of the Year in 2016 and 2021, and FedScoop’s Best Bosses in Federal IT 2022.
Ms. Dunkin holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a licensed professional engineer in the states of California and Washington. In 2018, she was inducted into Georgia Tech’s Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni.
Brian Epley
Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer, Department of Energy, United States of America
Brian Epley joined the Department of Energy as the Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer (PDCIO) in September 2022. As PDCIO, Brian leads the day-to-day operations of the Office of the CIO, and also partners with the CIO on strategic direction to protect and modernize DOE’s information technology, information resources, data, and cybersecurity across the DOE enterprise.
Before joining DOE, Brian held several roles at the Environmental Protection Agency. He served in roles including Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Administration & Resources Management, Chief (IT) Operations Officer, and Deputy Chief Technology Officer. His responsibilities covered enterprise information systems management and operations management, including desktop, enterprise hosting, service and business management, endpoint and collaboration solutions, and network and security operations.
Brian is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years’ experience across federal and state government and the commercial sector. Throughout his career, he has distinguished himself as an innovative change leader with the unique ability to deliver strategically aligned and mission-focused services. His experience in building coalitions, creating a shared vision, and actively partnering with customers will be immensely helpful as he joins the CIO to help lead DOE’s remarkable organization.
Yvan Gauthier
Head, Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, Data Analytics Centre, Digital Technologies, National Research Council, Canada
Yvan Gauthier is a senior data scientist with the National Research Council’s Digital Technologies Centre and leads the NRC AI Accelerator for the Government of Canada, which delivers AI solutions to other federal departments and agencies and supports them in their digital transformation. Before, he worked for 20 years as a defence scientist with the Department of National Defence (DND), where he became the first-ever Director of Data Science and established a new enterprise data science team supporting DND’s Chief Data Officer. He also chaired a NATO Specialist Team on Advanced Analytics and AI and has led several operational research projects while being embedded with various parts of DND and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Rajiv Gupta
Associate Head, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Canada
Rajiv Gupta is the Associate Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (the Cyber Centre). In this role Rajiv is responsible for advancing the Cyber Centre’s strategic vision to enable a secure digital Canada.
Prior to this role, Rajiv was the Director General of Cyber Defence Capabilities where he was responsible for the development and operations of sensors, threat discovery analytics and autonomous defence technologies deployed to protect Government of Canada networks. In this role Rajiv was also responsible for achieving national level cyber security outcomes for Canada through collaborative efforts with industry partners.
Rajiv began his career in 1998 as a software engineer in the telecommunications sector. He later joined the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in 2007 and has since worked in a variety of cyber security disciplines. Prior to his role in Cyber Defence, Rajiv served as the Director of Security Architecture and Risk Mitigation where he was responsible for supply chain risk assessments for the Government of Canada, analytic support to Investment Canada Act national security reviews, and the implementation of a cyber security risk mitigation framework for Canada’s telecommunications sector.
Rajiv holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in engineering and is a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.
Karl Hoods
Group Chief Digital and Information Officer, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, United Kingdom
Karl is an experienced Chief Information Officer (CIO) and has worked in the private, public and third sectors. He is currently the Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology where he is responsible for the delivery of core services, digital transformation, innovation, knowledge management and shared services.
Prior to joining BEIS Karl was CIO for Save the Children where he was responsible for the delivery of technology and digital services to support humanitarian, policy, advocacy and fundraising activities. He has also held business technology leadership roles with web and sports media startups and led major change programmes for publishing leading publishers. His career in startups fostered his interest in how emerging technology can be applied to business problems.
Outside of work Karl is interested in education and sits on the boards of the Harris Federation, Bournemouth University, the Safe & Trusted AI Centre for Doctoral Training and King’s College London’s Department for Informatics Industry Advisory Board. In addition he is on the global steering council for an international metaverse association.
Karl is also a keen runner and has completed a number of marathons.
Robyn Hulan
Chief Transformation Officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada
Born and raised in Labrador City, Newfoundland, Robyn has recently retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after 30 years of loyal service. Her time as a Canadian Army Signals Officer spanned Signals Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Communications Information Systems in the joint and multi-national environment.
Career highlights include operational deployments to Bosnia and Afghanistan, a four-year exchange posting at the National Security Agency in the United States and most recently as the Director of the Pathfinder Digital Transformation initiative at North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Robyn joined the RCMP Team as the Chief Transformation Officer in March 2023 where she is charged with leading their digital ambitions and collectively raising their organizational change game.
Aaron Jaffery
Director General, Service Experience Design and Delivery, Service Canada
Aaron is the Director General for Service Experience Design and Delivery in Employment and Social Development Canada. Aaron joined Service Canada from the Department for Work and Pensions in the United Kingdom where he led teams transforming the experience for UK citizens across a number of services including retirement, health & disability and digital identity.
Aaron is passionate about making Government services work better for the citizens it serves. He is an advocate for human-centred design and driving integration between policy development and service delivery.
Aaron and his wife have four children and relocated to Canada in Summer 2022
David Jakob
Chief Information Officer, Justice Canada
David Jakob is the CIO and Director General, Information Solutions Branch at the Department of Justice Canada. During a technology career spanning more than thirty years, he has enabled public and private sector organizations in their realization of online service delivery and digital solutions.
Upon completing a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science at Western University, David began his digital leadership in private sector, spending more than a decade as owner-operator of an Ottawa-based Internet consulting and services firm. Joining the Canadian federal government in 2006, he has held various executive positions in the areas of information management, technology, and security. As Justice Canada CIO, David is now at the forefront of leading public administration modernization and the digital transformation of departmental legal, legislative, and administrative services.
Vigdís Jóhannsdóttir
Chief Marketing Officer for Digital Iceland, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Iceland
Chief Marketing Officer for Digital Iceland, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Vigdís is the Chief Marketing Officer of Digital Iceland where she leads internal and external communication, branding, culture, education and strategy.
Vigdís began her career in media where her focus was on branding and communication for both television and radio, as well as producing and hosting tv shows. A decade in media life led her into advertising where she was a senior adviser and Chief Operation Officer at one of Iceland‘s top advertising agencies. In 2016 Vigdís was the campaign mangager for Halla tómasdóttir, presidential candidate, who grew from inital following of 1% to becoming the runner-up with nearly 30% of the vote.
Vigdís has been with Digital Iceland since spring of 2020 taking part in building the strategy and being instrumental in growing the impact of Digital Iceland with special focus on the change management needed for the project to succeed.
Vigdís has over 25 years of experience in communication, marketing, and branding. Experienced strategist and in change management, project management, human resource management, service management and company culture.
Vigdís holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with specialization in management from the University of Reykjavík, jointly finishing her master’s in international Relations from the University of Iceland.
Vigdís is married with two children plus two stepchildren from the age of 16-31.
Peter Kimaile
Director, ICT, Ministry of Information, Communication & The Digital Economy, Kenya
Peter Kimaile is an assistant director of ICT in the State Department for Information Communication and The Digital Economy in Kenya, and also the lead digital identity advisor to the principal secretary on the Kenyan digital ID program.
He has over 20 years’ experience delivering ICT and technology research projects for governments in security and digital economy, e-Government, financial services, digital ID, immigration and border management automation.
He is currently a member and secretary to the Kenyan Technical Committee on the Unique Identifier and digital Identity, a multi-agency team working to deliver Digital ID in the country with mandate to analyze and recommend Digital ID enabling policies development, technical standards and use case mapping and implementation roadmap.
Previously, he served for five years as chief technology officer in the Department of Immigration Services in Kenya, where he oversaw the implementation of East Africa e-Passport system, and automation of Foreign Nationals Management Services including development of data analytics tools on work permits, border control and illegal immigrants’ database integration. He also served as a member of the East Africa Community (EAC) ICT working group on internationalisation of the East African e-passport for 4 years, a technical committee which was responsible for policy guidance in the implementation of a common regional e-passport.
Currently, he is Kenya’s representative and chair of the African Committee of Experts for Digital ID, and also serves as a member of East African Community Regional Expert Working Group on Digital Health, Data, Technologies and Innovations that is working to develop data and information sharing guidelines for ensuring stakeholders confidence.
Mackenzie Lambe
Chief Information Officer, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Mackenzie is a virtual CIO leading from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with over 20 years of experience in the public service in the areas of business transformation, Human Resources, Digital modernization, and IM/IT.
Mackenzie was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in April 2023. As CIO, Mackenzie leads the Digital Strategy implementation and the Information Management (IM) and Information Technology (IT) initiatives and operations that enable the delivery of ECCC programs and services.
Mackenzie is passionate about influencing a culture of creativity, collaboration, enterprise mindset with a people centric approach to digital. Mackenzie has been leading virtually for over a decade in the public service and believes fiercely in the maximizing talent across Canada and leading out front as digital leaders to demonstrate the value of working differently. Mackenzie is a proud mother of four and enjoys coaching basketball within her community.
Brandon Lee
Director General, Grants and Contributions Transformation Bureau, Global Affairs Canada
Brandon was appointed to oversee the relationship between Canada and the U.S. as Consul General of Canada in San Francisco and then also in Seattle and was Canada’s Ambassador to Silicon Valley.
Brandon has a strong background both as an executive and leading innovation, and he has held several executive positions with national and international governments. From 2007 to 2011, he oversaw global reform activities to strengthen Canada’s international presence and became the Department’s first Director of Innovation. From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Lee held senior positions at the World Trade Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross (both in Geneva), spearheading major organizational and international reform initiatives.
Angel Martin
Deputy Head, Planning and Governance of Digital Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Spain
Angel Martín Bautista is the Deputy Head of the Planning and Governance Department of Digital Administration in the general Secretariat for Digital Administration, part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation.
Regarding his duties, he focuses on aspects such as the supervision of the work carried out in the department, with a special focus on the monitoring and execution of the Digitalization Plan for Public Administrations; having special involvement in new digital identity models. In this area, he represents Spain in the technical meetings of the new eIDAS2 Regulation during the Spanish presidency of the European Council or actively works in the coordination of Large Scale Pilots. He has previously held positions of responsibility in relation to emerging technologies, particularly highlighting Robotic Process Automation or blockchain technology, where he has been representing Spain in the European Blockchain Partnership since 2019. He has also carried out tasks related to the evaluation and analysis of the digital transformation in the Public Administration at the local, regional and central levels.
Born in Madrid he carried out simultaneously a degree in Physics and a degree in Philosophy, both at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.
Previously to his public sector experience, he worked 17 years in the private sector in areas such as Business Consulting, Strategy, energy sector, telecommunications, automotive Industry and ICT Technologies until he started working as a civil servant.
Regarding his duties, he focuses on aspects such as the supervision of the work carried out in the department, with a special focus on the monitoring and execution of the Digitalization Plan for Public Administrations; having special involvement in new digital identity models. In this area, he represents Spain in the technical meetings of the new eIDAS2 Regulation during the Spanish presidency of the European Council or actively works in the coordination of Large Scale Pilots. He has previously held positions of responsibility in relation to emerging technologies, particularly highlighting Robotic Process Automation or blockchain technology, where he has been representing Spain in the European Blockchain Partnership since 2019. He has also carried out tasks related to the evaluation and analysis of the digital transformation in the Public Administration at the local, regional and central levels
Fernando de Pablo Martín
Director Digital Office, Madrid City, Spain
Born in Segovia, he is a Telecommunications Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, member of the Senior Corps of Information Systems and Technologies, Master in Management of Information and Communications Systems and Technologies (INAP and UPM), Executive master in Business Management from the School of Industrial Organisation (EOI) and Leadership Programme for Public Management (IESE). Diploma of Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (UAH). In preparation of doctoral thesis.
He has worked for more than a decade in the private sector before joining the Public Administration, and in the Spanish Tax Administration since 1993, in different departments (IT, Large Taxpayers, Planning and Institutional Relations, Director General for the promotion of electronic administration 2009-2011, Office for the Implementation of the Reform of Public Administration (CORA) 2013-2016.
Between 2017 and 2018 he was President of the Public Company for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (SEGITTUR) responsible for Smart Tourism Destinations (DTI) and the Tourism Intelligence System (SIT), and between 2018 and 2020 as Secretary General of Digital Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, responsible for the Strategy, common national eGovernment platforms and Digital Transformation initiatives of the General State Administration and all infrastructures that have supported the administration in the confinement era caused by COVID-19.
He is currently Director General of the Madrid Digital Office in charge of driving the digital transformation process in the city, the digital administration, and the data strategy.
National responsible for international strategies and reports such as DESI in the EU, UNPAN eGovernment Survey, OECD Digital Governance, etc. He has been part at different times of his professional life of various international working groups such as the Forum on Tax Administration (e-services group), OECD e-Leaders (CIOs of OECD), CIO-Network of the EU, GEALC (CIOs of America group) or Eurocities.
Clare A. Martorana
Federal Chief Information Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, United States of America
Clare Martorana is an industry leader in deploying innovative technology and human-centered design to create products, services, and experiences that improve people’s lives.
In March 2021, Clare was appointed by President Biden as the Federal Chief Information Officer. She previously served as Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and a member of the U.S. Digital Service team at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, launching the agency’s enterprise-wide digital modernization effort to give Veterans the 21st century digital experience they deserve. Prior to joining government, Clare was a President at Everyday Health and Senior Vice President and General Manager and editor-at-large at WebMD.
Throughout her career, Clare has worked to improve and simplify the digital experiences people have when interacting with businesses – and knows the same is possible when our citizens interact with our government. As a creative leader and big thinker, she is leading government technologists and policy experts in meeting federal mandates while working collaboratively to deliver secure modern tools and services to our citizens. She looks forward to partnering with key stakeholders to maximize investments and deliver high-quality digital services to the American people.
Scott McNaughton
Director, Digital Investment Office, Ministry of Citizens’ Services, Government of British Columbia, Canada
Scott serves as the Director of the Digital Advisory Service within the Digital Investment Office of the BC Public Service. Scott leads a team of digital experts who support the development of digital funding proposals, evaluates their alignment with digital best practices, and provides recommendations for funding approval to senior decision-makers. Once funding is secured, Scott’s team conducts ongoing assurance activities to support the realization of investment outcomes.
Before this role, he held positions within the Federal Public Service, primarily in Ottawa. His roles included Senior Project Lead at the Canada School of Public Service, Manager at Transport Canada, Policy Analyst at the Community of Federal Regulators and Health Canada (Indigenous Services Canada), and Administrative Support at the Department of National Defence. Scott possesses extensive experience in IT project management, product management, program delivery, strategic policy, user experience design, service design, client relationship management, and artificial intelligence.
In 2014, Scott founded the charity “Suits his Style,” which provides professional clothing to individuals in need for their job interviews. This initiative not only bolsters confidence but also enhances the ability to create a positive first impression.
Beyond work commitments, Scott cherishes quality time with his partner and toddler daughter. He loves immersing himself in nature through hiking, biking, or unwinding with a book on the deck. Recently, Scott got back into ball hockey as a goalie after a 7-year hiatus. Currently residing in Victoria, Scott loves the city’s favorable climate, abundant green spaces, and numerous hiking opportunities.
He holds an undergraduate degree with joint honors in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Ottawa.
Dr Inshan Meahjohn
Chief Executive Officer, National Information and Communication Technology Company Limited (iGovTT), Trinidad and Tobago
Dr Inshan Meahjohn is currently the CEO of iGovTT and has over twenty-three years of international experience in multiple industries including insurance, information technology, higher education, finance, entrepreneurship and banking. In addition to his professional experience, Inshan holds a Bachelor of Administration (Hons) from the University of Glamorgan in the United Kingdom, a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business and is currently a PhD Candidate.
Andre Mendes
Chief Information Officer, US Department of Commerce, United States of America
André Mendes was appointed Chief Information Officer for the Department of Commerce in August of 2019. There, he has overall responsibility and oversight of all technology systems at the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) and its associated Bureaus.
Before, Mr. Mendes was responsible for all global technology platforms and systems for the International Trade Administration (ITA), the DOC bureau that manages global trade issues for the United States of America. There Mr. Mendes oversaw a rapid bureau-wide transformation effort making ITA the first Federal Agency/Bureau to be 100% cloud based, radically changing several workflows, enabling a massive scale-up of service provisioning quality, an unprecedented rise in employee morale and job satisfaction while also lowering overall operating costs to less than 11% of ITA’s appropriation.
Prior to ITA, Mr. Mendes spent eight years at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) in various executive roles; including CEO, COO, CIO, CTO and CFO. During his time at USAGM, Mr. Mendes managed overall Agency transformation generating over $360 million in savings from 2010 through 2018 through aggressive global technology and facilities optimization with projected 10-year savings in excess of half a billion dollars ($503M). In that timeframe, global weekly audiences grew 78% (165-278M), all while reducing technology and front office staff by over 22%.
Mr. Mendes has also held CXO positions at Special Olympics International, PBS, Pluvita, MRL Pharmaceuticals, USAssist and General Health Inc.
Mr. Mendes received his MBA and BS in Management of Information Systems from University of Maryland Global Campus and an Associate Degree in Biology from Montgomery College. He also holds certificates in finance and international management from MIT and Antwerpen University.
Mr. Mendes is a member of the CIO Hall of Fame (Class of 2021), a recipient of the 2011 Milton F. Clogg Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from Montgomery College, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Capitol Technology University and has receive multiple industry awards including an MIT award for IT Innovation, a 2020 Top 150 Global Transformation Executives from Constellation Research, 2020, 2021 and 2022 FedScoop 50 Federal Leadership Awards, the 2005 Technology Leadership Award from Broadcasting and Cable Magazine and the Top 100 Hispanic Executives in IT Award every year between 2009 and 2019.
Innocent Bagamba Muhizi
Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Information Society Authority, Rwanda
Innocent B. MUHIZI is the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) since 2017. RISA’s main mission is to Champion Rwanda’s Digital Transformation. As a senior Technology and Business Executive with over 20 years of industry experience both in the Public and Private sector, Mr. MUHIZI has a proven track record for building, leading, managing and delivering world-class technology and business solutions to help organization grow both market share and revenue. His experience in Telecom Industry, Financial services, Payments, Public sector, has given him practical skills and capabilities to driving business results and maximizing profitability through the delivery of exceptional service. He has demonstrated prudent management of people, technology and processes; a proven ability to manage complex projects, align technology and corporate strategy, and set and achieve business objectives; and leadership of teams to achieve projected goals.
Luyanda Ndlovu
Chief Information Officer, Department of Communications and Digital Technology, South Africa
Biography to be updated shortly.
Patrick Cobby Nhyira
Municipal MIS Officer, Effutu Municipal Assembly, Ghana
Patrick Cobby Nhyira is an IT Professional whose experience spans for more than a decade in practice. He is the Municipal MIS Officer for Effutu Municipal Assembly for half a decade now.
He has extensive experience in Network Infrastructure Installation, web Authoring tools like WordPress, Hardware and Software troubleshooting, System Administration and many more. He has in-depth training in Data Collection and Revenue mobilization for half a decade now. He has provided IT support services for Staffs and trains students in senior and Basic Schools. He also volunteers by training children ICT In his neighborhood.
Cobby has passion for solving problems so he applied for District Information Technology Officer (DIT) for Ghana’s Maiden Census organized in the year 2021. He was in charge of deploying Tablets to supervisors and Enumerators and providing IT Support for Gomoa East District in the Central Region of Ghana where the project chalk a lot of success in implementing digital census.
Cobby has passion to manage projects, so he led a team in digitalizing Property rate collection for Effutu Municipal Assembly. He then used a software called Taxman to bill clients by sending electronic bills for rate payers and subsequently mobilized about 80% of revenue targets for the Municipal Assembly under the Project Tax Revenue for Economic enhancement (TREE) for a half a decade.
Cobby has the ability to learn and support new and fast-changing technologies. Outstanding good Customer relations and Office Administration Skills. He has the ability to adapt to any environment and capable of working with little or no supervision and a good team player with excellent leadership skills.
Ima Okonny
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Data Officer, Employment and Social Development Canada
Ima, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Data Officer at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has over 23 years of experience in the field of data.
As Chief Data Officer of ESDC, she works to enhance and advance Data Science, Data Management and Data Sharing to support ESDC’s policies, service delivery and results reporting.
Prior to ESDC, Ima held an executive role at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, where she led a team to ensure the effective collection, governance, and management of federally regulated financial institution and pension plan data collected by the Office.
Ima has also worked at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, where she led the development and delivery of analytical data, research databases, data products and tools that supported performance measurement, policy development, program monitoring, results/outcome reporting and research and evaluation. Ima’s previous experience has also included positions with the Canada Revenue Agency, and Statistics Canada.
She has an educational background in Mathematics, Computer Programming and Public Management and during her time with the Government of Canada, she has received several nominations and awards for her leadership and results.
She is passionate about helping organizations develop the capabilities required to ethically and intentionally unleash concrete business value from data.
Donald Parker
Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Directorate, Privy Council Office, Canada
Don has had a variety of experience across the public service since joining government in the early 2000s. Don came to PCO with experience in policy, operations and IT, having worked at National Defense, the Communications Security Establishment and Canada’s mission to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. Don has a master’s degree from the University of Toronto, and an undergraduate degree from Trent University. Most recently Don was the Director General, Systems and Assurances at CSE responsible for portfolios including the SIGINT security management office and the Foreign Intelligence operational IT infrastructure portfolio.
Gayan Peiris
Head, Data and Technology, Chief Digital Office, United Nations Development Programme
Gayan is the Head of Data and Technology with Chief Digital Office at UN Development Programme (UNDP). He leads the implementation of the Data Strategy for UNDP which includes driving the transformation of UNDP into a data-driven organisation and advising member states on their data, digital and cloud strategies. Gayan is an expert in bringing people’s voices into policy making. He has experience in digital campaigning and led data collection and analysis efforts of several global initiatives such as UN75 and MYWorld which brought in over 10 million voices worldwide through both public and private sector partnerships.
Darcy Pierlot
Chief Information Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Darcy Pierlot was appointed Chief Immigration Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in September 2022.
At IRCC, Darcy is responsible for all technology initiatives and operations enabling Canada’s visitor visa and permanent resident programs, as well as citizenship, passport, and international travel. He is a senior technology leader within the Government of Canada and international community of Chief Information Officers.
Darcy began his Public Service career as an engineer at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in 2006. He subsequently assumed leadership roles such as Senior Advisor to the Chief of CSE and, more recently, Director General, Security. From 2019 to 2021, Darcy was seconded to the Privy Council Office (PCO) where he served as Executive Director and Chief Security Officer to the Offices of the Prime Minister and Privy Council.
Darcy is a licenced professional engineer (P.Eng.) in the Province of Ontario and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Dalhousie University, Halifax. He is a graduate of the Public Service Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and holds a certificate in Canadian Security and Intelligence Leadership from the Telfer School of Management (2017).
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Darcy now lives in the rural east-end of Ottawa with his family. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and the piano.
Alison Pritchard
Deputy National Statistician and Director General for Data Capability, Office for National Statistics, United Kingdom
Alison is leading the transformation in data usage which will see ever more integrated data put to effective and safe use across the private and public sectors. She ensures ONS has the right technology and skills to meet its ambitious goals in data analytics and data science and champions safe and secure data sharing for the public good in ONS and beyond.
Most recently Alison was Director General of the Government Digital Service leading the organisation through a busy and critical period. And before that, she was Director of Transformation at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
She began her Civil Service career in 1987. She has worked across a range of departments including the Ministry of Defence, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Her career has seen her enjoy a varied and interesting range of roles, including: spending five years in Saudi Arabia with a UK defence programme; leading the independent review of Royal Family and ministerial air travel; and being responsible for gambling and the National Lottery.
Outside government, Alison has experience as Head of Operations for an IT engineering business and on secondment to the third sector as Director of Programmes for a multi-faith research body supporting counter-radicalisation.
Erica Ren
Chief Data Officer, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Erica Ren currently serves as the Chief Data Officer (CDO) at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), where she is responsible for guiding data transformation initiatives to enhance decision-making processes through data analysis, research, data literacy, and effective data governance practices. Before assuming her current role, Erica held leadership positions in various departments in the Government of Canada, including Director General of Modernization at Canadian Heritage and Senior Director at Correctional Services Canada.
With nearly two decades of experience in the Federal Public Service, Erica Ren has cultivated expertise in data analytics, digital service delivery, and business transformation. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering, a Master of Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Ottawa.
Santo Scarfo
Assistant Commissioner and CIO, Canadian Revenue Agency, Canada
Mr. Scarfo was appointed Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Officer October 18, 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree with a specialization in Management Information Systems from Lakehead University. Mr. Scarfo also graduated from the University of Ottawa Certificate Program in Public Sector Leadership and Governance. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Scarfo was Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Systems and Support, ITB, CRA, from November 2019 to October 18, 2021.
Mr. Scarfo began his career at the CRA as a Systems Analyst in 1994 and has held progressively challenging positions from management to executive level positions supporting numerous CRA systems including individual tax processing, business processing, business intelligence, IT security, architecture and information management. Mr. Scarfo has performed several senior executive roles including Director General of the Data and Business Intelligence Directorate, Director General of the Systems Integrity Directorate, and Director General for the Business and Enterprise Solutions Directorate.
Meleanie Scott
Chief Information Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Digital Solutions, Statistics Canada
Mélanie Scott is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Assistant Chief Statistician (ASC) of the Digital Solutions Field at Statistics Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Sherbrooke and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa.
Prior to her current role, Mélanie was the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Digital Services Branch at Shared Services Canada (SSC), where she oversaw digital services that improved workplace communication, collaboration and mobility, and provided workplace tools and technology at the enterprise level, while delivering improved value for Canadians. Prior to that, she provided leadership in key areas of IT security, data management business relationships and partnerships, and IT operations in various director and director-general roles at the Communications Security Establishment Canada, and Library and Archives Canada.
She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including: the Governor General’s Academic Medal of Canada for the University of Sherbrooke, the 2016 Excellence of Service Award from Library and Archives Canada for Excellence in Service Delivery, and the 2016 SSC Award of Excellence for Collaboration and Organizational Improvement.
Vidya Shankarnarayan
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Vidya ShankarNarayan is the CIO and Assistant Deputy Minister, Information Systems Branch at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Over the past 25 years, Vidya has held multiple positions in both the private and public sectors, leading high-profile initiatives related to service delivery and digital technologies. Previously, Vidya worked at Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), where she passionately focused on improving and innovating digital policy and service delivery with a vision of designing and implementing simpler and efficient digital government services. She has also held executive positions at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Global Affairs Canada and Passport Canada. She holds a Masters degree in Architecture, specializing in Design and Technology from Carleton University.
Vidya is an active community member, participating on various boards including the World Economic Forum, Global Blockchain Congress and Algonquin College. In her spare time, Vidya practices yoga and meditation and is a champion for diversity and inclusion.
Anthony Sheehan
Chief Digital Officer, Courts Administration Service Canada, Canada
After 10+ years in the private sector, including working as a producer in the video game industry (Ubisoft), Anthony joined the public service in 2014. Ever since, he’s been focused on driving digital transformation and a culture shift within the public service to leverage novel policy and digital practices to deliver better services faster to Canadians. He published an article in 2017 on this topic, which made the cover page of the Canadian Government Executive magazine.
Currently the Chief Digital Officer of the Courts Administration Service of Canada, Anthony is on a digital business transformation journey to improve access to justice, as well as improve services to members of the Courts, and those who appear before them. Prior to this role, Anthony was the Director General of the Transformation, Strategy & Results directorate at Transport Canada where he focused on departmental transformation and branch enablement services, including the Future of Work. Prior to joining TC, Anthony was Sr. Director of Digital Delivery and one of the leaders driving the Government of Canada’s innovative Agile Procurement Process to procure a new HR & Pay system. Anthony holds an undergraduate degree from the Université de Sherbrooke, an Executive MBA from the Ottawa Telfer School of Management and recently participated in the 2022 Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference.
Outside of work, Anthony is a suicide prevention volunteer, serves on the board of the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) as well as his local school board. Originally from Québec city, Anthony now lives in Canada’s national capital region with his wife and 2 young boys. – LinkedIn
Irina Soeffky
Director, National, European and International Digital Policy, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Germany
Irina Soeffky is Director for National, European and International Digital Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. She has more than 15 years of experience in the public service and has worked extensively on international issues. She holds degrees in law and economics.
Isabelle Tanguay
Chief Information Officer and Director General, Information Management and Technology Directorate, Department of Finance, Canada
With an impressive 28-year tenure in Information Technology (IT) within the Federal Government (GC), Isabelle is a dynamic force who has sculpted a remarkable career marked by innovation, collaboration, and leadership. Beginning her journey at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Isabelle’s first decade saw her navigate diverse IT roles, an experience enriched by partnerships with influential entities like the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Her professional voyage has spanned an array of domains, encompassing programming, customer service, and impactful project management for mission-critical and enterprise systems. In this journey, a fervent devotion to IT security emerged as she continually elevated customer service standards. Notably, she played a pivotal role in devising an innovative threat and risk assessment methodology in collaboration with the esteemed Communications Security Establishment (CSE), which she also taught through evening courses at the Cité Collégiale in Ottawa.
Isabelle’s expertise was further honed through internal IT system audits, propelling her to specialize in identity and access management. Stepping into the leadership realm, she took charge of expansive IT security portfolios, expertly overseeing teams, contracts, finances, and shared services. Remarkably, she spearheaded ambitious initiatives that revamped efficiency, yielding substantial cost savings and impressive returns on investment.
Her leadership acumen found new dimensions as she shouldered the responsibility of operational performance reporting for Shared Services Canada (SSC), an experience that underscored the significance of performance metrics. Notably, she led IT infrastructure, operations, project management, monitoring, and IT security teams at Library and Archives Canada, gaining recognition for transformative endeavors such as establishing a covert network and pioneering secure cloud environments.
At present, Isabelle shines as the Director General and Chief Information Officer at Finance Canada, a role that positions her as an architect of the organization’s digital transformation odyssey. This journey is marked by her active participation in various interdepartmental working groups, a testament to her dedication to shaping cross-government initiatives. Her prominence extends to her role as an engaged and visible member of the DPI advisory council, further underlining her commitment to collaborative ideation and strategic networking.
Embarking on a nearly three-decade journey, Isabelle’s unwavering commitment to excellence, groundbreaking work in IT security, and instrumental contributions to foundational infrastructures set her apart as a visionary leader in the realm of Information Technology. Her trajectory is a testament to the magic of collaboration and networking, and her ongoing mission is to foster collective growth through the fusion of technology and strategic partnerships.
Po Tea-Duncan
Chief Information Security Officer of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Canada
Po Tea-Duncan is the Chief Information Security Officer of the Government of Canada within Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). Po has over 20 years of experience in the federal government. She currently leads the teams enabling the delivery of secure and reliable government services through the GC’s digital identity program, enterprise security architecture, security strategy and policy development, and GC Cyber Security Event Management. In 2020, she was named as one of the Top Women in Cyber Security in Canada. In 2022, she was featured in The Female Quotient and Deloitte’s 25 Women in Cyber campaign. Prior to joining TBS, Po served in a variety of roles at Global Affairs Canada in the areas of systems security engineering, architecture, and incident management.
Chris Thorn
Chief Digital Officer, Digital, Data & Technology Services, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), United Kingdom
Chris been bringing together customer experience, organisational/business needs and technology for over 30 years. He worked in digital before it was called digital and was championing customers before the term customer experience was coined. Today there is name for what he does – Digital Transformation. Today he is working on a digital transformation programme at the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Prior to this he was working on one of the biggest digital transformation programmes in UK government; developing the Universal Credit service within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The service forms the backbone of the UK welfare system.
Prior to DWP, he instigated the digital transformation at British Heart Foundation, one of the UK’s largest charities that operates the largest commercial Furniture & Electrical retail chain in the UK. At BHF his role spanned customer experience, customer service, digital product development and more. He introduced Agile, Cloud Hosting and Data Science to an organisation that had been described as a digital dinosaur when he joined.
Chris’ experience includes working at a Lloyd’s of London underwriters, Disney’s European Headquarters, Virgin Management, he co-ran a full service London based digital agency and was CTO at a scale-up in Berlin.
Chris has BSc Honours degree is Computer Science and an MBA.
Katja Väänänen
Head, Digitalization Unit, Public Sector ICT Department, Ministry of Finance, Finland
Katja is head of the Digitalization Unit at the Ministry of Finance, Finland. She has worked in diverse positions with strategic steering and public sector digitalization. The Digitalization Unit is responsible for the overall development of the digital services of public administration and steering and implementing of joint development projects. The work includes promoting the priority of public e-services, leading the development of the digital life event based service packages and digital infra (such as digital identity), strategic steering of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and cross-sectoral cooperation with an interministerial working group. Prior to her current role Katja has led various development projects in public sector organizations and worked in Finnish parliament as a lawyer for several year.
Mark Vermeer
Director, Digital Government, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Netherlands
As the director of Digital Government, Mr Mark Vermeer is responsible for a digital government that works on a value-driven and open basis for all citizens and businesses. This work includes the promotion of a transparent and open government, a digital identity, the control of citizens over their digital lives, and the accessibility and innovation of digital public services.
Mark Vermeer previously worked in diverse positions at the Municipality of Rotterdam, including as the Director of innovation, information and research and as the Chief Information Officer. Mark Vermeer holds a Master of Science in Econometrics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and a PhD from the Faculty of Computer Science of the University of Twente.
Eileen Vidrine
Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Department of the Air Force, United States of America
Ms. Eileen Vidrine, a member of the Senior Executive Service, currently serves as the Department of the Air Force Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer. She develops and implements strategies for enterprise data management, analytics, digital transformation, and responsible and ethical artificial intelligence to optimize performance and drive innovation in and across all missions and operations.
Dragoș-Cristian Vlad
President, Authority for the Digitisation of Romania
Dragoș Cristian Vlad is the President of the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania since January 2022. Mr. Vlad has over 20 years of experience as an expert in the field of information and communication technology and over 15 years of experience in the management of European funds.
Mr. Vlad is a graduate of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Faculty of Electronics and Communications and holds a master’s degree in Management and International Economic Relations.
Mr. Vlad began his career as an IT specialist at the National Institute for Research and Development in Computer Science. Throughout his career, he obtained extensive experience in the field of management and implementation of European funded projects that have a pronounced IT specificity, within several public authorities and ministries.
Currently, as the President of the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania, he coordinates the digital transformation strategies of the Romanian public administration.
Darryl Vleeming
Vice-President & Chief Information Officer, Information, Science and Technology Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
Darryl Vleeming is the Vice-President & Chief Information Officer, Information, Science and Technology Branch a the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). At CBSA Darryl leads a team that supports a 24/7/365 real-time border management environment with 18K workstations, 180 enterprise applications and 5K mobile devices. The systems he is accountable for enables CBSA to process 96 million travelers, 130 million postal and courier shipments and collect over $32 billion in duties and taxes annually. In addition, as head of CBSA’s Science and Engineering function, he ensures that CBSA fully and smartly leverages science and technology by keeping abreast of and sharing new developments and best practices, applying a scientific lens to business challenges, and practicing due diligence in the application of science and engineering within a border management context. This includes operating CBSA’s science laboratory that develops novel techniques that focuses on stopping the entry of opioids, counterfeit, contraband, as well as guns into the country.
Prior to his appointment at CBSA in May 2023, Darryl was the Chief Information Officer at Aurora Cannabis. At Aurora he was responsible for all Information Systems that supported Aurora’s strategy and vision is to build a leading, integrated global cannabis company through the construction of highly-efficient purpose-built facilities that allow the Company to produce significant volumes of low-cost, high quality cannabis, an aggressive and strategically focused international expansion, and strong brand differentiation.
Prior to Aurora, Darryl was the Chief Information Officer at Capital Power. At Capital Power he was responsible for all Information Systems which included $200M+ in IS assets that support power plant operations, commodity trading, back office functions and cyber security in over 28 locations in North America.
Darryl is currently on the Board of Pillar 9, a for-profit technology company focused on providing data solutions to the real estate industry, including owning and operating a single-point property listing database in Alberta. Darryl is also on the Board of Alberta Dreams, a wish-granting organization in Alberta that is dedicated exclusively to children with severe chronic or life-threatening medical illness.
Darryl holds an MBA from Athabasca University in Alberta and a Computer Systems Diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute of Alberta.
Paul N. Wagner
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Paul N. Wagner is the Deputy Chief Information Officer of Canada within the Office of the Chief Information Officer. In this role, Paul is responsible for the Oversight and Enterprise Risk Management of the Government of Canada Digital Portfolio, with a focus on the largest and highest risk programmes and transformations, to ensure services to Canadians not only remain available, but are delivered in a digitally supported manner that reflects the Digital Standards. Paul is also responsible for the Digital Credentials program, where he will lead the mandate to advance the work required to provide an identity and access management solution for Government of Canada services. Paul brings 3 decades of private and public sector experience in Information and Digital Technologies to the executive table.
Prior to this, Paul took on responsibilities relating to horizontal strategy and planning management for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Digital Portfolio and additional accountabilities in representing Digital priorities globally for Canada.
Paul has served as Chief Information Officer for Justice Canada, Library and Archives Canada and the National Research Council of Canada. He has overseen operations and innovations in the areas of digital service delivery, information technology, information and data management and partnership management.
A pioneer and supporter of enterprise systems for government, Paul joined Shared Services Canada at inception and led the creation of the first enterprise Partnership Management function for technology in the Government of Canada.
With over 20 years experience in the Canadian Federal Public Service, Paul has held executive leadership roles since 2004. Paul remains very active in the national and international councils and boards related to technology and data management.
In addition to almost a decade in the private sector working implementing Enterprise Resource Planning systems in the Retail Industry, Paul has also held several leadership positions at Service Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada in the areas of Business Planning, Relationship Management and IT Product/Service Management.
Paul holds a B.A. with a major in Economics from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Ottawa’s Executive MBA program.
When not focused on the business of Government, Paul is very active in the Ottawa sailing community and enjoys racing and cruising sailboats on the Ottawa River and beyond.
Datuk Muhammad Azmi bin Mohd Zain
Commission Member, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
YBhg. Datuk Muhammad Azmi bin Mohd Zain has been appointed as Commission Member of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission effective from 1 April 2022 for a period of two (2) years.
Born in Kelantan on 3 August 1971, YBhg. Datuk Muhammad Azmi bin Mohd Zain graduated from University Malaya (UM) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Economics with Honours. He then pursued his tertiary study and obtained Master of Social Science (Development Science) in 2012 from the National University of Malaysia (UKM). YBhg. Datuk Muhammad Azmi had spent 26 years serving in civil service where he first embarked his professional career as Administrative and Diplomatic Officer in 1996 as an Assistant Director in Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister’s Department. Throughout his years in civil service, he has served in various Government Agencies including Public Service Department (JPA), Ministry of Federal Territories and had held the post of President of Perbadanan Putrajaya. He is currently the Director General of the Department of Director General of Lands and Mines.
Due to his immense contributions in service, YBhg. Datuk Muhammad Azmi bin Mohd Zain was awarded with Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang in 2001, 2004, 2009 and 2013 respectively. YBhg. Datuk Muhammad Azmi had been conferred with Kesatria Mahkota Wilayah (KMW) in 2009, Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW) in 2018 and received the title of Mejar Kehormat Askar Wataniah in 2020.
Robertson Asari
Executive Manager, Digital Government and Shared Services, PNG Department of Information and Communications Technology, Papua New Guinea
Biography to be updated shortly.
Eric Hysen
Chief Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security, United States of America
Biography to be updated shortly.
Josée Saint-Marseille
Chief Information Officer, Canadian Space Agency, Canada
Biography to be updated shortly.
Susan Ternan
Director, Data Insights and Engineering, Employment Social Development Canada, Canada
Biography to be updated shortly.
Siobhan Benita
Facilitator, Global Government Forum
Siobhan was a senior civil servant in the UK with more than 15 years’ Whitehall experience. She worked in many of major delivery departments, including Transport, Environment, Health and Local Government. She also had senior roles at the heart of government in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, including supporting the then Cabinet Secretary, Lord O’Donnell, to lead work on civil service reform and strategy. Siobhan left to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election. She subsequently joined her alma mater, Warwick University, as Chief Strategy Officer of Warwick in London and Co-Director of the Warwick Policy Lab.
