Digital Summit

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.

Nadia Ahmad

Chief Data Officer and Head of Evaluation, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Barna Gaal

Head, International Relations, Digital Hungary Agency

Barna GAÁL is the Head of the International Office in the Digital Hungary Agency. After graduating as an international relations expert and a postgradual e-government management professional training, he started his career in the Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and Justice in 2011, and from 2014 he had worked 8 years in the Hungarian Ministry of Interior in e-government and government ICT policy-making and implementation. Since it’s establishment, he’s been a colleague of the Agency from September 2022.

He is involved and deals with strategy-making, policy-making, EU-related legislation and legal harmonisation at the national level, and bilateral, multilateral relations, EU co-financed projects, legislation, nearly all activities related to the field of e-government and electronic service provision.

He is member to several committees (eIDAS, Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030), the EU GovCIO informal network delegated as a deputy CIO, and different expert groups (eIDAS Expert Group, eIDAS Cooperation Network, eIDAS Technical Sub-Group, Single Digital Gateway national coordinator, data policy).

Besides EU-relations, he actively particiapates in cooperations with OECD (CDEP, E-Leaders Forum) and UNPAN-related activities as well.

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.

Eric Hysen

Chief Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security, United States of America

Eric Hysen serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of Homeland Security. Eric Hysen was sworn in as CIO on February 1, 2021. On September 14, 2023, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas also named him the Department’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer.

As CIO, Mr. Hysen is responsible for strategically aligning the Department’s Information Technology (IT) personnel resources and assets, including security, infrastructure, and delivery, to support core DHS missions and activities. As Chief AI Officer, Mr. Hysen promotes AI innovation and safety within the Department and advises Secretary Mayorkas and Department leadership on AI issues.

Mr. Hysen most recently served on the Biden-Harris transition’s Technology Strategy & Delivery team, working to develop the administration’s plans to leverage technology and delivery in support of policy priorities. He previously was a Senior Fellow at the National Conference on Citizenship, where he led projects to use technology, data, and design to address pressing public policy challenges. He also worked in state government, helping to launch the California Office of Digital Innovation, and in philanthropy, supporting nonprofits working to advance immigration and criminal justice reform.

Mr. Hysen previously served as the Executive Director of the Department of Homeland Security Digital Service. In that leadership role, his teams worked to transform DHS’ most critical services by bringing top software engineering, product management, and design talent from the private sector to partner with innovators inside government. DHS Digital Service projects included immigration benefits processing, refugee admissions, and international trade.

Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Hysen was a founding member of the U.S. Digital Service in the White House. Before government, he worked as a software engineer and program manager at Google.

Mr. Hysen graduated with honors in Computer Science from Harvard University and has published research in crowdsourcing and workflow design.

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.

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

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.

Steven Maynard

Senior Partner, EY Canada

Steven is a senior partner at EY and has led large scale business transformation programs within public companies and governments across North America, South America, Europe and the Middle East over his 24-year career.

He lead’s EY’s Government & Public Sector Consulting practice in Canada which covers federal, provincial and municipal levels of government as well as Healthcare and Education.

Steven is active in the community and has held executive and board level positions within Government, charitable and not for profit organizations across Canada.

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.

Alida Meghji

Partner, EY Canada

Alida Meghji is a partner at EY Canada within the Digital and Emerging Technologies practice, leading the practice for all of EY’s Government and Public Sector clients across Canada. Alida helps government organizations strategize, implement and deploy AI, automation and emerging tools and technologies to ultimately improve outcomes to citizens.

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.

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.

Josée Saint-Marseille

Chief Information Officer & DG Cybersecurity and Information Manager, Canadian Space Agency, Canada

Josée Saint-Marseille has been the Chief Information Officer (CIO) since 2015 and was recently named Cybersecurity Agent at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). She has also been mandated to develop a Data Expertise Center and implement the CSA Digital Strategy.

Ms. Saint-Marseille holds a Bachelor in Technical Writing from l’Université de Sherbrooke a Master in Library and Information Sciences from l’Université de Montréal, a graduate studies in Business Sciences from l’École des hautes études commerciales and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from l’École des hautes études commerciales. During her career, she was involved in various committees and boards, on the national scene as well as the international one.

Neelam Sandhu

Chief Elite Customer Success Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, Blackberry

Neelam Sandhu is Chief Elite Customer Success Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, at BlackBerry, reporting to the CEO. As Chief Elite Customer Success Officer she leads the strategic relationships, sales, and co-sell, and customer success, including strategic product engineering, with BlackBerry’s top customers and top target customers, driving them to gain long-term competitive advantages by leveraging the breadth and depth of the BlackBerry platform. As Chief Marketing Officer she leads marketing across channels, including public relations, social media, editorial content, branding, advertising, web, and corporate events.

Neelam is also Head of Sustainability, responsible for corporate sustainability, at BlackBerry, and has delivered the company’s inaugural ESG report and its carbon neutral status. Additionally, she assists the CEO on some operational tasks.

Since joining BlackBerry in 2009 Neelam has held various positions, based out of the company’s United Kingdom, New York and California offices. Her responsibilities have included Brand Management, Brand Messaging, Marketing Operations, Go-To-Market Planning, Corporate Strategic Initiatives, and CEO Office Business Operations. Neelam is a Member of the DPI Advisory Council, which serves the Government of Canada, and is on the Board of AFCEA DC, which serves the U.S. Government. Neelam won the FedScoop Best Bosses in Federal IT award in 2022. She holds a Bachelor’s degree, with Honors, in Business Management, from the University of Leicester and an Executive Certification in Financial Analysis from the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

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.

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.

https://twitter.com/_PoTeaD

Kirsten Tisdale

Managing Partner, Government and Public Sector, EY Canada

Kirsten leads EY Canada’s Government and Public Sector (GPS) practice and is passionate about enabling better government. Kirsten has also served as the firm’s Global GPS Advisory Leader and drove solution development and investment strategy for our government practice in over 100 countries.  She is a former Deputy Minister responsible for government modernization for the Government of British Columbia where she left a legacy of innovation.

She has nearly 25 years of experience in advising governments across Canada and globally on designing and implementing complex transformation programs to drive better outcomes for citizens. 

Kirsten is active in her community, having serviced as Chair of the BC Cancer Foundation,  and director for BC Women’s Hospital, 2010 Legacies Now, and Smart Prosperity, a national green innovation research organization.

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.

Maaz Yasin

Director, Global Strategic Sustainability Partnerships, Blackberry

Maaz Yasin is BlackBerry’s Director of Global Strategic Sustainability Partnerships. In his role, Maaz leads BlackBerry’s global engagement with governments and related public-sector entities to build resilient partnerships by leveraging BlackBerry’s unmatched expertise in cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT). Maaz also works on building awareness about how trust and resilience is crucial in an increasingly interconnected, and sustainability-conscious world.

Previously, Maaz served as a senior advisor to the Justin Trudeau government in Canada. For over seven years in the Canadian government, he directly advised senior ministers – including Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Trade Minister, Finance Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister. He also was Justin Trudeau’s political advisor during the Canadian federal election in 2021. Maaz has led in advising the Canadian government on many high-profile issues such as the government’s anti-racism strategy, Canada’s immigration policies, the war in Ukraine, and the Canadian federal budget. 

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.

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.