Digital Summit

Kara Beckles

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

Kara Beckles is the Executive Director within the Privacy and Responsible Data Division at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). As an active and experienced data leader in the Government of Canada, Kara has held various executive positions across the public service, including Chief Data Officer and Director General of Data and Information Services at the Privy Council Office (PCO), Director General of Data Integration in PCO’s Result and Delivery Unit, and Chief Economist at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. She has also held various strategic, policy and analytical roles at Finance Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat, Statistics Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and PCO. Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and business from the University of Winnipeg and a Master of Arts in economics from Dalhousie University.

Atty. Ryan Alvin R. Acosta

Commissioner, Civil Service Commission, Philippines

Atty. Ryan Alvin R. Acosta is currently one of the Commissioners of the Philippine Civil Service Commission (CSC). Upon the confirmation of his appointment by the Commission on Appointments on 02 February 2022, he assumed office on 09 February 2022. Atty. Acosta’s career before his appointment to the CSC seemed to be a fitting preparation for his current responsibilities. Atty. Acosta served as the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (DESLA) at the Office of the President (OP) from 01 July 2016 to 08 February 2022.

As DESLA, he supervised the OP’s Legal Office, Legislative Office, and Investigative and Adjudicatory Divisions. He acted as the recommending authority to the President, through the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary and the Executive Secretary, on matters within the OP’s jurisdiction including the OP’s exercise of its quasi-judicial functions and formulation of national government policies. An advocate of a corruptionfree bureaucracy, Atty. Acosta, as representative of the OP, had also tirelessly worked with the Office of the Ombudsman in implementing the government’s flagship anti-corruption program – the Integrity Management Program – during his entire stint at the OP.

Atty. Acosta’s foray in government service actually much earlier when he joined the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the research and training arm of the Department of Foreign Affairs, as a Research. After leaving the FSI and before heeding once again the call of public service in 2015, Atty. Acosta honed his technical skills as a lawyer and gained extensive experience in administrative, criminal, and civil law from his stints as Corporate Counsel for an energy company and an Associate of two (2) well reputed fullservice law firms for more than eight (8) years.

Eduardo Aggio

President, Detran-SP Oficial, Brazil

Federal Public Servant with over 20 years of experience, having held strategic positions in the
Presidency of the Republic, including:

• Special Secretary for Governmental Analysis at the Chief of Staff’s Office
• Deputy Special Secretary for Federative Affairs at the Government Secretariat
• Special Advisor to the General Secretariat

Within the Ministries of Justice and Public Security, he served as:

• Director-General of the Federal Highway Police
• Director of Public Security Policies
• General Coordinator of Strategy in Public Security at the National Secretariat for Public Security
• Counselor at the National Traffic Council (CONTRAN)

Aneeta Bains

Vice President, Federal Public Service, IBM Canada

Marc Brouillard

Chief Information Officer and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Digital Services,  Public Services and Procurement Canada

Marc Brouillard became Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the Digital Services Branch on January 8, 2024.

In this role, Marc provides strategic leadership in pursuing world-class excellence in digital transformation service delivery, data and information management, and cyber security.

Before his arrival at Public Services and Procurement Canada, Marc served as Chief Digital Officer for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He also held the following roles at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:

• Chief Technology Officer and acting CIO of Canada
• Deputy departmental CIO and acting departmental CIO

Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Marc was Vice-President of Business Development for a local ecommerce services start-up. He also spent 13 years at MONTAGE IT Services, a division of MTS/Allstream, where he held numerous positions in technology consulting and business development.

Marc holds a Computer Programming Diploma from Algonquin College as well as a CIO Leadership Professional Development Certificate from the CIO Institute of the University of Ottawa.

Phillip leads Public Sector strategy for Qualtrics across Asia, Pacific, Japan and Canada. Phillip is passionate about citizen experience and the way Public Sector can serve its customers and employees. As one of the first certified XM professionals in the world, his role at Qualtrics supports the Public Sector XM community by providing thought leadership and working with Government Customers and Qualtrics teams to deliver innovative outcomes to citizens. Phillip held a number of senior leadership roles in New South Wales Government. In that time he established a whole-of-government experience management team, delivered foundational citizen research panels, voice of customer programs and real-time insights initiatives. Phillip led Service Design and customer insights on bushfire recovery programs, Covid-19 support services, identity recovery for homelessness, inclusive design for non-digital and remote communities, small business optimisation and post pandemic reskilling. As a transformation manager and implementation lead, he delivered over 50 contact centre implementations including new teams and lines of businesses as well as delivering best practice training programs on customer excellence and frontline customer leadership.

Cristina Caballé

Vice President and Senior Partner, IBM Global Public Sector

Cristina Caballé Fuguet is currently Vice President and Senior Partner of IBM Global Public Sector. She leads a key strategic unit which provides solution innovation, integration, services, sales and delivery for Government clients across 170+ countries worldwide. She provides deep industry expertise to help Government clients accelerate the transformation of their business and organizational activities, processes, competencies and models to fully leverage the changes and opportunities of digital technologies -such as Hybrid Cloud and AI- and their accelerating impact across society.

Cristina has more than 25 years experience in the public sector, contributing to large transformational projects with different central, regional and local government clients in the Americas, EMEA, APAC, and Japan. She has led the development of the IBM Garage for Defense and Public Sector which is an end-to-end model for accelerating digital transformation and innovation for governments, focusing on how to generate innovative ideas and how to rapidly turn those ideas into business value. This innovation management model focuses on helping government clients build a core set of capabilities to be better prepared for future shocks (black swan events and emergency situations). The model also provides strategies, plans and resilience methodologies aimed at helping governments build climate and urban resilience.

Cristina is an established and externally recognized industry authority who works closely with key industry decision makers. Her strong reputation and deep expertise encompasses the following key segments: Defense & Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI, Cybersecurity, Sustainability, Energy Transition, Climate Change and Journey to Cognitive Government enabled by Hybrid Cloud.

Before joining IBM in year 2000, she performed as Senior Researcher and Consultant at Siemens AG in the Berlin headquarters (Germany). Cristina received with Cum Laude distinction her Telecommunications Engineering degree from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain). She successfully completed her MBA from Henley Management College in London (UK), two masters degrees in Innovation Management at the Silicon Valley Innovation Center (US) and she is a worldwide IBM Certified Senior Consultant in the Business Strategy competency segment. She is a member of several industry boards and committees, including OECD and European Commission Initiatives around Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, Workforce Transformation, Sustainability, Energy Transition and Climate Resilience. She is an IBM Industry Diamond Member for the Government Industry. She is the Ambassador in Europe for the WW Society of Women Engineers and a member of the Global Government Forum. She speaks Spanish, English, Catalan, German, French, Italian and Hungarian.

Serge Caron

CEO, Digital Transformation and Chief Security Officer Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada

Serge Caron was appointed Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Digital Transformation at Elections Canada in 2020. In this role, he leads the agency’s Digital Strategy to modernize operational processes, digital infrastructure and data management so Elections Canada can provide digital services that meet Canadians’ evolving needs. Mr. Caron also oversees the security of employees and physical and cyber assets and is head of the Human Resources division.

In 2010, Mr. Caron joined Treasury Board Secretariat’s Chief Information Officer Branch as Senior Director, Information Services and Technology. In this role, he defined strategies, directions and government policy in information technology, among them the Government of Canada’s cloud adoption strategy.

Before joining Treasury Board Secretariat, Mr. Caron worked at Nortel Networks as Senior Director in charge of planning and quality for research and development projects in the Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions division. From 2007 to 2009, he was Director of Operations, Research and Development for Nortel’s subsidiary in Türkiye.

Mr. Caron has over 25 years of experience managing resources and leading complex technological projects, including working with international teams across multiple continents. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (computer engineering) from Polytechnique Montréal.

Lisa Carroll

Partner, Deloitte

Lisa is a Senior Business Executive with over 34 years experience in the Technology Industry in Canada.  Her entire career has been partnering with Public Sector clients across the country to modernize, transform, innovate and adopt technology to meet their Mission of quality and trusted services to citizens and businesses.  As a Partner at Deloitte, Lisa is working and advising on Digital Transformation,  Procurement Reform, Cloud and AI adoption, as well as Sovereign and Diversified Technology Supply Chains.  The depth of her Public Sector experience spans the Federal Government, Provincial Governments, Healthcare, Municipal, Defence, Education. Prior to joining Deloitte, Lisa has been an executive in leading Technology companies, the most recent being:  5 years as the General Manager, Public Sector, at Microsoft Canada; and 15 years with CGI, where her last role was Senior Vice President of the business unit focused on Federal Government and leading Cybersecurity Practice for the country. 

Lisa is passionate about the economic importance of a healthy and growing Canadian ICT sector to governments and the Canadian economy.  She is committed to community involvement, advancing diversity and inclusion, and living and working with purpose. Lisa is an active leader in Women in business and technology across Canada.

Christiana Cavazzoni

Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer, Department for Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Christiana Cavazzoni joined DFO/CCG on February 5, 2024, as Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer. She comes to us from an assignment at Supply Ontario, where she was the Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer.

Christiana joined Canada’s federal government in 2009, after spending several years in the surveillance and telecommunication industry with MacDonald Detwiler and Nortel Networks. As a senior executive, with over 20 years of experience and a background in Technology and Business Transformations, her involvement in operations and digital transformation spans both private and public sectors. Over the course of her career, Christiana has held several senior leadership positions including Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer at Supply Ontario, Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Department of National Defence, Chief Transformation and Information Officer at Canadian Heritage, CIO at Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Director General Major Projects at Canada Border Services Agency. 

Christiana has worked extensively in operational environments in the defense and public safety domains, and in strong partnership with military or uniformed personnel.

She is recognized as a versatile and inclusive leader with a strong delivery record and committed to the advancement of women STEM and other underrepresented groups. She is the mom of two amazing and inspirational twin daughters , both STEM graduates, and is married to a scientist.

Katy Champagne

Assistant Chief Statistician and Chief Information Officer, Statistics Canada

Katy Champagne is the Assistant Chief Statistician and Chief Information Officer at Statistics Canada, where she leads the agency’s digital strategy, infrastructure modernization, and development of next-generation statistical tools. Her leadership is central to building a resilient, innovative, and modern digital ecosystem that supports StatCan’s vital national mandate to deliver trusted, high-quality statistics for Canadians.

Since joining Statistics Canada in 1998, Katy has guided major digital transformation initiatives to strengthen the agency’s technological foundation and ensure the security and reliability of its critical IT operations. As Director General of Digital Operations, she led large-scale modernization projects, including the Government of Canada’s pathfinder initiative for workload migration to cloud — a foundational effort that shaped the direction of the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Cloud Strategy.

Beyond technology, Katy is recognized for her warmth, authenticity, and people-first approach to leadership, fostering collaboration, creativity, and community across the workplace. Since 2020, she has served as Statistics Canada’s Champion for Women, promoting representation, resilience, and opportunity throughout the organization.

Katy holds a Master of Science in Systems Science and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Ottawa. Outside of work, she enjoys performing as a trombonist in a big band and in pit orchestras for local musical theatre productions.

Emmanuel Cron

Business Lead, Integrated Channel and Solutions, Service Canada 

Emmanuel Cron, Business Lead, Integrated Channel and Solutions, is a Senior Executive with over 30 years of experience in strategic leadership, operations excellence, information technology and business transformation. Emmanuel has recently joined Service Canada through the Interchange Canada program. Through this assignment, Emmanuel brings his extensive professional expertise, private-sector agility, knowledge transfer, and a result-driven mindset to Service Canada, where he is supporting business processes improvements, innovation, digital modernization, and cross-sector collaboration.

Taking on this big mandate with Service Canada, the Lead of the Integrated Channel and Solutions stream is working across the Service Delivery Network (SDN), other governmental departments, and the external partners to pave the way forward for future initiatives and opportunities, and to synergize services to achieve the best outcomes for Service Canada’s clients.

Prior to joining Service Canada, Emmanuel held corporate senior leadership roles with Montreal companies, most notable Sidel, an international leader in packaging solutions, where Emmanuel spent 20+ years consistently delivering results through cross-functional collaboration and execution of the company’s business development strategy; as well as his most recent contract with the Airport of Montreal, where he was involved in work on the airport technological infrastructure and information system improvements, aimed to enhance the client’s journey experience.

Emmanuel holds an engineering degree from the L’École Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires of Nancy, France. In addition to his corporate achievements, Emmanuel has served as a Board Member of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, reflecting his commitment to community, making social impact and leadership that extends beyond the workplace.

Marie-Josée Dorion

Chief Information Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Marie-Josée began her career as a Foreign Service Officer stationed in Paris, France, and holds a PhD in Historical Economics from the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières.

Marie-Josée Dorion was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of Digital Strategy, Services and Innovation (DSSI) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) in January 2024. In this role, she leads the oversight and maintenance of IRCC’s core IT systems for the broad service mandate of the Department. This includes support of technology modernization efforts, advancing data-driven decision-making, and enablement of innovation through emerging technologies.

Prior to this, she served as Interim Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the Service Delivery Sector (Nov–Dec 2023), and as Director General of the Operations Planning and Performance Branch (OPPB) from 2021 to 2023. The work conducted in these roles included acting as the horizontal hub for operational performance and planning, and supporting IRCC operations through innovative data analytics and timely, data-driven products and services. The work also included the strategic integrator role across IT release planning for the department.

Marie-Josée has almost 25 years of experience at IRCC, holding key leadership roles across multiple sectors, including Acting DG of Citizenship and Passport Programs, Senior Director of the Solutions Task Team, and Director of the Investigation and Exceptional Cases Division. Her career is marked by the successful delivery of transformational initiatives such as the Temporary Residents Biometrics Project, Advanced Analytics and Automation, the Passport Program Modernization Initiative, and the initial rollout of the Global Case Management System (GCMS) overseas.

As CIO, she plays a pivotal role in leading the transition from legacy technologies to a modernized digital ecosystem, ensuring IRCC is equipped to meet the evolving needs of the Department and Canadians. Her leadership drives the strategic replacement and upgrading of Legacy (outdated) systems, laying the foundation for scalable, secure, and future-ready digital infrastructure. Beyond system modernization, she actively helps shape the future of digital government by leading with a goal of sovereign digital public infrastructure, fostering proactive IT solutions and tools to tackle complex policy and operational challenges, and by cultivating a culture of innovation and creativity. Her vision and influence extends across IRCC and the broader Public Service, and is instrumental in efficiency and transformation efforts.

Miquel Estapé

Chief Executive Officer, Open Government of Catalonia and VP at ACGP, Spain

Miquel Estapé is the Chief Executive Officer of the Open Government of Catalonia Agency. With more than 25 years of experience, Miquel has held senior positions in government and consulting firms and is a frequent speaker at international events on topics such as digital transformation, public innovation, open government, artificial intelligence, data-driven organizations, and digital identity.

Blake Fleischhaker

Executive Director of Architecture and Planning, SaskBuilds and Procurement, Government of Saskatchewan

Blake Fleischhaker is the Executive Director of Architecture and Planning at SaskBuilds and Procurement, Government of Saskatchewan. Since joining the government in 2001, Blake began as a consultant before transitioning to a full-time employee, steadily building a career rooted in IT operations. Over more than two decades, Blake has played a pivotal role in modernizing and supporting government services, leading teams through significant change and technological advancement. With extensive experience in IT operations, Blake has managed integration projects, supported service delivery, and contributed to the development of innovative, secure, and efficient solutions that enable ministries and agencies to serve the citizens of Saskatchewan effectively.

Recently, Blake moved into the Architecture and Planning branch, where they aim to leverage their operational expertise to drive strategic planning and cross-government collaboration. Blake is committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and transparency, ensuring that IT remains a value-added investment for the province. 

Luc Gagnon

Chief Technology Officer for the Government of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Luc Gagnon was appointed as the Chief Technology Officer for the Government of Canada at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) in July 2024.

With over 30 years of comprehensive experience in large technology corporations and start-ups, both domestically and internationally, Luc has accumulated a wealth of knowledge in leading-edge technologies, emerging trends and innovation. He also brings with him a deep understanding of the strategic demands and operational intricacies of the role, having held previous CTO positions in government and in the private sector.

Luc joined TBS from Health Canada, where he had been serving as the Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Transformation Officer since January 2022. He has also held previous positions as Senior Vice-President and CTO at the Public Health Agency of Canada overseeing the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out technical team and as the CTO at Shared Services Canada (SSC). Luc has extensive experience in cyber security, having held related positions with the Communications Security Establishment Canada.

A proud member of l’Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Luc’s academic achievements include a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Laval. His commitment to innovation and excellence continues to shape the technological landscape of Canada.

Tyler Gooch

Deputy Minister of Innovation and New Technology, Department of Innovation and New Technology, Government of Manitoba, Canada

Tyler Gooch serves as the Deputy Minister of the Department of Innovation and New Technology for the Government of Manitoba. He brings two decades of experience in delivering transformation and change in the public sector, including the past four years as the head of the City of Winnipeg’s Innovation & Technology department.

His prior roles include leading innovation, strategy, information and communication technologies, cybersecurity, and a variety of corporate services with the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and the Olds College of Agriculture and Technology in Alberta.

He holds a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Lethbridge.

Stephen Harrington

Partner, Workforce Strategies & National Future of Work Advisory Leader, Deloitte Canada

Stephen is Deloitte’s National Leader for Workforce Strategy and a writer and speaker on the future of work and the workplace.

With 20 years’ experience in Consulting, Stephen leads transformations in talent strategy that enable Deloitte clients to feel personal purpose and impact, as the business drives improved results.

He works with organizations that are seeking to build competitive advantage through talent and learning strategies designed to get ahead of the ‘future of work’.

Stephen’s work is focused on building workforce strategies that deliver not only improved employee engagement but also business benefits.

Deploying workforce strategies, he has worked in the fields of attraction and retention / employee value proposition, compensation, succession management, competency modeling, workforce planning and leadership development.

Stephen frequently speaks at events on topics involving the future of work and innovation and he has published several papers on the subject.

Cindy Harris

Fuad Iddrisu

Executive Director/ Chief Information Security Officer, SaskBuilds and Procurement, Government of Saskatchewan

Fuad Iddrisu is an accomplished cybersecurity leader with extensive experience in safeguarding enterprise systems and driving strategic information security initiatives. As Executive Director/ Chief Information Security Officer, Fuad oversees the development and implementation of robust security frameworks that protect organizational assets, ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigate evolving cyber threats. With a strong background in risk management, governance, and security architecture, Fuad is passionate about enabling secure digital transformation while fostering a culture of resilience and trust. His leadership combines technical expertise with business acumen, ensuring security strategies align with organizational goals. Fuad is recognized for his ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage complex security programs, and deliver innovative solutions that enhance operational security posture. He is committed to continuous improvement and staying ahead of emerging trends in cybersecurity.

Luukas Ilves

Former Chief Information Officer, Government of Estonia and Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine

Luukas is advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on questions of AI and digital transformation and non-resident fellow at the Tallinn (Estonia) based International Center for Defence Studies. Luukas’ mission is the clever adoption of technology in pursuit of prosperity and security in free and open societies.

From 2022-24, Luukas was Undersecretary for Digital Transformation and Chief Information Officer for the Government of Estonia, where he was responsible for developing the country’s digital public services, infrastructure and cyber security.

Previously, Luukas held various roles in Estonia and Brussels, including at the European Commission, the crypto deep-tech Guardtime, the Lisbon Council (a Brussels-based thinktank) and for the Estonian government. During Estonia’s 2017 EU Presidency, Luukas led the EU Council’s legislative work on telecommunications, data and cyber security. He has contributed in expert or advisory roles to the Council of Europe, Stanford University, the EU Cybersecurity Agency ENISA and other institutions. 

Luukas has been decorated by the President of Estonia with the Order of the White Star, one of the youngest recipients in the history of the award. In 2022, his work in support of Ukraine during Russia’s full scale invasion was recognized by President Zelensky’s Ukraine Peace Prize. Luukas is a graduate of Stanford University, a reserve officer and a member of the Estonian Defence League’s Cyber Defence Unit. 

Gumais Jean Jacques

Head of Cooperation and Resources Mobilization, National Agency for Protected Areas, Haiti

Gumais Jean Jacques is the founder of Kaiser Kafe since, a small coffee business working with farmers in Southeast Haiti; He is also the Head of Cooperation and Resources Mobilization at the National Agency for Protected Areas, an independent agency under the Ministry of Environment of Haiti, mobilizing local and international resources while using innovation and data to protect biodiversity. Jean Jacques hold a LLM in International Trade Law from University Turin and ITCILO. He is also an IATA Aviation Management Professional and a trained NASA ASERT program in GIS for disaster management. He is a passionate about geospatial tools, Agri-Business data , digital law and AI.

Konstantinos Costas Kapsouropoulos

Digital & Science Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to Canada

Konstantinos (Costas) Kapsouropoulos is the Digital and Science Counsellor at the EU Delegation to Canada since 1st July 2024.

He previously served as International Relations Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content, and Technology (DG CONNECT). He was in charge of the Digital Partnerships of the European Union with Japan and the Republic of Korea since 2021. He was also the European Union Delegate at the OECD Digital Economic Policy Committee since 2023.

His areas of expertise are geopolitics of technology, digital and science diplomacy, EU public affairs and digital identities.

Konstantinos Kapsouropoulos holds a Masters’ Degree in Geopolitics and International Relations from the Sorbonne Paris North University and a Law Degree from the University of Athens, Greece.

Romina Kostani

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

Romina Kostani is the Director of Digital Agenda Coordination and Foreign-Funded Projects for e-Government at Albania’s National Agency of Information Society (NAIS), where she has worked for the past 10 years. In this capacity, she leads initiatives that drive digital transformation, focusing on the digitalization of public services and the public administration, open data, emerging technologies and the alignment of national legislation with the EU ICT Acquis.

She has played a central role in the design and implementation of the GovTech Programs, developed in partnership with the World Bank, which aim to strengthen digital governance, foster innovation, and enhance citizen-centric service delivery in Albania.

Beyond her institutional work, Ms. Kostani has lectured at the university level in the field of information systems and has actively contributed to ICT innovation and capacity-building initiatives, including programs that promote collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector.

She holds an MSc in Information Systems, a Master’s in EU Business Law, and a Bachelor’s in Business-Informatics, from the University of Tirana. She also holds a Public Sector Innovation Diploma by the Cambridge Judge Business School. Her multidisciplinary background bridges technology, law, and policy, equipping her to navigate the complex intersection of governance, digital innovation, and European integration.

Sandy Kyriakatos

Chief Information Officer, National Research Council of Canada

Sandy Kyriakatos has been driving change in data and tech for over two decades. Her mission is to help clients harness the power of their data through the relentless pursuit of innovation and ethics. Her mantra is to use the power of data and technology for good. As Chief Information Officer at the National Research Council of Canada, Sandy’s primary goals are to enable researchers to use leading edge technologies to find sustainable solutions to Canada’s most consequential challenges and to drive the NRC’s data and digital journey. Her career in highly sensitive senior information and analytics roles in both public and private sectors includes Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Equifax Canada. In this role, she drove the use of Alternative Data Sources to improve the financial lives of Canadians. She was the first Chief Data Officer for the Government of Canada at Employment and Social Development Canada, and Chief Data Officer at Canada Border Services Agency. She has led analytics across industries including Loyalty One, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros.

Elise Legendre

Chief Data Officer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Élise is a proud public servant, passionate about the role of government and the impact it can have to improve the quality of life for all in Canada. She joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in 2003, after 12 years working in strategic marketing in the private sector, occupying different roles in the Programs, Strategic Policy, Corporate and Market and Industry Services branches. 

In the summer of 2021, she was appointed as AAFC’s first Chief Data Officer where she leads an enthusiastic and diverse team of multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to harnessing and unleashing the power of data and information to improve service delivery and to support the sector’s sustainable growth.

An inspiring leader, driving transformation by creating vision, bringing people to solve complex problems together and being relentlessly focused on risk smart, agile execution, she consistently delivers tangible results – like the launch of AgPal Chat, the Government of Canada first public facing tool using generative AI in April 2024.

Élise holds a Masters in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, BC) and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, major in Political Sciences from Laval University (Sainte Foy, QC).

Rina Lorello

Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer, Employment and Social Development Canada

Rina has over 20 years of experience in the fields of information management (IM) and information technology (IT). In her current role at ESDC, she leads technology teams of over 3,000 staff, who are delivering digital solutions that provide social benefits to Canadians, including passport digital services. She also leads the enterprise Technical Debt Remediation Initiative (encompassing pensions stabilization, network modernization, and disaster recovery solutions), and the technology aspects for the Future of Work as the Department embraces a hybrid workplace.

In her previous role as ADM and CIO at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Rina led an operational and strategic sector of more than 1,000 staff, who specialize in and oversee the Department’s transformation journey. This included the IM/IT portfolio, overarching digital and cybersecurity strategy, and development and management of digital transformation projects.  

Her expertise in the IM/IT field and experience in the public sector have enabled sound stewardship within two departments that are at the forefront of the Government of Canada’s digital transformation via work on cloud enablement, digital workspace solutions, vendor relationship management, IT security operations, and application development.   

Throughout her career, Rina has worked as an IT executive leading IT-enabled projects and programs, managing data centres, establishing partnerships, and providing client-facing digital solutions, which have allowed her to understand the importance of championing innovation. Ultimately, her work has shaped her views on maintaining a positive culture and remaining connected to what you are passionate about. 

William MacKay

Deputy Minister, Department of Finance and Secretary to the Financial Management Board, Northwest Territories, Canada

Bill MacKay is the Deputy Minister of Finance and Secretary to the Financial Management Board for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Mr. MacKay was appointed on September 1, 2021. Prior to this, Mr. MacKay served as Deputy Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs and Secretary to Cabinet for the Government of Nunavut for two years after serving for four years as Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General for the Government of Nunavut. Mr. MacKay has also served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Senior Legal Counsel for the Government of Nunavut.

Mr. MacKay has extensive experience in government administration and legal advisory work. In addition to his years of service and experience as a senior manager, Mr. MacKay has acted as legal counsel, negotiator and advisor with both the public and the private sector.

He has a Bachelor of Arts, LLB and LLM from the University of Calgary and has a certificate in International and Comparative Law from Cornell University and Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne.

Dr Louise Maynard-Atem

Deputy Director, Data & Insight, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom

Dr Louise Maynard-Atem is a digital, data and technology leader driving large-scale public sector transformation. As Deputy Director for Data, Insights & Fraud at the UK Government Digital Service, she leads teams of specialists to deliver secure digital identity, fraud prevention and data infrastructure for GOV.UK One Login. Named in the DataIQ Top 100 (2023-2025), Louise has previously held senior roles across the private sector, pioneering data-driven products including alternative credit scoring in emerging markets. She holds a PhD in Materials Chemistry and an EMBA, and is a passionate advocate for inclusion in identity systems, STEM mentorship and responsible innovation.

Frances McRae

Deputy Minister, Women and Gender Equality Canada

Frances McRae was appointed Deputy Minister of Women, Gender Equality and Youth on July 18,
2022. Previously, she served as Chief Administrative Officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Frances has also held roles as Assistant Deputy Minister of Small Business and Marketplace Services at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Assistant Secretary of Public Services at the Privy Council Office. Besides the National Capital Region, she has worked in various parts of Canada, including Moncton, New Brunswick and Calgary, Alberta. Frances grew up in a large farm family, and she and her husband Michael have two teenagers. Frances is a member of the Board of Directors for the Royal Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research and serves as the Champion for the National Capital Region Young Professionals Network.

Inshan Meahjohn

Chief Executive Officer, National Information and Communication Technology Company Limited (iGovTT), Trinidad and Tobago

Dr. Inshan Meahjohn is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Information and Communication Technology Company of Trinidad and Tobago (iGovTT). With more than 25 years of international experience across business, government, and non-profit sectors, he is recognised for driving innovation, digital transformation, and strategic growth. He holds a Bachelor of Administration (Hons) from the University of Glamorgan, an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Commercial Studies from the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Meahjohn is also a Registered Financial Consultant, an internationally published author, and a sought-after speaker on leadership, technology, and human potential. Guided by his mission to “improve the human condition,” he blends executive expertise with a passion for inspiring and empowering others.

Emily Middleton

Director General, Digital Centre Design, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, United Kingdom

Emily Middleton is the Director General for Digital Centre Design at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Emily was previously a partner at the consultancy Public Digital. She set up the firm’s international practice, working with multilateral development banks, UN agencies and philanthropies. She has worked with governments around the world to develop digital strategies and to design, scale and reboot digital and data units.

Prior to joining Public Digital, Emily led the design of the London Office of Technology & Innovation. Earlier in her career, while at the Boston Consulting Group, she worked on digital strategy and transformation programmes in Europe and Southeast Asia. She has also worked for UNICEF Innovation, the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia, and the National Youth Agency.

Tanu Mohan

Partner, Deloitte Digital

Tanu is a Digital Transformation Leader at Deloitte helping governments modernize services for citizens and their employees. Over last 15 years she has led multi-disciplinary global teams on complex agile delivery programs across Canada, UK and EMEA. Tanu also spent 4 years at the intersection of technology and creativity in the UK, helping global private and public sector organizations to launch new digital experiences and shift to a product-centric mindset. 

Central to her work are her passion for people, curiosity, and an optimism to use technology for good.

Alessandro Moricca

CEO, PagoPA, Italy

Alessandro Moricca, born in Rome in 1969, is the CEO of PagoPA S.p.A. since January 2023.

He is a manager with extensive experience gained in multinational companies. With a strong economic background, he has held multiple senior roles in the areas of Finance (Accounting, Finance, Management Control), Strategic Planning, Business Planning, General Management, Human Resources, and Operations.

Since the early 2000s, he has also worked as Chief Financial Officer for leading international business travel management companies (including CWT and, more recently, BCD Travel), overseeing the Eastern European and Mediterranean markets.

Throughout his career, he has developed a deep aptitude for data-driven analysis, in line with his international educational background, which includes a degree in Economics from the University of La Sapienza and an MBA from SDA Bocconi in Milan.

Samuel Pontes do Nascimento,

President, National Council of State Secretaries of Administration (CONSAD), Brazil

Gayan Peiris

Head, Data and Technology, United Nations Development Programme

Gayan Peiris is the Head of Data and Technology at the Chief Digital Office, UNDP. As a digital strategist and advisor, he’s dedicated to revitalizing UNDP’s organizational culture with cutting-edge skills and a forward-thinking culture for stronger results and greater SDG impact. Gayan’s current work entails being at the forefront of driving UNDP’s global digital transformation and data strategy. His leadership spans critical areas such as Governance, People, Culture, Technology, Societal Impacts of AI, and Partnerships, where he champions UNDP’s internal digital advancement and plays a pivotal role in executing its comprehensive data strategy.

Gayan also has a track record of incorporating people’s voices into policy-making. He has led data collection and analysis efforts for global initiatives like UN75 and MYWorld, collecting over 10 million voices globally through public and private sector partnerships.

Carlos Santiso

Senior Adviser on Digital Government and Artificial Intelligence in Government, OECD

Carlos Santiso is a seasoned manager in digital transformation, public governance and development finance. In recent years he has spearheaded various initiatives on govtech innovation and of artificial intelligence in the public sector. He has worked in over 40+ countries in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Carlos is currently a senior adviser on global partnerships in digital government and artificial intelligence in the Public Governance Directorate of the OECD. He is a member of the advisory council on digital public infrastructure of the World Economic Forum. He previously led the OECD Division on Digital, Innovative and Open Government, the governance practice of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Innovation in Citizen Services and the Institutional Capacity of the State divisions of the Inter-American Development Bank, and the governance division of the African Development Bank. He also worked in government as a governance advisor to Britain’s international development ministry and as a policy advisor on the French Prime Minister’s office. He holds a PhD in political economy from Johns Hopkins University and is a graduate in public policy of Columbia University and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Paris.

Denisa Škantová

Head of Department and Acting Director, Digital and Information Agency (DIA), Czech Republic

Mgr. Denisa Škantová, PhD., MBA is a senior executive with over 20 years of experience in both line and project leadership at B-1 and B-2 levels. She currently serves as Head of Department and Acting Director of the Section at the Digital and Information Agency (DIA), where she leads strategic development of key eGovernment systems, project portfolios, and national digital transformation initiatives.

Previously, she held the role of Executive Director of IT Department at ČSOB Group, managing large-scale IT teams and projects focused on digitalization, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and automation. Her earlier career includes leadership roles at Generali and Česká pojišťovna, where she oversaw service centres, transformation programs, and intelligent automation initiatives.

Denisa holds a Master’s and PhD in Information Science from Charles University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She is certified in Lean, Six Sigma, SAFE Agile, and Public Relations.

Leonardo José Mattos Sultani

Executive Secretary of the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Yuriy Matsyk

Advisor of the Digital Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine

Recognized as the architect of Ukraine’s digital resilience, Yuriy Matsyk has played a key role in developing the nation’s broadband strategy and ensuring connectivity, even in wartime. Drawing on his extensive experience of developing national digital resilience policy, managing a large telecommunications company, and leading financial security and cyber defense at Ukraine’s largest international bank, he has transformed crises into opportunities for innovation.

From 2019 to 2025, he has directed Ukraine’s State Policy for Internet Development, combining broadband expansion, infrastructure modernization and emergency response coordination. Despite nationwide blackouts and destruction, Ukraine achieved an internet resilience availability rate of 97%.

To strengthen digital preparedness, Yuriy has created national training programmes that show citizens and local digital leaders how to maintain internet access during power outages. Through collaboration with operators, he increased xPON fibre penetration from 30% to 52%, establishing Ukraine as one of Europe’s fastest-growing fibre markets. In 2023 and 2024, it ranked first globally in terms of fixed-internet resilience (according to the Surfshark Digital Quality of Life Index).

He has led key elements of the World Bank’s Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) missions and regulatory reforms for digital recovery. Yuriy serves on the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) of ICANN and represents Ukraine in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). As a permanent keynote speaker at the FTTH Council Europe conference and a regular participant in global forums, he promotes network resilience, inclusion and open innovation.

He is currently advancing AI-ready infrastructure and cross-border digital corridors that will link the Black Sea, Baltic, and Scandinavian regions. He also advises governments, public and commercial organizations on creating conditions for sustainable digital services and resilient digital infrastructure.

Christopher T. Sutton

Accessibility Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission

Christopher T. Sutton was appointed Accessibility Commissioner at the Canadian Human Rights Commission in May 2025. Mr. Sutton’s work is influenced by both his professional expertise and lived experiences of advocating for accessibility as a fundamental human right in Canada.

Before his appointment to the Commission, Mr. Sutton served as the Chief Executive Officer of Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility, where he spearheaded initiatives focused on hearing healthcare, accessible communication, and inclusive technology solutions. Under his leadership, Wavefront Centre significantly expanded its programs and services, strengthened strategic relationships, and emerged as a national leader in communications accessibility. A recognized thought leader in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, he has also held leadership roles across the not-for-profit, public, and start-up sectors in both Canada and the United States.

Throughout his career, Mr. Sutton has worked closely with disability communities to ensure that accessibility policies are intersectional and inclusive. He has played a significant role in shaping Canada’s accessibility policies and legislation at both the federal and provincial levels, including the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible British Columbia Act.

Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Sutton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Gallaudet University and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.

Dugald Topshee

Chief Service and Digital Officer, Transport Canada

After earning a master’s degree in philosophy, Dugald Topshee translated his passion for information technology into a career in computer programming. He began in the telecommunications sector, working with British Telecom in Europe and later with Nortel Networks in Ottawa, before founding his own consulting firm, Phrontisterion Incorporated, in 2001. The company specialized in applying XML technology to business process automation, delivering solutions for public and private sector organizations across multiple countries.

Following several successful years as a consultant, Dugald joined one of his former clients, the Department of Justice Canada, where he eventually served as Chief Information Officer for four years. In 2022, he moved to Transport Canada as Director General of the Business Solutions Directorate. He is currently Acting as the Chief Service and Digital Officer at Transport Canada.

Lina Viltrakiene

Ambassador at Large for Digital/Tech Diplomacy, External Economic Relations and Economic Security Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

Lina Viltrakienė is a career Lithuanian diplomat who is currently serving as Ambassador-at-Large for Digital and Tech Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the first Permanent Representative and Ambassador of Lithuania to the OECD. Throughout her nearly three-decade career at Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has focused on trade and economic diplomacy. She was the director of the External Economic Relations Department at the Lithuanian MFA. During Lithuania’s EU Council presidency in the second half of 2013, she chaired the Trade Policy Committee in Brussels. She also worked at the Lithuanian Permanent Representation to the WTO in Geneva. Her portfolio includes EU trade policy, international economic organizations, bilateral trade relations, economic security, digital and tech diplomacy. (Ms. Viltrakienė holds an MBA in International Economics from Vilnius University and is fluent in English, Russian, and French.)

Paul Wagner

Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Digital Service, Canada

Paul N. Wagner is the Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Digital Service ( CDS). In this role, Paul is responsible for leading work to modernize digital service delivery across government departments, improving user experiences, accelerating project timelines and building digital common components that solve common service problems.

With over 20 years experience in the Canadian Federal Public Service, Paul has held executive leadership roles since 2004 including most notably as the Deputy Chief Information Officer of Canada within the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Chief Information Officer for Justice Canada, Library and Archives Canada and the National Research Council of Canada. Paul remains very active in the national and international councils and boards related to technology and digital service delivery.

Prior to joining the Public Service, Paul held a number of senior positions spanning a decade in the private sector working on implementing Enterprise Resource Planning systems in the Retail Industry 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 Chief DIY Officer at home and is very active in the Ottawa sailing community and enjoys racing and cruising sailboats on the Ottawa River and beyond.

Robert Walls

Vice President, Head of Products & Digital Solutions, Visa

Rob Walls leads the Products and Solutions team within Visa Government Solutions and is based out of London, UK. Rob has responsibility for building fit for purpose product and payment solution capabilities to support public sector payments needs. He has held prior positions at Visa including Head of Products & Solutions for the UK&I market, leading the Asia Pacific Product & Solutions HUB team based in Singapore, and leading the Product & Digital team for the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific region.

Rob has been involved in payments industry for over 25 years, having previously worked for the Australian Government, First Data, Citibank, MasterCard and MoneyGram and has worked across the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, the US and now Europe regions.

Rob has a Bachelor of Arts from Sydney University, majoring in Economics and Government and a Post Bachelor Degree in Applied Finance and Investment from the Australian Securities Institute.

Liam Wilkinson

Head of AI Incubation, Incubator for AI (i.AI) , Government Digital Service, United Kingdom

Liam Wilkinson is the Head of AI Incubation at the Incubator for AI in the Government Digital Service in DSIT. He contributed to the founding of the Incubator as a Number 10 Innovation Fellow. Liam currently specialises in AI for enhancing government productivity using Generative AI on government data such as Legislation, Parliamentary records and Policy. He has a background in AI for Defence and National Security at Microsoft and previously worked in National Security in both UK and US Government. There he specialised in AI research for information warfare analysis and triage. 

Ryan Zuro

Director, Deloitte’s Technology Strategy and Transformation, Canada

Ryan is a Director in Deloitte’s Technology Strategy and Transformation practice. For over 20 years, Ryan has worked with IT organizations in the public sector developing strategies, optimizing processes, and managing complex solution implementations.  Prior to his work in professional services, Ryan began his career as a software engineer in Ottawa’s tech startup community.

Christopher Wodtke

German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation

Christopher Wodtke works in the new German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation and is responsible for the AI systems of the federal administration, a position he has held since early 2025.  He oversees the national Marketplace of AI opportunities, an inter‑agency AI Community of Practice, and promotes AI portfolio management for the public sector.

Previously, Mr. Wodtke worked since 2019 in various positions in the German Ministry of the Interior and subordinate authorities. There, he was particularly involved in project management, strategy development, and information processing in various projects.

Until 2019, Mr. Wodtke was Head of Product Management at a globally operating machine company from Germany and worked internationally in product portfolio management.

Besides this, Mr. Wodtke volunteers with the German Agency for Technical Relief, Germanys GO for Humanitarian Aid and is deployed in international missions like capacity building or disaster response.

Mohit Ghawana, Manager – Federal LPAs, Government & Public Services, Deloitte

Mohit is a manager within Deloitte’s Federal Large Priority Account team. Over the past several years, he has partnered with senior leaders to drive strategic growth, enable collaboration, and introduce innovative approaches to client engagement.

Mohit is passionate about leveraging AI and emerging technologies to transform internal training and client strategy, having led sessions showcasing practical AI use cases.

His career spans roles in business development and technology partnerships, supported by a global perspective, engineering background, and fluency in four languages – all anchored by a commitment to connecting people and ideas for impact.