Our speakers

FWD50 features the world’s leading public servants, tech innovators and academics to share their knowledge and chart the course of digital government. Here’s who's taking the stage in 2023:

Jennifer Pahlka

Author of "Recoding America: How Government Fails in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better"

Dr. RS Sharma

Former CEO, National Health Authority (NHA)
Distinguished Visiting Professor, IIT Kanpur

Tom Loosemore

Partner, Public Digital

Robyn Scott

Co-founder and CEO, Apolitical

Nele Leosk

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador at Large for Digital Affairs, Department of Digital and Cyber Diplomacy, Estonia

His Excellency Saeed Al Mulla

Executive Director of the Customer Experience Sector, Abu Dhabi Executive Office

Dr. Alexis Wichowski

Professor of Professional Practice & Program Director, MS in Technologies, Columbia University School of Professional Studies

Andrew Greenway

Partner, Public Digital

Pooja Warier Hamilton

Chief Partnerships Officer, Apolitical

Gulsanna Mamediieva

CEO, Digitality GovTech Center of Excellence

Daphnée Nostrome

Head, Digital Talent Strategy, Benefits Delivery Modernization, Service Canada

Dr. Wafa Snaineh

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

Sean Boots

Former federal public servant
Open government program manager, Government of Yukon

Jacqueline Lu

President & Co-Founder, Helpful Places

Catherine Luelo

Chief Information Officer, Canada

Ryan Androsoff

CEO & Founder, Think Digital

Xiaopu Fung

Director, Product Design, Digital Credentials, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), Government of Canada

Melissa Tullio

UX Designer, Code for Canada

Aaron Snow

Fellow, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation

Dorothy Eng

Executive Director, Code for Canada

Jorge Lopez

Vice President and Distinguished Analyst, Gartner

Meghan Hellstern

Facilitator & Trainer, Think Digital

John Houweling

Director Data, Analytics & Visualization Services, Corporate Services, Regional Municipality of York

Victoria Thibeau

Head of Management Consulting and Solutions, Application Services, Fujitsu North America, Inc.

James Duncan

Co-founder and Principal, Stance Global

Aaron Reich

Chief Technology Officer, Avanade

Mirko Kleiner

Thought Leader, Lean-Agile Procurement

Ebony Sager

Director Digital Strategy, Ontario Digital Service (ODS)

Kris Lovejoy

Global Practice Leader, Security & Resiliency, Kyndryl Canada

Anna Hirschfeld

Director, Public Digital

Skaidra Puodžiūnas

Director of Ontario Relations, Council of Canadian Innovators

Angelica Quirarte

Federal Partnerships Director, Tech Talent Project

Wyatt Tessari L'Allié

Founder & Exec. Director, AIGS Canada

Matt Jukes

Head Coach, Digital by Default Academy

Benjamin Bergen

President, Council of Canadian Innovators

Honey Dacanay

Professor of Practice, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University

Alec McCauley

Chief Executive Officer, Thrive Health

Martha Edwards

Lead Service Designer, BC Public Service

Stig Parfrey

User Research Operations Lead, US Digital Response

Teresa D'Andrea

Chief Transformation Officer Associate Deputy Minister’s Office, Enterprise Pay Operations, Public Services & Procurement Canada, Government of Canada

Long Dinh

Service Design Project Lead, City of Seattle

Tamara Srzentić

Former Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and media, Montenegro
Tech ambassador, entrepreneur & scholar

Sam Sebastian

Vice President, Google Cloud Canada

Jamie Joyce

Department Director, Internet Archive Canada

Riley Ohler M.Ed

Service Designer | Client: Government of Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services, J5 Design

Andrea Mills

Executive Director, Internet Archive Canada

Denise Gomes

Senior Director, CTO Branch Management, Shared Services Canada (SSC)

Stefanie Couture

Partner, Workforce Consulting, PwC Canada

Blair Neufeld

Executive Director, Product, Government of Alberta, Technology & Innovation

Isa David

Manager, Digital Talent & Leadership, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), Government of Canada

Kent Aitken

Director, Digital Academy Canada School of Public Service

Dea De Jarisco

Senior Product Director, Digital Talent Careers, Government of British Columbia

Katy Lalonde

Assistant Deputy Minister of Digital Innovation and Product, Ontario Digital Service (ODS)

Hillary Hartley

Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Digital Response

Amy Kirtay

Director, Digital Strategy, Government of British Columbia

Dr. Liz Christie

a/Senior Policy Analyst, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Andee Pitman

Human-Centred Design Lead , Treasury Board Secretariat

Phillip Bland

Global Government Advisor, Qualtrics

Elizabeth Dussault

Director, Channel Experience, Benefit Delivery Modernization, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Fernanda Araiza Guzmán

User Experience Leader, Mexico City's Digital Agency for Public Innovation (ADIP)

Lucas Cherkewski

Government of Canada

Uchenna Moka-Solana

Founder & President, MokSol Impact LLC

Robert Butler

Canada Free Agent: Senior Marketing Advisor, Global Affairs Canada

Amanda Bernardo (Host, Industry Innovations)

A/Director, Change Management and Service Design, Enterprise Transformation, Shared Services Canada (SSC)

Alistair Croll (Host)

Co-founder & Chair, FWD50

To see all speakers from past years, check out our Past Speakers page.
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