As organizations face increasing pressure to innovate, scale, and stay competitive, IT modernization and cloud-native environments have become essential. At the heart of this transformation is open source, a catalyst driving innovation, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. This session will explore how leveraging open source empowers organizations to embrace best-in-breed technology practices, optimize resources, and achieve modernization goals—even with tight budgets.
Key Takeaways:

• Freedom to Innovate with Open Source: Discover how open source technologies foster innovation and prevent vendor lock-in, enabling organizations to customize solutions that align perfectly with their unique needs.
• Best-in-Breed Practices, Powered by Collaboration: Learn how open-source communities drive advancements in cloud-native environments, ensuring access to cutting-edge tools and frameworks that evolve rapidly to meet industry demands.
• Achieving More with Limited Budgets: Explore strategies for leveraging open source to optimize costs, reduce technical debt, and channel budget toward strategic initiatives that deliver measurable value.
• How to approach Open Source SupportCommunity support can be highly effective for open-source projects or products with a large and active user base. The approach offers flexibility, adaptability, and can be cost-effective. Vendor support provides structure, with defined service-level agreements (SLAs), response times,resolution processes and is focussed on security and supply chain verification. Vendor support is often preferred for critical applications and is often driven by your organizations IT policies

• Ensuring accessibility by meeting standards for all users
• Designing simple interfaces for diverse digital literacy levels
• Using feedback from marginalized communities to enhance inclusivity

• Leveraging AI to automate public services and enhance efficiency
• Using data analytics to make informed, real-time decisions in service delivery
• Personalizing citizen interactions through AI-driven insights and analytics

• Implementing AI, blockchain, and cloud technologies to modernize governance
• Enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency through real-time data analytics
• Strengthening cybersecurity to protect digital public infrastructure and citizen data

• Using the power of student / intern talent for development of AI capabilities in an organization
• Leveraging intergenerationality in an organization to drive AI adoption forward
• Developing robust guardrails for sustainable AI development and adoption

• Utilizing social media and digital platforms to increase citizen participation and feedback in government services
• Streamlining communication with citizens through mobile apps, online portals, and AI-driven chatbots
• Ensuring inclusivity in digital engagement by addressing accessibility and digital literacy challenges across communities

Kate Poirier

Director General, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Dorothy Eng

Chief Executive Officer, Code for Canada

Rodrigo Rosales-List

Senior Director, Service Modernization & Digital Transformation, Indigenous Services Canada

Deron Clements Facilitator

Canadian National Leader Business Development & Growth, Maximus

• Determining when predictive analytics and traditional AI techniques are preferable to generative AI
• Enhancing resource allocation and situational awareness of decision makers with predictive analytics and AI
• Leveraging data-driven insights to proactively address public sector challenges and optimize service delivery

Yvan Gauthier

Head, Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, Data Analytics Centre / NRC Digital Technologies, National Research Council

Meagan Collins

Chief, Enterprise Information Management, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat / Government of Canada

Cedric Jean-Marie

Manager, Enterprise Architecture, Canadian Heritage

Brett Tackaberry

Principal Architect, Google Cloud Public Sector

Ivan Novick Facilitator

Portfolio Product Manager, Tanzu Division, VMware by Broadcom

• Managing legacy system integration while ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing services
• Addressing budget constraints and securing stakeholder buy-in for long-term IT modernization efforts
• Mitigating cybersecurity risks and ensuring data integrity during large-scale IT transformations

Colin MacSween

Director General, National Cyber Security, National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada

Barry Lowry

Chief Information Officer, Government of Ireland

Dalia Hanna

Director, IT Services, Sheridan College

Eric Hein

Sr. Director of Sales & Alliances, Orangutech

Michall Laymon Facilitator

Global Program Manager for Competitive Strategy, SUSE

Agentic AI might be a novel concept for many, but at Salesforce, we've embraced it wholeheartedly and are integrating it throughout our business operations. This session aims to present a practical use case from the private sector, showcasing how Salesforce, the leader in Agentic AI, leverages this cutting-edge technology to enhance user experiences both internally and externally. By sharing insights from Salesforce's "Customer Zero" journey, we hope to inspire innovative thinking and curiosity about how Agentic AI could benefit the Government of Canada's digital transformation efforts.

• Using AI to analyze large datasets and inform policy decisions
• Automating routine tasks to improve efficiency in governance
• Enhancing predictive capabilities to forecast public needs and trends

• Learn how Process Automation Platforms can be used to preserve a COTS or ERP "Clean Core" to minimize long term O&M
• Discover strategies for modernization that don't require a big bang approach
• Learn how an Agility Layer can enable Citizen Development on top of strategic IT assets

The current hybrid work environment poses numerous challenges for government agencies, with suboptimal conditions adversely affecting employee productivity, team cohesion, organizational culture, and overall staff satisfaction and morale. We invite you to join this session to explore how the integration of AI, IT, and AV can significantly enhance the hybrid work experience.

• Using agile frameworks to quickly deploy and improve citizen services
• Enhancing accessibility through user-focused digital tools
• Personalizing services with data-driven insights

• Using data science to anticipate citizen needs and proactively deliver services
• Enhancing engagement by analyzing citizen behavior and feedback in real-time
• Personalizing interactions based on data-driven insights to improve citizen satisfaction

• Driving Digital Transformation Through Citizen Identity And Access Management (CIAM)
• Environmental scans and roadmap - studying who has done it before successfully and the steps they took to get there
• Importance of understanding the requirements from a citizen perspective
• Engaging internal security and compliance teams early and often
• Driving citizen uptake of services
• Processes for ongoing stakeholder-driven service improvement

• How Data Strategy Powers the Foundation of AI: Understanding the crucial role of a solid data strategy in unlocking AI’s full potential for government applications.
• New Use Cases in Governance for Data and AI: Exploring innovative ways AI and data analytics are enhancing public service, from predictive policy-making to smarter resource allocation.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: The transformative impact of AI-powered data insights in improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability in government operations.
• Building a Future-Ready Government: How governments can leverage emerging data technologies to create responsive, agile systems that anticipate and address citizen needs.

• Conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing infrastructure before starting migration
• Explore phased migration strategies to minimize disruptions and manage risks effectively
• Highlight critical data governance and security practices needed to ensure compliance during cloud adoption

• Generational tensions driving the future needs of the Canadian workforce
• Legacy infrastructure and talent shortages overcome with processes and technology improving efficiency and collaboration
• Use of AI to assist with personalized recruiting and hiring experiences 
• Empowered employees with skills development plans, training and an improved workplace environment 

• Expanding affordable access to high-speed internet
• Promoting digital literacy to bridge skill gaps
• Developing inclusive digital services for diverse users

• Leverage analytics to create evidence-based, impactful policies for better governance.
• Strategies to integrate data insights across departments for cohesive decision-making.
• Explore how actionable analytics can translate into measurable improvements in public service delivery.

• Promoting digital inclusion and upskilling in education and the workforce
• Supporting digital transformation for SMEs and startups through Innovation Hubs
• Digitizing public services to improve accessibility and efficiency

In the public sector, protecting sensitive data and critical systems is more important than ever. But while agencies focus on securing human users, non-human identities—such as APIs, bots, service accounts, and automated processes—are multiplying at an unprecedented rate. Without proper oversight, these identities can become the weakest link in an organization’s security posture.

Join RSM as we share our experience helping government agencies strengthen secrets management and identity governance for non-human entities. Learn how to implement zero-trust principles, automate credential management, and mitigate risk in high-security environments. This session will provide practical insights tailored to the unique challenges of government IT, helping you enhance security, ensure compliance, and build a resilient identity management strategy for the future.

• The digital gap is growing, and private sector innovation has raised expectations for public services. Governments that lag in modernization risk lower trust and approval.
• A key shift is toward citizen-centric services. This means personalized, life-event-based services, and increasingly AI augmented services.

The ongoing global push towards digital transformation in government services is more challenging than ever. Embracing digital maturity is the key to revolutionizing service delivery, enhancing transparency, boosting efficiency, and fostering innovation.

Join this session to:

• Learn the importance of adopting a Digital Maturity Model to help prioritize initiatives and set a sustainable path for long-term digital transformation.
• Explore popular digital maturity frameworks and indices, and the importance of benchmarking against best practices.
• Get insights on the role of public-private partnerships and the importance a strong governance framework to achieve digital transformation success.

• Using digital tools to streamline workflows and boost efficiency
• Personalizing support with AI-driven platforms
• Enhancing collaboration with real-time communication tools

• How can emerging technologies like AI and blockchain shape the future of citizen services in digital government?
• What role will data privacy and cybersecurity play as governments adopt more digital solutions?
• How can governments ensure digital inclusivity while embracing rapid technological advancements?

Honey Dacanay

Director-General, Digital Policy, Data and Digital Policy Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat

Leith Higdon

Director, Digital Delivery, Export Development Canada

Mike Stamos

General Manager, Canada and Northeast US, Omnissa

Deron Clements Facilitator

Canadian National Leader Business Development & Growth, Maximus

• How can governments ensure effective data governance while maintaining transparency and privacy?
• What strategies can be used to balance innovation and privacy in the era of big data?
• How can public institutions address the challenges of cross-border data governance and compliance?

Lisa Baker Worthman

Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Learning and Child Development Division, Department of Education, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Daniel Ladouceur

Chief Integrated Risk Management - DIM Secur, The Department of National Defence

Ivan Novick Facilitator

Portfolio Product Manager, Tanzu Division, VMware by Broadcom

• How can governments leverage AI and automation to improve efficiency and service delivery?
• What are the key challenges in adopting emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT in public sector governance?
• How can modern governments ensure ethical use of emerging technologies while maintaining transparency and public trust?

Hassan Gesso

Head, Enterprise Technology, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation

Dorothy Eng

Chief Executive Officer, Code for Canada

Eamonn Moriarty

Chief Technology Officer, Cúram by Merative

Michall Laymon Facilitator

Global Program Manager for Competitive Strategy, SUSE

• How can leaders effectively drive digital transformation while managing resistance to change?
• What leadership qualities are essential for guiding organizations through rapid technological advancements?
• How can leaders foster a culture of adaptability and innovation in the face of constant digital disruption?