In-person Training

Aspiring to Lead: Navigating Government for Women in IT

Empowering the Next Generation of Female IT Leaders

June 17, 2025 (Toronto)

9:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET

Next intake: June 17, 2025 (Toronto) | 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET

Overview

Women remain underrepresented in IT leadership, making up only 28% of tech leadership roles despite comprising nearly half of the workforce. Studies show that diverse leadership leads to 35% more innovation revenue, and organizations with gender-diverse leadership teams are 25% more likely to outperform their peers. Yet, challenges such as limited mentorship, workplace bias, and fewer leadership opportunities continue to hold women back.

Are you ready to break through these barriers and step into leadership? This one-day, high-impact training is designed exclusively for women in government IT who aspire to lead, influence, and transform their organizations.

Led by Ann Dunkin, one of the most accomplished government IT leaders, this session provides the strategies, tools, and network you need to thrive in leadership roles within the public sector.

Who Should Attend?

Whether you're a mid-level IT professional aiming for senior leadership, an aspiring female leader looking for confidence and strategic insight, or a technology specialist shaping the future of government IT, this masterclass is designed for you. This masterclass would be perfect for the following:
Mid-level IT professionals in government aiming for senior roles
New and aspiring female leaders seeking confidence and strategic insight
Women in technology policy and digital transformation roles
IT managers and specialists looking to lead diverse, high-performing teams

Learning Outcomes

Master Leadership & Influence: Build executive presence, refine strategic thinking, and enhance decision-making skills to lead with confidence in government IT.
Navigate Emerging Technologies: Stay ahead of the curve by understanding key government IT trends and learning how to drive digital transformation effectively.
Accelerate Your Career Growth & Leadership Impact: Gain actionable insights on career progression, networking, and mentorship to support long-term leadership success.
Champion Inclusive Innovation: Learn proven strategies for fostering diverse, high-performing teams that drive innovation and success.

In-person Training

Aspiring to Lead: Navigating Government for Women in IT

Session details

If you are an early to mid-career woman looking to move from an individual contributor role to management, or a mid to late career leader looking to move into senior management, you will benefit from this training.

  • Empower Leadership: Develop executive presence, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills tailored to IT roles in the public sector. 
  • Enhance Technical and Strategic Acumen: Understand current government IT trends and learn how to leverage emerging technologies for effective public service. 
  • Foster Professional Growth: Gain practical advice on career progression, networking, and mentorship to support long-term leadership goals. 
  • Promote Inclusive Practices: Learn best practices for building diverse and inclusive teams that drive innovation. 

 

Upcoming Courses:

Government IT Leadership for Women
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Downtown, Ottawa Room

View course modules

Level: Fundamentals

No previous experience necessary

Register Now Pricing options

Key Sessions

The Future of IT in Government

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the current government IT landscape, exploring key trends, challenges, and opportunities. Learn how strong leadership is essential in driving digital transformation and innovation across public sector organizations.

 

Developing a Leadership Mindset

Build executive presence, cultivate a strategic vision, and develop communication and influence skills. Address gender-specific leadership challenges and discover techniques to overcome common barriers to advancement.

 

Strategic IT Planning & Digital Transformation

Learn the fundamentals of creating and implementing strategic IT plans that align with government objectives. Explore real-world case studies showcasing successful digital transformation projects in the public sector.

 

Change Management and Crisis Leadership

Develop techniques for navigating organizational change, managing IT disruptions, and ensuring resilience. Analyze real-world government IT challenges and gain insights into effective risk management strategies.

 

Career Growth and Personal Branding

Discover strategies for career advancement, including mentorship, sponsorship, and networking. Learn how to craft a personal brand that enhances your visibility and positions you as a future IT leader.

 

Building and Leading Inclusive Teams

Explore best practices for fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within IT teams. Learn how to create a collaborative culture that drives innovation and leverages the strengths of diverse talent to meet the evolving needs of government IT.

 

Interactive Q&A and Leadership Action Planning

Engage in a dynamic discussion with Ann Dunkin, develop personalized leadership action plans, and participate in peer-to-peer networking to reinforce key takeaways and expand professional connections.

8:30am Arrival/Networking/Coffee & Tea  

9:00am  Introductions & Ice Breaker 

9:30am  Module 1: Your personal journey as a leader  

  • Explore the importance of understanding their personal values 
  • Define their vision of who they want to be as a leader 
  • Identify their non-negotiables red lines 
  • Complete an exercise to develop a clearer understanding of their values, vision, and red lines 

 

10:15am 

  • Gain insight into how leadership in government compares to other sectors 
  • Identify and address barriers specific to leading in government 
  • Explore strategies to foster a culture of innovation in the public sector 
  • Develop critical skills for leading individuals and teams 
  • Understand how to build a strong team culture and define shared values 
  • Apply their learning through a team development case study 

11:30am

  • Develop skills for managing up and across their organization 
  • Learn how to build productive relationships with peers and negotiate agreements 
  • Explore challenges unique to influencing within government IT organizations as well as the various constituencies that they will need to influence 
  • Develop a relationship map to strengthen their influence 

 

12:30pm Lunch & Table Exercise  

1:15pm

  • Master the fundamentals of creating an IT strategy and implementation plans and the importance of change management. 
  • Discuss case studies, evaluate the outcomes and identify opportunities for improvement. 

2:15 pm

  • Discover the fundamentals of risk management and crisis management. 
  • Discuss real world incidents and evaluate the effectiveness of risk management and crisis management in those cases. 

3:00pm

  • Explore the concept of personal branding and complete an exercise to understand their current brand, what they want their brand to be and how well aligned those two things are.   
  • Learn about executive presence and how to cultivate their executive presence. 

3:45pm

  • Learn about the importance of sponsorship, mentorship and networking.  
  • Develop a relationship map to identify opportunities to both be mentored and mentor others as well as to identify networking opportunities.   
  • Discuss techniques to remove the discomfort from networking and the challenges of gender bias and how to overcome it. 

4:45pm

In this final session, participants will be wrapping up their day by developing a 30-60-90 plan and will be assigned to an optional mastermind group for follow-up and accountability.
 

5:00pm End of Day 

Meet Your Facilitator

Ann Dunkin

​Technology Expert, Advisor, & Author

Ann Dunkin is one of the most accomplished technology leaders, known for her bold leadership across government and industry. A four-time enterprise CIO, Ann has driven digital transformation at every level—from federal departments to Silicon Valley tech giants.

As the former CIO of the U.S. Department of Energy, she managed a $5B+ tech portfolio, leading critical initiatives to secure energy infrastructure, support clean energy innovation, and modernize national security operations. Her leadership extended globally, including close collaborations with Canada, particularly the Canadian Cyber Center, where she spent significant time in Ottawa.

Ann has also served as CIO of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the County of Santa Clara, California, where she spearheaded major technology integrations, organizational transformations, and the deployment of modern platforms across healthcare and government services. Ann lived in Vancouver, WA for 17 years, and often jokes that everyone outside Washington State thought she lived in Canada—so she considers herself an honorary Canadian. Her youngest child now lives on Whidbey Island, just about in Canada.

Beyond government, she’s held senior roles at Hewlett-Packard and Dell Technologies, bringing public and private sector experience together to drive impact. She served as IT Director, leading both a global team and the IT integration during her time in Hewlett-Packard.

Ann is a published author (Industrial Digital Transformation) and a passionate advocate for inclusive leadership in tech, especially for women in IT. She combines her passion for aviation with her love of travel, never missing a Formula One race or a Georgia Tech football game.

Today, Ann advises startups, mentors future leaders, and serves on nonprofit boards focused on innovation and inclusion. A tireless advocate for diversity in tech, she brings a rare mix of technical acumen, strategic vision, and passion for empowering others, making her a standout voice in Women in IT leadership.

Awards & Accolades

  • Forbes CIO Next List (2024)
  • Inaugural list of “Women at Georgia Tech. (2024)
  • Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology’s Pinnacle Award (2024)
  • StateScoop’s Top 50 Women in Technology
  • Fed 100 Award (2024)
  • Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering (IISE) Captains of Industry Award (2024)
  • FedScoop’s Golden Gov Executive of the Year (2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
  • Washington Exec’s Ones to Watch List (2023)
  • FedScoop’s Best Bosses in Federal IT (2022)
  • 2022 Capital CIO Large Enterprise ORBIE Award
  • StateScoop’s Top 50 Women in Technology (2017)
  • DC’s Top 50 Women in Technology (2015 & 2016)
  • ComputerWorld’s Premier 100 Technology Leaders (2016)

 

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