Developing an Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Government of Canada

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July 16, 2024 | 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm (ET)

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Speaker

Ima Okonny

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

Ima, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Data Officer at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has over 23 years of experience in the field of data.

As Chief Data Officer of ESDC, she works to enhance and advance Data Science, Data Management and Data Sharing to support ESDC’s policies, service delivery and results reporting.

Prior to ESDC, Ima held an executive role at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, where she led a team to ensure the effective collection, governance, and management of federally regulated financial institution and pension plan data collected by the Office.

Ima has also worked at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, where she led the development and delivery of analytical data, research databases, data products and tools that supported performance measurement, policy development, program monitoring, results/outcome reporting and research and evaluation. Ima’s previous experience has also included positions with the Canada Revenue Agency, and Statistics Canada.

She has an educational background in Mathematics, Computer Programming and Public Management and during her time with the Government of Canada, she has received several nominations and awards for her leadership and results.

She is passionate about helping organizations develop the capabilities required to ethically and intentionally unleash concrete business value from data.

Sandy Kyriakatos

Chief Information Officer, National Research Council Canada

Sandy Kyriakatos is a seasoned thought leader in the field of data and technology, with a strong track record of success in driving business growth and competitive advantage. She has helped clients to focus on harnessing the power of their second most valuable asset, Data. Through the relentless pursuit of both 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 1) Enable Researchers in using leading edge technologies to find sustainable solutions to Canada's economic, social and environmental challenges and 2) to drive NRCs Data and Digital journey providing leadership across the GC, Science and Industry.

Sandy has had an extensive career in highly sensitive senior information and analytics roles in both public and private sectors. Prior to joining the National Research Council of Canada she was Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Equifax Canada driving 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, as well as CDO at Canada Border Services Agency. Additionally, she has led data and analytics across industry verticals including roles at Loyalty One, SAS Canada, and Canada Post.

Shaifa Kanji

Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Shaifa joined the Federal Government in August 2021 as the Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Digital Officer at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Previously, she has led digital transformation in Public Sector and Not-for-Profit including establishing vision and strategic technology direction within a highly complex, political and multi-stakeholder environment. Before joining the public sector, Shaifa spent her career across multiple industries including Telecommunications, Banking and Consulting. Those invaluable experiences have given her a broad perspective on the critical elements required to drive transformation including focusing on transparency, empathy, building relationships and continuous learning. Shaifa holds an Executive MBA and a degree in Computer Science.

Kara Beckles

Executive Director, Privacy and Responsible Data Division, 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.

Moderator

Erica Vezeau

Director General, Digital Academy and GC Data Community, Canada School of Public Service, Government of Canada

Erica is the Director General of the Canada School of Public Service’s Digital Academy and the Government of Canada Data Community. In this role she provides learning to help public servants gain the knowledge, skills, and mindsets they need to succeed in the digital age. She has over 19 years of previous private- and public-sector experience in program administration, service design and delivery, and strategic planning. Erica’s belief in a citizen-centric delivery has driven her experience in several digitally-enabled projects that modernized business processes and improved government services.

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