2021 Data Conference/Speaker Bio

French / français

Welcoming Remarks by Masters of Ceremonies

Name	Biography
Enrico del Castello	Director, Knowledge Mobilization and Partnerships, Research and Evaluation Branch, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Most recently in this role, Enrico del Castello spearheaded the planning and execution of the International Metropolis Conference 2019 in Ottawa, drawing in 1400 delegates from over 60 countries around the globe. Prior to this, he planned and organized several international conferences including two G8 Experts roundtables on integration. With over 28 years of experience in the public service, Mr. del Castello has held various senior positions such as Director of International Relations with Canada Customs and Revenue, Director of Research and Outreach at the Public Service Commission of Canada. Mr. del Castello holds a Masters in Political Sciences from Carleton University, and a Post Graduate Degree in Public International Administration from the University of Quebec.
Liz McKeown	Faculty member, Canada School of Public Service, Digital Academy Elizabeth (Liz) McKeown joined the School's faculty at the Digital Academy in 2019. Liz has been involved in the information management and technology fields in various capacities for more than 30 years. She has largely focused on building technical, change, and leadership acumen at all levels, to promote organizational-wide digital modernization. Liz draws from her professional and personal experiences and applies them to her current work at the School, concentrating on developing a digital culture across the public service.

Indigenous Welcome

Name

Biography

Gilbert Whiteduck

(Anishinabe) Algonquin from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation community Gilbert W. Whiteduck was elected Chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community and served from June 2008 to April 2015. He had previously been elected to the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Band Council at different intervals, for a total period of 12 years over the past 4 decades. Mr. Whiteduck was involved in the field of First Nations education for over 33 years. He has held many positions during this period including that of guidance counsellor, teacher, school principal and director of education. Mr. Whiteduck holds a B.S.W (Honours), a B.Ed, an M.Ed and an Honorary Doctorate which he received from the University of Ottawa in 1999 for his work in the field of education. Mr. Whiteduck remains active in his efforts to ensure that First Nation voices are not only heard but understood. He continues to seek balance through ceremony and connection to elders. He walks with an understanding of the historical past that guides him in respecting the present moments with humbleness and love. He believes that there remains much groundwork to be completed for some measure of reconciliation to be achieved but he remains hopeful for the present and future generations of youth that such will be achieved in their lifetime.

Welcome by Departmental co-hosts

Name	Biography
Catrina Tapley	Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Ms. Catrina Tapley was appointed Deputy Minister of IRCC on August 19, 2019. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Operations), Privy Council Office. Before joining the Privy Council Office, Ms. Tapley was with IRCC from 2010-2016, serving as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy and as Associate Assistant Deputy Minister. In 2011, as a part of the very Beyond the Border Working Group, Ms. Tapley played a senior role in the creation and negotiation of the Beyond the Border Action Plan – a Canada-United States agreement on economic competitiveness and perimeter security. Before joining IRCC, Ms. Tapley held numerous positions at the Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat. As the Executive Director, Security and Justice Division, she was responsible for management and financial oversight of sixteen different federal departments and agencies in the Public Security and Justice portfolios.
Taki Sarantakis	President, Canada School of Public Service Taki Sarantakis has been President of the Canada School of Public Service since July 2018, having previously served as Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Mr. Sarantakis spent most of his career at Infrastructure Canada, including as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Communications. In 2011 Mr. Sarantakis was awarded Canada's Public Service Award of Excellence in Public Policy, and in 2013 he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Mr. Sarantakis holds a B.A. and an M.A. from York University in Toronto, as well as an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management's Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program, holding the ICD.D designation.

Opening Remarks

Name

Biography

Anil Arora

Chief Statistician of Canada Anil Arora was appointed Chief Statistician of Canada in September 2016, having worked at Statistics Canada for over 25 years, as well as leading senior policy and regulatory roles at Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada. Mr. Arora leads substantive international initiatives, working with the United Nations and the OECD, and has received numerous prestigious awards for leadership. Mr. Arora earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and holds a graduate certificate in Advanced Public Sector Management from the University of Ottawa

PLENARY DISCUSSION – Data for Responsive Public Policy

Name	Biography
André Loranger	Assistant Chief Statistician for Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis, Statistics Canada André is also Statistics Canada’s Chief Data Officer responsible for the overall stewardship of the organization’s information data holdings. An economist with an M.A. (Economics) degree from the University of Ottawa, André began his career in the public service at Statistics Canada in 1997 where he spent most of his career compiling estimates of GDP. Prior to his current position, he was the Director of Producer Prices Division (2008-2012) and the Director General of the Macroeconomic Statistics Branch (2012-2013). In recent years, André has been involved in international projects related to economic statistics. André is currently a member of the United Nations Global Working Group on Big Data.
Ima Okonny	Chief Data Officer, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Ima has over 20 years of experience in the field of data. She has extensive experience with building the evidence base through the development of analytical databases, building analytical tools, implementing departmental data reporting and release strategies, data management, data privacy protocols with forward-looking policy development and research. Ima 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 developing and empowering multidisciplinary teams to unleash concrete business value from data.
Mireille Laroche	Assistant Commissioner, Service, Innovation and Integration Branch; Chief Data Officer and Chief Service Officer, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Mireille Laroche was appointed to the position of Chief Data Officer for the CRA on September 17, 2018. Mireille joined the CRA in September 2014 as Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Collections and Verification Branch. She became the Assistant Commissioner of the Appeals Branch on April 1, 2016. Prior to joining the CRA, Mireille was acting Assistant Deputy Minister of the Processing and Payment Services Branch at Service Canada. Mireille began her career in the public service in 1996 with the Department of Finance Canada, where she worked on various economic and fiscal issues. Mireille holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Social Sciences with a specialization in Economics and Political Science from the University of Ottawa
Astrid Guttman	Professor of Paediatrics, Health Policy and Public Health at the University of Toronto, physician and Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, and Senior Scientist and Chief Science Officer at ICES Astrid Guttmann is Chief Science Officer at ICES, Canada’s largest health services and policy research institute with extensive administrative data holdings. Her research aims to improve inequities in child and family health through population-based studies that inform or evaluate health and mental health system programs and policies. She sits on a number of scientific and policy advisory committees.
Kara Beckles	Director General, Data Integration, Privy Council Office Kara Beckles is Director General of Data Integration at the Privy Council Office, a position she took on during the summer of 2020. Kara previously held several positions across the Government of Canada, most recently at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as Director General of the Economic Research and Analysis Directorate and Departmental Data Lead. Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in economics and business from the University of Winnipeg and a Master of Arts from Dalhousie University.

FIRESIDE CHAT – The Value of Data for an Innovative and Inclusive Public Policy

Name	Biography
Rohinton Medhora	President, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) Rohinton joined CIGI in 2012. He served on CIGI’s former International Board of Governors from 2009 to 2014. Previously, he was vice president of programs at Canada’s International Development Research Centre. His fields of expertise are monetary and trade policy, international economic relations and development economics. Rohinton received his doctorate in economics in 1988 from the University of Toronto, where he taught for a number of years. In addition to his Ph.D., Rohinton earned his B.A. and M.A. at the University of Toronto.
Anil Arora	Chief Statistician of Canada Anil Arora was appointed Chief Statistician of Canada in September 2016, having worked at Statistics Canada for over 25 years, as well as leading senior policy and regulatory roles at Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada. Mr. Arora leads substantive international initiatives, working with the United Nations and the OECD, and has received numerous prestigious awards for leadership. Mr. Arora earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and holds a graduate certificate in Advanced Public Sector Management from the University of Ottawa
Vic Pant	Chief Scientist and Chief Science Advisor, Natural Resources Canada In his role, Vik is responsible for accelerating the creative application of innovative digital technologies including AI, to enhance NRCan’s ability to conduct research and analysis, as well as provide evidence-based policy advice that is supported by advanced analytical techniques. Vik works with counterparts from other science-based organizations to ensure that the management of federal policy and research activities align with Government of Canada priorities.
Natasha Kim	Assistant Deputy Minister of the Strategic and Program Policy Sector in Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Previously, she held various positions at IRCC, Privy Council Office, Public Safety Canada, and Justice Canada. Natasha is the IRCC Champion for Multiculturalism, Diversity, and Employment Equity. She is passionate about making IRCC a more inclusive workplace, fostering an open and positive space for the Department’s diverse workforce, and advancing IRCC’s mandate. Natasha holds a Master of Laws from Harvard University, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and majored in Women's Studies at the University of Alberta

The Implementation of Data Strategies across the Government

Name	Biography
Jamie Smith	Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Chief Data and Results Officer Mr. Jamie Smith began as Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Chief Data and Results Officer on July 6, 2020 and comes from a strong background in data management and analytics both within and outside the department. Mr. Smith has held various posts within the federal government including at Environment Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board Secretariat. Mr. Smith returned to ECCC in 2008 supporting the Ministers office and has since concentrated on water, weather and climate data; earth observations; monitoring network planning; and collaborating with Provinces and Territories to establish agreements to share data before assuming his current position.
Tom Dufour	Director General, Strategic Data Management Branch, Statistics Canada Tom Dufour is the Director General of Statistics Canada’s Strategic Data Management Branch which includes the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, the Statistical Geomatics Center, Data Stewardship Division, and Data Integration Infrastructure Division. He has worked in a number of areas at Statistics Canada for over 29 years including a number of social statistics programs, and most recently, in the Macroeconomic Accounts.
Daniel MacDonald	Director General, Strategic Policy, and Chief Data Officer at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Daniel MacDonald is jointly responsible for data strategy development and implementation at NRCan with the Chief Information Officer and the Chief Science Advisor.
Julie McAuley	Chief Results and Delivery Officer, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Julie McAuley joined ISED in September 2017 as the department’s Chief Results and Delivery Officer. In this role, she leads the implementation of the department’s outcomes-focused results and delivery framework and is the responsible for the oversight and management of ISED’s Chief Data Office, including the implementation of the Departmental Data Strategy. Prior to joining ISED, she spent her career at Statistics Canada where she held a number of executive positions.
Alain Beaudoin	Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Results and Delivery Privy Council Office. In January 2018, Alain returned to PCO as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Results and Delivery. Previously Alain was at FedDev Ontario where he was Vice-President, Policy, and subsequently Vice-President Business, Innovation and Community Development (2014-18). Alain has had a varied career beginning with a series of increasingly senior roles at PCO (Intergovernmental Affairs), Health Canada, Prime Minister’s Office and Industry Canada. Alain holds a Master’s degree in Arts & Sciences from the Université de Montréal.

Spotlight on CSAC Report: Towards a Stronger National Statistical System

Name	Biography
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Howard Ramos	Chair of the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Western University Dr. Howard Ramos investigates issues of social justice and equity in his research. He has published on ethnicity, race, income polarization, urban issues in secondary regional cities, social movements, human rights, Indigenous mobilization, and environmental advocacy.
Jan Kestle	President and Founder, Environics Analytics Jan Kestle has been a leader in data and analytics in Canada for decades – in industry and in government. An expert in using statistics and mathematics to solve social and economic challenges, she is a member of the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council, the Board of Directors of the Canadian Marketing Association and the Ted Rogers School Dean’s Advisory Council. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics from Western University.
Céline Le Bourdais	Distinguished James McGill Professor of Sociology at McGill University Céline Le Bourdais is Distinguished James McGill Professor of Sociology at McGill University. Often motivated by public policy issues, her research examines the profound changes that families have experienced, using Statistics Canada’s rich survey and administrative datasets. A former Canada Research Chair in Social Statistics and Family Change, Céline Le Bourdais is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She is currently Vice-Chair of the Board of the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) and a member of the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council.

Data Defense in support GC COVID-19 Response

Name	Biography
Jean-Philippe Racicot	Supervisor, Strategic Assessment Team, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security Prior to joining the Cyber Centre, Jean-Philippe managed a team of civilian and military strategic analysts within the Canadian Forces’ Intelligence Command and held several analytical and management positions in the Privy Council Office. Before joining the public service, Jean-Philippe lectured at several universities in Québec and was a researcher at the Université du Québec à Montréal’s Raoul-Dandurand Chair in Strategic and Diplomatic Studies.
Eric Bisaillon	Director, Security Architecture Branch, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) In this role, Dr. Bisaillon focuses on the security architecture assessments and advice across a wide range of industries and technology applications. His professional interests include mitigation of threats stemming from virtualization, automation, machine learning, encryption, blockchains, privacy and ubiquitous computing devices. Dr. Eric Bisaillon holds more than 15 years of industry experience in the telecommunications technology field with a focus on agile IT security, Surveillance and Privacy, as well as Canadian Security and Intelligence policy. Dr. Bisaillon has held a variety of Engineering and Management positions at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) as well as at the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS). He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Lindsay MacDonald	Cybersecurity Engagement Lead, Health and Academia Sectors, Communication Security Establishment (CSE) Lindsay has worked at CSE for 15 years, including many years developing and delivering cyber security training to internal CSE staff. She currently leads the team within the Canadian Center for Cyber Security that manages partnerships and engagements for the Academic and Health sectors. This role includes providing cyber security advice guidance and services to partners in those sectors. She is a graduate of engineering from Queen’s University.
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Ensuring Data Quality through Data Stewardship

Name	Biography
Lauren Aldwinckle	Senior Analyst, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Throughout her career, Lauren has worked in various roles pertaining to economic analysis, research and program evaluation. Lauren started her data governance journey over eight years ago and is continuing to hone her skills while working as a senior analyst at the DFO, with a strong focus on data stewardship and reference data management.
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Jane Lin	Data Governance Analyst, Department of National Defence (DND) Jane Lin works for ADM (Data, Innovation and Analytics), in the Data Policy and Digital Innovation Division. Prior to joining DND, she produced labour market bulletins at Employment and Social Development Canada and staffing/workforce reports for the Public Service Commission of Canada and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. She started her career at Statistics Canada in the early 2000s, working on the Labour Force Survey, Monthly Retail Trade Survey, and 2006 Census Labour report
Crystal Sewards	Manager, Office of the Chief Data Officer, Statistics Canada Over 25 years experience working in the Federal Government with a background in data stewardship, data analysis and geomatics. Holds a degree in Human Geography from the University of Ottawa with a specialization in economics and statistics.
Sébastien Fleurant	Director, Data Governance and Partnerships at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Sébastien is championing data management and ensuring a strong foundation on which data analysis can flourish. This is enhanced by his mandate in leading the efforts to build data partnerships to increase the value of data sets for IRCC and the Canadian society. Sébastien has been with IRCC for over 13 years.

Data Ethics and AI Innovation

Name	Biography
Benoit Deshaies	Acting Director of data and artificial intelligence at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). Benoit studied computer science at Carleton University in Ottawa. He is acting Director of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). He directs the development of the Directive on Automated Decision-Making and the Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA). These policy tools ensure that Automated Decision Systems are deployed in a manner that reduces risks to Canadians and federal institutions, and lead to more efficient, accurate, consistent, and interpretable decisions.
Eric Rancourt	Director General of the Modern Statistical Methods and Data Science Branch at Statistics Canada Eric Rancourt has worked at Statistics Canada for 30 years where he has occupied several management roles within the organization and has been involved in multiple research and application projects related to data and related methods. He has been involved in many professional statistical associations and is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. His current research work focuses on frameworks for optimizing privacy and information and on data ethics.
Michelle Mann	General Counsel in Justice Canada, Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Legal Services Lindsay has worked at CSE for 15 years, including many years developing and delivering cyber security training to internal CSE staff. She currently leads the team within the Canadian Center for Cyber Security that manages partnerships and engagements for the Academic and Health sectors. This role includes providing cyber security advice guidance and services to partners in those sectors. She is a graduate of engineering from Queen’s University.
Patrick McEvenue	Senior Director in Strategic Policy Branch, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Patrick McEvenue has worked for IRCC since 2006. He is currently serving as the Senior Director in Strategic Policy Branch where he works on the policy implications of the use of AI and other technology in the delivery of Canada’s immigration programs. Patrick holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Concordia University and common and civil law degrees from McGill University’s Faculty of Law.
Maryam Haghighi	Director of Data Science at the Bank of Canada Maryam Haghighi is the Director of Data Science at the Bank of Canada. She provides strategic leadership for data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning towards the Bank’s mandate. Over the past 15 years, she has successfully led diverse teams from academic environments to global enterprises and private partnerships, to solve complex data problems for multi-billion-dollar projects on the ground and in the skies. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Ottawa.

Assessing Input Data and Resultant Model Accuracy

Name	Biography
Saeid Molladavoudi	Lead Data Scientist at Data Science Division in Statistics Canada Saeid Molladavoudi manages teams of data scientists in Statistics Canada to solve concrete business needs using machine learning solutions. His expertise in identifying opportunities and determining strategic and technical roadmaps helps bring together ideas, individuals and technologies to obtain valuable insights from large-scale data. Under Saeid’s leadership, a team of data scientists are exploring the applications of privacy preserving technologies to address some of the evolving privacy related needs of the organization.
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Yvan Gauthier	Director of Data Science, Assistant Deputy Minister (Data, Innovation, Analytics); Lead, Enterprise Data Science, Defence Research and Development Canada, Department of National Defence (DND) Yvan Gauthier is a senior defence scientist with Defence Research and Development Canada, Centre for Operational Research and Analysis. As Director of Data Science, he leads a team of data scientists directly supporting DND’s Chief Data Officer. Yvan also chairs the NATO Specialist Team SAS-150 on Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Enterprise Resource Planning. In his previous positions, Yvan has led several operational research projects while working in various branches of DND, including the Strategic Joint Staff and the Canadian Joint Operations Command.
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DAY 2: FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Resources

PLENARY DISCUSSION – Data Journalism: Truth Telling with Data Analysis and Visualizations for Public Interest

Name	Biography
Tom Cardoso	Crime and Justice Reporter and Data Journalist at The Globe and Mail Tom Cardoso has been with The Globe for nearly seven years, and has previously reported extensively on gun violence and white collar crime, the latter of which netted him a 2018 Michener Award nomination. In October, he published a years-in-the-making investigation on racial bias in Canada’s prisons.
David McKie	BIO Wording
Jocopo Ottaviani	BIO Wording
Lauren Klein	Associate professor in the Departments of English and Quantitative Theory & Methods, and Director of Digital Humanities Lab at Emory University Klein works at the intersection of digital humanities, data science, and early American literature, with a research focus on issues of gender and race. Before moving to Emory, she taught in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech. In 2017, she was named one of the “rising stars in digital humanities” by Inside Higher Ed. She is the author of An Archive of Taste: Race and Eating in the Early United States (University of Minnesota Press, 2020) and, with Catherine D’Ignazio, Data Feminism (MIT Press, 2020). Her current project, Data by Design: An Interactive History of Data Visualization, 1786-1900, was recently funded by an NEH-Mellon Fellowship for Digital Publication.
Caroline Xavier	Associate Deputy Minister Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Caroline Xavier was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of IRCC in February 2020. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Xavier held the position of Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Security and Intelligence at the Privy Council Office, as of June 2017. Between 2007 and 2017, she has also occupied numerous key positions within the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), including Vice-President and Associate Vice-President of the Operations Branch. Before joining the CBSA, she held executive positions with the Communications Security Establishment Canada, Industry Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency. Ms. Xavier has been with the public service for over 30 years. Caroline is a graduate of the University of Ottawa (Bachelor’s Degree in Administration, concentration in marketing and informatics) and of the Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia (Executive Master’s degree in Electronic Commerce).

FIRESIDE CHAT – Joys of Joining up: Bridging the Digital, Information Management and Data Worlds

Name	Biography
Stephen Burt	Assistant Deputy Minister (Data, Innovation, Analytics) (ADM-DIA) for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Stephen Burt is also the chair of the federal Chief Data Officer Council. As an organization, ADM (DIA) works to ensure that data are leveraged in all Defence programs to enhance capabilities and decision-making, and to provide an information advantage in military operations. He holds an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Ottawa, and a Master’s in Public Administration from Queen’s University.
Sandy Kyriakatos	Chief Data Officer, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Sandy Kyriakatos joined the Strategic Policy Branch of CBSA in December 2019 as the new Chief Data Officer from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), where in July 2016 she was appointed as the first Chief Data Officer in the Government of Canada. Prior to joining ESDC, Sandy had held a variety of positions in the private and public sector related to data analytics, data governance, business intelligence (BI) and information technology.
Zaina Sovani	Assistant Deputy Minister of Transformation, Digital Solutions Sector and Chief Information Officer at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) In her current role at IRCC, Zaina Sovani is responsible for leading the department through a major transformational change program focused on improving client experience and service delivery enabled by agile techniques and digital technology. Ms. Sovani joined IRCC in 2017 from the Canada Border Services Agency where she was responsible for the Commercial Trade and Revenue Management Transformation Portfolio as Director General. Over the past 20 years, Ms. Sovani has held many other executive roles both in the public service and private sector, gaining the reputation of a builder and transformational leader.
Marc Brouillard	Chief Technology Officer for the Government of Canada Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Marc Brouillard is the Chief Technology Officer for the Government of Canada, in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and is currently acting as the interim Chief Information Officer of Canada at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Marc also served as deputy departmental CIO and acting departmental CIO at Treasury Board Secretariat. Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Marc was VP of Business Development for a local eCommerce Services start-up. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at MONTAGE IT Services, a division of MTS/Allstream, where he held numerous positions in technology consulting and business development. Marc provides government-wide vision and strategic leadership in pursuing world class excellence in digital integration, information management and technology, and cyber security. He has had a long and successful career as a senior public and private sector executive in information management and technology.

Standards in Action: Emergence of Data Standards to Drive Business Outcomes

Name	Biography
David Barraclough	Bio wording
Benjamin Williams	Director of Data Governance and Exchange at Canada Mortgage and Housing Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) Our goal at CMHC is housing affordability and one of the key objectives for my team is to publicize housing data and insights to promote long-term affordability and sustainability. We have this as an objective because we believe that the more coherent, standardized and available the data, the better the chance that people will make better decisions as they relate to housing affordability.
Meline Nearing-Hunter	Director, Information Management Policy and Horizontal Engagement in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) Meline began her career in the public service in 2000 in Employment and Social Development Canada in various roles in employment programs, corporate planning, and information management. Meline joined TBS in 2017, where she is currently leading efforts to advance and evolve information and data management in the Government of Canada in support of a more modern and digital government.
Daniel Gillman	Senior research scientist at the Office of Survey Methods Research in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Dan Gillman has over 25 years’ experience designing, developing, and implementing standards for data and metadata under DDI, SDMX, UNECE, ANSI, ISO, OMG, and W3C. His work with Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) dates to its inception (1995), Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) is a member of the DDI-Alliance, and he has and is guiding the adoption of DDI standards at BLS and the US Department of Labor.
Cory Chobanik	Director, Centre for Statistical and Data Standards at Statistics Canada. Cory has led significant transformational initiatives throughout his career, with experience and partnerships spanning all three levels of government, the private sector and international organizations, including the UN. He has led high-profile projects with a focus on metadata, information management and standards domains. In his current role, he is leading many transformation projects aligned to the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse of data assets), with open data standards at the foundation, driving business outcomes around interoperability, innovation, harmonization, integration and digitization.

International Lens: How Open Data is Helping to Solve COVID-19

Name	Biography
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Mélanie Robert	Executive Director of Open Government at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) Mélanie Robert leads the Government of Canada’s efforts to open data and information and to increase accountability and citizen participation. She manages Canada’s Open Government and Open Data Portal (open.canada.ca) as well as the Online Access to Information Request Service. You can follow Mélanie on Twitter @MelRobrt

Data Partnerships and Infrastructures for Responsive Public Policy – case studies

Name	Biography
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Gillian Dawson	Director, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Data, Products and Strategy, Health Canada’s COVID-19 Task Force Throughout her career at Health Canada, Gillian has architected solutions for complex problems across policy, programs, regulations and operations. Under her direction, the COVID 19 Task Force’s PPE Data, Products and Strategy team has partnered with Statistics Canada to develop a suite of data visualization products providing the latest PPE procurement data and demand forecasting to guide federal and provincial and territorial decision-makers as part of Canada’s response to COVID 19. With her leadership, they have leveraged domain knowledge, policy translation skills and deep interdepartmental partnerships to address some of the most wicked policy questions Health Canada has faced in its response to COVID-19.
Vedmani Sharan	Analyst, Chief Data Office, Employment and Social Development Canada Vedmani Sharan is passionate about data management including data strategy, data architecture and data governance. He is a member of the team that developed the Benefits Knowledge Hub for sharing benefits related data with various stakeholders. Besides working with government, Vedmani is pursuing PhD in Management at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University.
Gabrielle Fitzgerald	Director, Data and Analytics Division, Policy and Results Branch, Infrastructure Canada Gabrielle has been managing data programs for the Government of Canada for over 12 years. Currently, she is leading the implementation of Infrastructure Canada’s Data Strategy and is responsible for key data programs to help measure the impacts of infrastructure investments, including oversight of Canada’s first ever national survey of public infrastructure. Prior to joining Infrastructure Canada, she oversaw the delivery of Canada's mineral and mining statistics program at Natural Resources Canada; and also led the design and implementation of anti-corruption legislation through the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA).

PLENARY DISCUSSION – Data Literacy Matters

Name	Biography
Taki Sarantakis	President, Canada School of Public Service Taki Sarantakis has been President of the Canada School of Public Service since July 2018, having previously served as Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Mr. Sarantakis spent most of his career at Infrastructure Canada, including as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Communications. In 2011 Mr. Sarantakis was awarded Canada's Public Service Award of Excellence in Public Policy, and in 2013 he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Mr. Sarantakis holds a B.A. and an M.A. from York University in Toronto, as well as an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management's Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program, holding the ICD.D designation.
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Yvan Clermont	Director General of the Analytical Studies Branch at Statistics Canada. In his current position, Mr. Clermont is responsible for leading several teams of researchers that provide authoritative expertise and produce high quality, relevant and timely information on economic, health and social issues important to Canadians, governments, non-profit organizations and institutions.
Ümit Kiziltan	Chief Data Officer (CDO) Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Ümit Mustafa Kiziltan was appointed in 2019 as the Chief Data Officer at IRCC. He has been a Public Service executive since 2006 in resettlement, multiculturalism, and citizenship. In 2011, he became the Director General of Research and Evaluation branch at IRCC, focusing on the development and liberation of research data in close partnership with Statistics Canada. Prior to 2006, Ümit taught in academia, and worked with civil society and First Nations. He is currently preoccupied with the increasing fragility of liberal democracies, which fuels his commitment to quality data and trusted insight to inform public policy and evidence-based narratives.
Neil Bouwer	Vice-President of Innovation and Policy Services, Canada School of Public Service Neil Bouwer has also served as an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Privy Council Office of Canada; and in executive positions at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada. He has also worked at the Department of Finance and Western Economic Diversification Canada, and has Economics degrees from McGill University and St. Thomas University. Neil actively supports the Government of Canada policy and data communities, the Advanced Policy Analyst Program and the Free Agent HR Program.