Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Natural Resources Canada develops policies and programs that enhance the contribution of the natural resources sector to the economy, improve the quality of life for all Canadians and conduct innovative science in facilities across Canada to generate ideas and transfer technologies. The Department of Natural Resources represents Canada at the international level to meet the country’s global commitments related to the sustainable development of natural resources. NRCan is an established leader in the fields of energy sources and distribution, forests and forestry, minerals and mining, earth sciences, energy efficiency, and science and data.
Natural Resources Canada is committed to improving the quality of life of Canadians by ensuring the country’s abundant natural resources are developed sustainably, competitively and inclusively.
Statistics Canada (StatCan)
As the national statistical office, Statistics Canada ensures that Canadians have the information on economic, social and environmental issues required to function effectively as citizens and decision-makers. The agency conducts a Census every five years, and operates about 350 active surveys on aspects of Canadian life – fulfilling its legislative remit to provide statistics for both the federal government, and each of the provinces and territories.
StatCan also works to strengthen the national statistical system by enabling the strategic use of data and developing innovative collaborations and partnerships. It helps to improve data literacy, supporting citizens to draw actionable insights and unleash the power of data. And it shapes its work program around Canadians’ highest-priority information needs, while ensuring that its information is accessible; that respondent burden is kept to a minimum; and that the agency’s business processes and systems are efficient, robust and responsive.
Microsoft
Microsoft software helps businesses, governments, and consumers to reach their full potential, however they define it. Woven throughout daily life, whether it be work or play, Microsoft technologies flourish when they get into the hands of millions of Canadian partners and customers enabling innovation often in new ways. Pursue your vision of economic, social, and environmental prosperity for the people you serve with inclusive government technology that seamlessly blends into everyday life as we empower every government agency and person on the planet to achieve more.
Microsoft Canada is equally passionate about committing to Canadian communities. Since its inception, Microsoft Canada has had a corporate giving philosophy that goes beyond financial donations to champion inventive forms of philanthropy. For more information on how Microsoft Canada has joined forces with organizations across Canada to make a difference and invest in local communities, visit Microsoft Philanthropies.
Global Government Forum (GGF)
GGF is a publishing, events and research business that helps senior civil servants around the world to meet shared challenges by building their skills, knowledge and connections.
Founded in 2013, it publishes news, features and interviews for a global audience – covering topics around policymaking, public service delivery, civil service leadership and organizational change. It operates a busy events program, including webinars, workshops, conferences, and three annual summits: informal discussions serving the heads of civil services; the leaders of finance departments; and national digital leaders. And it carries out research, including its long-running Women Leaders Index – which tracks the proportion of women among senior officials – and its Digital Leaders program. Almost all of its services are provided to public servants free of charge, with funding from private sector partners.
In 2021, GGF ran the Civil Service Data Challenge with the UK’s Cabinet Office, the Office for National Statistics and NTT DATA UK. The Public Sector Data Challenge was inspired by this UK program.
Derek leads the Microsoft’s team serving Canadian Defence and Public Safety clients in the Federal Government. Derek has spent 30 years in the industry both in uniform and as a consultant. He served in the British and Canadian Armies for 23 years in a variety of operational and strategic roles. He has led multinational and interagency teams that conducted counter terrorism, public order, framework policing and high impact arrest operations in several countries. He has led the whole of government response to multiple emergencies and disasters at the national level and was the Commander of Her Majesty the Queen’s Royal Guard in the UK. Derek has spent 6 years as a consultant focused on transformation execution supporting defence, policing, intelligence and border service agencies on their digital journeys.
Mr. Dufour is Director General, Innovation Branch at the Department of Natural Resources Canada. He is responsible to advance a departmental strategy to support innovation in the natural resource sectors and provide policy guidance on development and deployment of clean technologies. He leads the Clean Growth Hub – a whole-of-government focal point, composed of 17 departments and agencies, focused on providing front-line support to clean technology companies to navigate federal programming and clean tech regulations. Mr. Dufour is also responsible to develop international partnerships and in advancing international collaboration in clean technology R&D and innovation. He leads the management of the department’s intellectual property portfolio and services. Finally, he is the Head of the NRCan Digital Accelerator, looking at the application of innovative digital technologies to enhance the Department’s ability to conduct research and analysis, and provide evidence-based policy advice supported by advanced analytical techniques.
Together with NRCan’s Chief Information Officer and Chief Science Advisor, Daniel works with data leaders across the department and the Government of Canada to help everyone continuously improve the use of data as a strategic asset for the achievement of Departmental priorities, including through the development and implementation of the Departmental data strategy. 
Capt(N) Guillaume Lafrance was born in Quebec City. He embarked upon his Naval Officer career in 1989.
Elise was appointed Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Chief Data Officer in the summer of 2021. She leads a small, passionate team of policy and IT professionals dedicated to both harnessing and unleashing the power of data to improve service delivery and support the sector’s sustainable growth. 
Ms. Loignon was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in August 2016. As CIO, Ms. Loignon leads the Digital Strategy implementation and the Information Management (IM) and Information Technology (IT) initiatives and operations that enable the delivery of ECCC programs and services. Among her strategic objectives, Ms. Loignon is responsible for the delivery of modern IM/IT solutions and practices, for the implementation of the ECCC project management center of excellence and to position the IM/IT team to embrace challenges of the future. As ECCC’s designated official for cyber security, Ms. Loignon is responsible in providing leadership, coordination and oversight for departmental cybersecurity management activities.
Jason Reid joined Natural Resources Canada on July 27, 2020. He has more than 25 years professional experience working within the Government of Canada (GC), the majority of which has been in fields of Information Management and Information Technology. He has held positions of increasing responsibility including being the Executive lead of two GC transformation projects. Jason was named to the EX cadre in 2007, he was awarded the Queens Golden Jubilee medal in 2002 and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Development Program and the Career Assignment Program. He holds bachelor degree in Social Science with a concentration in Economics from University of Ottawa.
André Loranger is currently the Assistant Chief Statistician for Strategic Data Management, Methods and Analysis. He is also Statistics Canada’s Chief Data Officer responsible for the overall stewardship of the organization’s information data holdings.
Joann Shields is an innovative leader with over 25 years in Information Management / Information Technology (IMIT) and Organizational Change across both the public and private sectors. 
Mélanie Robert is the Executive Director of Open Government at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). She leads the Government of Canada’s efforts to open data and information and to increase accountability and citizen participation, and manages Canada’s Open Government and Open Data Portal (open.canada.ca) as well as the Online Access to Information Request Service.
Raj Thuppal is Transport Canada’s Chief Digital Officer. He provides executive leadership and management direction for TC’s transformation and service modernization. In this key role, Raj leads the way we transform and redesign programs and services that we deliver to Canadians. He is also Chief Information Officer and Chief Data Officer for the Department.
Wesley Yung is the Director of the International Cooperation and Methodology Innovation Center at Statistics Canada. Previous to this position, he was the Director of the Economic Statistics Methods Division. With a background in statistics and survey methods, Wesley has over 30 years of experience working with data and managing people providing methodological support to statistical programs at Statistics Canada. Although trained as a ‘traditional’ statistician, he is very interested in how data and modern methods, including Data Science techniques, can be leveraged to the benefit of all Canadians.
Elizabeth is the Senior Director of Research and Experimentation in the Office of Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Canada, where she is responsible for leading advancements in innovation to improve outcomes for people management initiatives across the Government of Canada. Before starting this role in March 2020, she was Senior Lead, Behavioural Science, at the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, where she oversaw the application of behavioural science to public policy challenges. Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Elizabeth held several senior leadership positions, including leading the Behavioural Insights Unit in the Government of Ontario, where she was instrumental in creating and building Canada’s first behavioural science team in government. To date, Elizabeth has successfully completed trials dealing with public health, financial decision-making, regulatory compliance, digital adoption and modernization, and service delivery. She provides advice and guidance on the application of behavioural science to public policy, recently supporting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a member of the External Advisory Committee for Capacity Development. 
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.
Vidya ShankarNarayan is the CIO and Assistant Deputy Minister, Information Systems Branch at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
James Van Loon is Health Canada’s Chief Data Officer and also serves as the department’s Chief Scientific Data Officer. He has a passion for innovating programs and delivery from the ground up in cooperation with partners across government, nationally, and internationally. Most recently, James led efforts of Health Canada, the Public Health Agency, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Statistics Canada and other partners to create a dynamic model of pan-Canadian supply and demand on Personal Protective Equipment. As a Director General on the COVID-19 Task Force, James was instrumental in leading the development of analytic tools for the Critical Drug Reserve, as well as the Testing and Vaccine Secretariats. With over 20 years of experience in developing and managing federal regulatory programs, James is recognized as an action-oriented leader who has advanced key files at Health Canada and Environment Canada.
Frank Des Rosiers was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Innovation in 2019. Prior to this, Frank was ADM, Innovation and Energy Technology at NRCan. He also served as General Director, Tax Policy at Finance Canada and as Assistant Secretary, Priorities and Planning at the Treasury Board Secretariat. Frank worked as Director General, Strategic Policy Branch at NRCan from 2003-07 and at the Privy Council Office (Intergovernmental Affairs at) as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister and Director, Economic and Fiscal Analysis.
Catherine Luelo is a Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Chief Information Officer of Canada.
Anil Arora was appointed Chief Statistician of Canada in September 2016.
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.