Our past speakers

FWD50 conference features the world’s leading public servants, tech innovators and academics to share their knowledge and chart the course of digital government. Since 2017 we've welcomed hundreds of speakers from around the world that are paving the way in civic innovation. Learn more about all our speakers that have graced the FWD50 stage over the years!

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2024 Speakers

The Honourable / L’honorable Anita Anand

President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, Represents the riding of Oakville, Government of Canada

Dominic Rochon

Deputy Minister, Chief Information Officer of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta

Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs , Republic of Estonia, Ministry of Justice

Scott Jones

President, Shared Services Canada (SSC)

Renée DiResta

Author, Invisible Rulers

Sultan Al Jasmi

Customer Insight & Analytics Director - Customer Experience Sector, Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi

Natalie Evans Harris

State Chief Data Officer, State of Maryland

Daniel Davies

Author, The Unaccountability Machine

Siim Sikkut

Managing Partner, Digital Nation

Nina Maturu

Design Strategist, Futurist, and White House Presidential Innovation Fellow

Edward Santow

Co-Director and Professor, Human Technology Institute

Natalie González

Center of Government Leader, Municipality of Maipú

Nyka Alexander

Communications Lead, Health Emergencies, World Health Organization

Brandon Lee

Director General, Grants and Contributions (G&Cs) Transformation , Global Affairs Canada

Ashley Owens

Founder and President, Paradigm Shift Consulting, LLC

Eliseo Bonilla Tinoco

Director of Technology Development, Government of Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

Dan Honig

Associate Professor, Georgetown University McCourt School

Luana Silveira de Faria

Ministry of Public Management and Innovation - Brazil.
Head of LA-BORA! GOV - Innovative Management Lab

Bryon Kroger

Founder & CEO, Rise8

Elizabeth Laird

Director, Equity in Civic Technology, Center for Democracy & Technology

Angeles Kenny

Principal Consultant, Public Digital

Andres Raieste

Senior Vice President - Public Sector (Global), Nortal

Lena Mohr

Service Designer, German federal DigitalService

Cale Rubenstein

Product Supervisor, Product Lead, Public Sector

Jesse Samasuwo

Senior Manager: Policy & Insights, Apolitical

Maddy Dwyer

Policy Analyst, Equity in Civic Technology, Center for Democracy & Technology

Mihkel Solvak

Associate professor (PhD), University of Tartu

Elizabeth Ayer

Product lead, Public Sector

Sabrina Feuerherd

Service Designer, German federal DigitalService

Kimberley Hutchinson

Learning Experience Design Lead, Canada School of Public Service, Government of Canada

Heidi Uchiyama

Director, Public Digital

Dr. Wafa Snaineh

President, Gov. Design Academy
Board Member, The International Foundation for Customer Experience in Government

Pooja Warier Hamilton

Chief Partnerships Officer, Apolitical

Warren Smith

Director of Insight, Innovation and Impact, Posterity Global

Honey Dacanay

Director-General, Digital Policy and Performance, Treasury Board Secretariat

Blair Neufeld

Director General, Chief Client Experience Office, Canadian Digital Service, Service Canada

Ryan Androsoff

CEO & Founder, Think Digital

Alexandra MacEachern

Director of Digital Delivery, Public Digital

Kent Aitken

Director, Canada School of Public Service, Government of Canada

Anna Hirschfeld

Director, Public Digital

Dorothy Eng

Executive Director, Code for Canada

Michael Nelson

Senior Fellow, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Meghan Hellstern

Facilitator & Trainer, Think Digital

Simon Foot

Director, Public Digital

Nicholas Scott

Associate, Think Digital

Jessica van Onselen

Director of Marketing and Communications, Apolitical

John Ogilvie

Consulting Solution Architect for Public Sector, Bifrost Consulting Group

Skaidra Puodžiūnas

Director of Ontario Relations, Council of Canadian Innovators

Paul Craig

Technical Strategist, Bloom Works

Annette Hester

CEO, TheHesterView Inc.

John Williams

Executive Director, SBIRC

Dr. Alexis Wichowski

Professor of Professional Practice & Program Director, MS in Technologies, Columbia University

Eugene Chen

Chair, Canadian Open Data Society

David Kershaw

Founder & Managing Director, Posterity Global

Gideon Lichfield

Author, Futurepolis

Sarah Heath

Director, Polar Continental Shelf Program, Natural Resources Canada

Lewis Eisen

Speaker, Consultant, Author

Jagoda Walny Nix

Technical Specialist, Visual Data | Digital Transformation Team, Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

Isa David

Manager, Digital Talent Development, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Markku Heimbürger

Chief Funding Advisor, Business Finland

Katy Lalonde

Director, Digital, Supply Ontario

Jake Hirsch-Allen

Senior Advisor, North America, Apolitical
Former North America Workforce Development Lead, LinkedIn

Daphnée Nostrome

Director, Office of the Chief Client Experience Officer, Canadian Digital Service (CDS)

Brendon Delong

Partner, DMV Industry, Kyndryl

Martha Edwards

Lead Service Designer, BC Public Service

Colin Deacon

Senator, Senate of Canada

Elizabeth Dussault

Director, Digital Product Delivery, Canadian Digital Service, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Manu Singh

CIO and Chief Services and Digital Officer, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Dianna Miller

Director, Minerals and Metals Statistics Division, Natural Resources Canada

Kasia Polanska

Lead Advisor, Canada School of Public Service’s Digital Academy

Roxane Dion

Digital Products Team Lead, Canada School of Public Service, Government of Canada

Élise Legendre

Chief Data Officer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

Anna Wong

Director, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Milena Tasic

Innovation Leader , Federal Government of Canada

Calvin Rodo

Acting Director of SRE, Security, and Tooling, Canadian Digital Service (CDS)

Sage Cram

Senior Advisor, Digital Academy

Shingai Manjengwa

Head of AI Education, ChainML

Robert Butler

Senior Advisor, Canada Free Agent, Global Affairs Canada

Hillary Hartley

Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Digital Response

Alistair Croll

Co-founder & Chair, FWD50

2023 Speakers

2022 Speakers

2021 Speakers

2020 Speakers

2019 Speakers

2018 Speakers

2017 Speakers