SOLD OUT – Canberra Manager’s Forum with Chris Fechner and ACT iAwards Ceremony

Details

Join us in celebrating finalists in the ACT iAwards Ceremony, a great showcase for ACT innovations with winners and merit recipients from the ACT iAwards across seven categories progressing to the National iAwards in August.

Immediately following the iAwards Ceremony will be the Canberra Manager’s Forum where our keynote speaker, Chris Fechner, CEO, DTA will explore how the APS is strengthening its digital foundations to better serve Australians. Chris will highlight how the government’s Digital Marketplace looks to broaden participation by SMEs with particular interest being, the ever-growing potential of innovation across the GovTech space. The address will also explore trends and shifts being considered for the direction of AI in government.

Finally, Chris will outline how public servants can maximise the efficacy of innovations across agencies by better attracting and retaining digital specialists, growing in-house expertise, as well as supporting career pathways across the APS.

Don’t delay in getting your tickets to this event. Tickets are available in tables of 10, or you can buy individual tickets.

Keynote speaker

Chris Fechner

CEO

Digital Transformation Agency

Chris Fechner was appointed the Chief Executive Officer at the Digital Transformation Agency on 13 October 2021.

Chris is also the Head of the Digital Profession.

Chris has extensive experience in state government services, focusing on large scale digital and ICT reform and transformation programs as well as implementing contemporary investment, contestability, and governance frameworks.

Before joining the Australian Public Service, Chris was the Queensland Government Chief Customer and Digital Officer throughout 2020 and 2021. Chris was previously the Chief Digital and Product Officer at Service NSW. Prior to that, Chris held a number of senior positions across the NSW and Queensland governments as well as in freight and rail organisations.

Chris holds an Executive Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Applied Science and Computing, both from the Queensland University of Technology.

As CEO, Chris is responsible for leading the DTA to ensure it delivers on the Government’s digital transformation agenda, in accordance with the agency’s executive order and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Panellists

Helen Wilson

Deputy Secretary, Science and Technology Group

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

Helen has spent over 16 years in the Australian Public Service working on climate change, infrastructure, monetary and fiscal policy. She has implemented programs and been responsible for negotiations with a range of stakeholders, including state and territory governments.

Before joining DISR, Helen was Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer at the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) with responsibility for Workforce Policy and Insights, Integrity and Operations.

Helen also brings experience to this role from her time as Deputy Australian Statistician at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). At ABS she led the Statistical Services Group which produced demographic, economic and social statistics.

Helen was previously the First Assistant Secretary of the Industry, Infrastructure and Environment Division in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Helen’s private sector experience includes 7 years as an economist in the financial sector, working in Sydney and London, and running a small business. She has a Bachelor of Economics and Arts from the Australian National University.

Greg Boorer

Chief Executive Officer

CDC

Greg Boorer is the founder and CEO of CDC Data Centres (CDC).

Since founding the company in Canberra in 2007, and under Greg’s leadership as CEO, CDC has grown from a start-up to become a leading owner, developer and operator of large-scale, highly secure and sovereign data centres across Australia and New Zealand.

Greg’s significant technology and data centre industry experience was gained as a highly successful sales executive working across Europe and the United States and upon returning to Australia in 2006 Greg identified an opportunity to provide purpose-built data centres dedicated to government customers to keep Australia’s digital and data critical infrastructure safe. Now, industries such as government, finance and banking, energy, logistics and retail entrust CDC and leverage its sovereign status to ensure that their data is secure and available.

The success and high regard of CDC as a strategic partner to the most discerning government and critical infrastructure customers can be attributed to Greg’s vision and leadership of a high performing executive team who continuously innovate to deliver ultra-modular, flexible, scalable, sustainable, next generation data centres facilities.

Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Science from the University of Newcastle, Australia, is the Chair of Cricket ACT, the immediate past Chair of the Federal and ACT Council of the Australian Information Industry Association, the President of the Commonwealth Club Canberra, the Chair of Canberra charity, Hands Across Canberra, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2017 Greg, and his wife Margaret, also established their own charity fund, the Boorer Foundation, which provides a broad range of support to the Canberra community.

In 2015 Greg was named EY’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ for the ACT and Eastern Australian Region and was also awarded the Pearcy Foundation’s ACT Entrepreneur award.

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