Milica Zivanovic
Chief Information Officer
Public Service Commission
Leading digital government and cyber resilience in Aotearoa.
Building a secure, trusted and citizen-centric digital government for Aotearoa.
Two summits. Two full streams. One day.
300+
attendees across both summits in 2026
100+
organisations represented
35+
speakers across both summits
1 day
two full streams, new for 2027
EVENT OVERVIEW
One banner. Two summits. One day.
GovTech Aotearoa brings together New Zealand's IT, digital and cyber security leaders representing both central government and local councils.
In 2027 the programme is condensed into a single day in Wellington on Tuesday 25 May. Two full streams run in parallel, one for digital, data and transformation leaders and one for security and cyber risk leaders, so each delegate can follow the programme that fits their role.
The agenda is set against a changing operating environment: a new centralised approach to government digital investment and procurement, the first services going live under the Trust Framework for Digital Identity, and agencies weighing AI adoption against the Public Service AI Framework.
For solution providers, GovTech offers direct access to the people making and carrying out those decisions across central and local government, in one focused day built for conversations rather than booth footfall.
Our 2026 sponsors and exhibitors
Key event themes for 2027
Safe, governed AI in government
Moving from pilots to production within the Public Service AI Framework's guardrails.
A new centralised delivery model
What centralised investment and procurement means for agencies and their vendors.
Digital identity at scale
Onboarding to the Trust Framework for Digital Identity and what it unlocks for citizen services.
Data as a shared public asset
Cross-agency sharing, Māori Data Sovereignty and frameworks like Five Safes.
Cross-agency resilience
Breaking down silos in incident response, because no single agency can solve this alone.
Essential services and the supply chain
Third and fourth-party risk, and the proposed critical infrastructure regime.
What's new and different for 2027
One focused day
Tuesday 25 May, with a tighter agenda built around the sessions that matter.
Two full parallel streams
A dedicated DigiGov programme and a dedicated CyberGov programme, side by side.
Invitations approved by role
Complimentary invitations are reserved for government decision-makers and approved by the delegate team.
GUIDED BY THE COMMUNITY
2027 Advisory Board
Bill Moses
Chief Information Officer
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Alix Clark
Chief Information Officer
NZ Red Cross
Adwin Singh
Cyber Security Domain Lead – CISO Office
Inland Revenue
Our 2026 speakers
View all 2026 speakers
Dr. Ott Velsberg
Former Government Chief Data Officer, Client Engagement and Delivery Lead on Data
Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs (Estonia); Tony Blair Institute
Rebecca Elvy
Deputy Chief Executive, Outreach and Innovation
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People
Daryl Pettitt
Head of Digital Business Enablement
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
Charlie Farah
Field Chief Technology Officer– Analytics/AI
Qlik
Jonas Petersen
Chief Digital Officer; Digital Strategic Manager
Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA; Digital Hub Denmark (Australia/Denmark)
Greta Gordon
Chief Data Officer
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Michelle Burke
Principal Advisor AI
NZ Defence Force
Mark Baddley
Former Director Future and Emerging Technologies
New Zealand Defence Force
Colin Lynch
Government Statistician, Chief Executive Officer
Stats NZ
Jarred Griffiths
Director of Strategy and Engagement,
Hutt City Council
Ankit Gupta
Chief Executive Officer; APAC
Provoke Solutions
Michael Branch
Managing Director Defence & National Security Solutions
Citadel Edge
Ruth Russell
Chief Information Officer
Te Tumu Paeroa, Office of the Māori Trustee
James Little
Acting Director, Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Group
Department of Internal Affairs
Sean Wallace
Vice President Sales & Community
Flowingly
The Hon. Paul Goldsmith
Minister for Public Service & Digitising Government, Minister of Justice, Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage, Minister for Media & Communications, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations & Minister for Pacific Peoples
Chris Cormack
He Māwhitiwhiti Matihiko ki te Kākahu o Hine-Raraunga
Te Kāhui Raraunga
Adwin Singh
Cybersecurity Domain Lead – CISO Office
Inland Revenue NZ
Liz MacPherson
Deputy Privacy Commissioner
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
Paula Knaap
Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Enablement
Ministry for Regulation
Denis McGrath
Cyber Security Specialist (Awareness and Education Lead)
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Milica Zivanovic
Chief Information Officer
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
Andrea Conlan
Chief Operating Officer
NZ Police
John Baddiley
Chief Information Officer
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Anne Columbus
Chief People Officer, General Manager Corporate Services
Christchurch City Council
Luca Tagliaretti
Executive Director
European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (European Union)
Andy Higgs
Executive Director
Digital Identity New Zealand
Kelly Blackwell
National Security Capability Manager
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora
Marika Hughes
Director of Strategic Crisis Management
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet New Zealand
Jonathan Wilkins
Chief Information Security Officer
Ministry for Primary Industries
Derek Robson
Former Chief Information Security Officer
New Zealand Parliament
Andrew Hood
Senior Product Manager, Cyber Safety and Security
Network 4 Learning
Emma Bickerstaffe
Director, Cyber Defence
National Cyber Security Centre
Vicki Scott
Deputy Chief Executive, People Services and Delivery
Parliamentary Counsel Office
Taryn Murphy
Cyber Security Manager
WorkSafe NZ
Sarah Penman
Director Enterprise Information Security (CISO)
National Cyber Security Centre
Jared Devereux
Product Manager Platforms, Information Command
New Zealand Defence Force
Julie Watson
Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer
WorkSafe NZ
Yolanda Wilke
Domain Lead, CISO Office
Inland Revenue Department
Matthew Shaw
Head of Emergency Management and Business Continuity
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Glen Bearman
Regional Account Manager
TrendAI
Dr. Ott Velsberg
Former Government Chief Data Officer, Client Engagement and Delivery Lead on Data
Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs (Estonia); Tony Blair Institute
Rebecca Elvy
Deputy Chief Executive, Outreach and Innovation
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People
Daryl Pettitt
Head of Digital Business Enablement
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
Charlie Farah
Field Chief Technology Officer– Analytics/AI
Qlik
Jonas Petersen
Chief Digital Officer; Digital Strategic Manager
Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA; Digital Hub Denmark (Australia/Denmark)
Greta Gordon
Chief Data Officer
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Michelle Burke
Principal Advisor AI
NZ Defence Force
Mark Baddley
Former Director Future and Emerging Technologies
New Zealand Defence Force
Colin Lynch
Government Statistician, Chief Executive Officer
Stats NZ
Jarred Griffiths
Director of Strategy and Engagement,
Hutt City Council
Ankit Gupta
Chief Executive Officer; APAC
Provoke Solutions
Michael Branch
Managing Director Defence & National Security Solutions
Citadel Edge
Ruth Russell
Chief Information Officer
Te Tumu Paeroa, Office of the Māori Trustee
James Little
Acting Director, Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Group
Department of Internal Affairs
Sean Wallace
Vice President Sales & Community
Flowingly
The Hon. Paul Goldsmith
Minister for Public Service & Digitising Government, Minister of Justice, Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage, Minister for Media & Communications, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations & Minister for Pacific Peoples
Chris Cormack
He Māwhitiwhiti Matihiko ki te Kākahu o Hine-Raraunga
Te Kāhui Raraunga
Adwin Singh
Cybersecurity Domain Lead – CISO Office
Inland Revenue NZ
Liz MacPherson
Deputy Privacy Commissioner
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
Paula Knaap
Deputy Chief Executive, Organisational Enablement
Ministry for Regulation
Denis McGrath
Cyber Security Specialist (Awareness and Education Lead)
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Milica Zivanovic
Chief Information Officer
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
Andrea Conlan
Chief Operating Officer
NZ Police
John Baddiley
Chief Information Officer
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Anne Columbus
Chief People Officer, General Manager Corporate Services
Christchurch City Council
Luca Tagliaretti
Executive Director
European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (European Union)
Andy Higgs
Executive Director
Digital Identity New Zealand
Kelly Blackwell
National Security Capability Manager
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora
Marika Hughes
Director of Strategic Crisis Management
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet New Zealand
Jonathan Wilkins
Chief Information Security Officer
Ministry for Primary Industries
Derek Robson
Former Chief Information Security Officer
New Zealand Parliament
Andrew Hood
Senior Product Manager, Cyber Safety and Security
Network 4 Learning
Emma Bickerstaffe
Director, Cyber Defence
National Cyber Security Centre
Vicki Scott
Deputy Chief Executive, People Services and Delivery
Parliamentary Counsel Office
Taryn Murphy
Cyber Security Manager
WorkSafe NZ
Sarah Penman
Director Enterprise Information Security (CISO)
National Cyber Security Centre
Jared Devereux
Product Manager Platforms, Information Command
New Zealand Defence Force
Julie Watson
Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer
WorkSafe NZ
Yolanda Wilke
Domain Lead, CISO Office
Inland Revenue Department
Matthew Shaw
Head of Emergency Management and Business Continuity
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Glen Bearman
Regional Account Manager
TrendAI
Two streams. One venue. One day.
GovTech puts your solution in front of the New Zealand public sector digital, data and security leaders who shape what agencies invest in and buy.
In 2026 the co-located summits drew more than 300 attendees from over 100 organisations. 48% of attending organisations were central government and 41% local government, including Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Health, New Zealand Police, the Department of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Wellington City Council.
New for 2027: a single focused day with two full streams, one for digital and data leaders and one for security leaders.
Full inclusions and investment levels are in the 2027 prospectus.
From the room
What delegates say
Genuine thanks to Aventedge for once again pulling together a room of people doing the hard, important work.
Hundreds of conversations about cyber resilience, compliance maturity, AI Governance and what government organisations actually look like from an attacker's perspective.
DigiGov continues to be a strong platform for bringing the public sector and technology community together.