Empowering Government IT Teams to Drive Digital Advancement and Citizen Engagement in 2025 and Beyond
The 2025 DigiGov Leaders Summit delves into how Government CIOs and IT leaders are strategically leveraging AI alongside the transformation of mission-critical IT and service delivery to achieve better citizen outcomes in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. To succeed, CIOs must commit to a consistent pace of innovation, build resilience and adaptability, and develop vision of long-term success towards a finishing line which is almost certainly going to change.
Over two days, attendees will connect and exchange ideas, best-practices and cutting-edge solutions with thought leaders, leading case studies, their peers, and tier-one vendors. The goal is clear: to enable government IT leaders to deliver value-driven, efficient services for improved citizen outcomes.
2025 Sponsors
Explore the Summit
Key Speakers
Paul James
Secretary and Government Chief Digital Officer
Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand
Dr Karaitiana Taiuru JP
Director, & Māori technology ethicist Expert
Taiuru & Associates Ltd
Tom Maasland
Partner
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Murray Young
Deputy Chief Executive – Digital Delivery
Toitu Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand
Anna Campbell
Chief Support Services Officer
Whakarongorau Aotearoa
Bryan Ng
Chief Data & Analytics Officer
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise
Mike Mulvaney
Chief Technology Officer
Crown Law
Derek Robson
CISO
New Zealand Parliament
Why Attend
Hear from Paul James, Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO), and Secretary for Internal Affairs, Te Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Internal Affairs where Paul will outline the ambitious work programme he is leading to modernise digital government services.
Understand how a data insights approach can aide government agencies in better policy making and resource allocation as Kate Kolich, Assistant Governor/General Manager Information, Data and Analytics, Reserve Bank of NZ presents ‘Findings from a Data Driven to Data-to-Insight Approach’.
Learn about the legal impact of AI evolution from Tom Maasland, Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts as Tom presents a forward-looking discussion on emerging AI regulations, policy trends, and the impact on enterprise AI strategies.
Join Murray Young, Deputy Chief Executive – Digital Delivery, Toitu Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand to learn how to transform public services by placing citizens and organisations at the centre of government services
Who Should Attend
Network and engage with Chiefs, Secretaries/Deputy Secretaries, Heads, Directors, General Managers across the public sector, with responsibilities including:
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Digital Transformation
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Technology and Innovation
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IT / IT Operations
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Cyber Security
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Information Systems and Management
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Business Intelligence
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Data Analytics
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Data Security
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Data Governance
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Continuous Operational Improvement
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Citizen Experience
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Citizen Analytics
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Service Delivery
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Digital Channels
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Agile Transformation
Agenda
Access either Summit at any point across the 2 days, all included in your ticket.
To help us allocate the ideal space for engaging discussions and connections, please indicate your preferred stream at the time of registration. You’ll still have the flexibility to explore other stream sessions throughout the day.
Day One | Tuesday 20th May 2025
8:10
Registration & Morning Refreshments
8:30
Opening Karakia
8:50
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Prashant Bakshi, Deputy Chief Executive Strategic and Corporate Services, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Building the Digital Future
9:00
Opening Panel: Sustaining Transformation in 2025: Aligning Digital Innovation with Public Sector Priorities
Thriving amidst fiscal constraints: Innovating in a post-budget cut environment
Maximising efficiency and managing costs with IT optimisation strategies such as automating the day-to-day tasks
Deploying low-cost, high-impact automation tools
Moderator: Prashant Bakshi, Deputy Chief Executive Strategic and Corporate Services, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Anna Campbell, Chief Support Services Officer, Whakarongorau Aotearoa
Mike Mulvaney, Chief Technology Officer, Crown Law
Mark Kirkpatrick, Senior Manager Outputs - Technology Services, Stats NZ
Kevin Glynn, GM Customer and Digital Experience, Auckland Transport
9:45
Presentation: The Digital Shift: How Storytelling and User-Driven Change Delivered Results
Overview: For the past four years, WorkSafe NZ have been on a digital transformation to decouple themselves from MBIE and establish new digital ways of working. From new data platforms through to a self-service portal - the amount of work that needed to get done was initially daunting. However, using Agile methodologies; an MVP approach to breaking down the work; Jobs to be Done theory; and strong storytelling to bring stakeholders along on the journey - WorkSafe have improved our effectiveness and efficiency across several key areas. This presentation shares some of the key learnings and insights about how they were achieved.
Angus Deacon, Head of Digital Transformation, WorkSafe New Zealand
Human Centric IT & Innovation
10:15
Presentation: Creating a Seamless Citizen-Centric Digital Experience
Transforming public services by placing citizens and businesses at the centre of government services
The importance of blending technology capability with human capability
Maximising the outcome from digitisation through proactive change management strategies
The success of co-creating a new system with customers and having a sector wide focus
Murray Young, Deputy Chief Executive – Digital Delivery, Toitu Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand
10:45
Lightning Address by Engage Squared
Lydia Simpson, Adoption Change Management Practice Lead, Engage Squared
10:50
Morning Tea & Networking
Driving Value With AI
11:15
Presentation: The AI Legal Landscape: What Every CIO Needs to Know
A forward-looking discussion on emerging AI regulations, policy trends, and the impact on enterprise AI strategies.
Tom Maasland, Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
11:45
From Potential to Production – Unlocking the Real-World Impact of GEN AI in Citizen Services
Overview: Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s actively reshaping how we live, work, and interact with public services. From improving citizen experiences to driving smarter decisions and operational efficiencies, the potential of AI is clear. Yet despite this promise, only 1 in 10 AI pilots ever make it into production. Many initiatives stall at the proof-of-concept stage, unable to scale or deliver tangible outcomes. So what’s holding them back? This session explores a practical path forward for realising the value of Generative AI in the public sector.
Kieran Hagan, Data and AI Segment Leader, IBM A/NZ
12:05
Presentation: Māori AI & Data Sovereignty: Embedding Values into Technology
Understanding the importance of ethical and cultural alignment with Māori AI & Data
Implementing Te Tiriti values into AI and Data Governance
Strategies to prevent bias and discrimination using a unique Kiwi lens.
Dr Karaitiana Taiuru JP, Director, & Māori technology ethicist Expert, Taiuru & Associates Ltd
12:30
Networking Lunch
Bridging Technology & Government
1:15
Interactive Breakout Sessions
Breakout A:
Making It Real: Practical Steps to Deploy GEN AI in Government
This interactive session is designed for public sector leaders and practitioners looking to move beyond the hype and translate Generative AI into real-world outcomes. Join IBM experts and government peers for an open discussion on the practicalities of implementing GEN AI in citizen services. Bring your questions, challenges, and experiences to the table as we explore what it takes to move from pilot projects to production at scale.
Kieran Hagan, Data and AI Segment Leader, IBM A/NZ
Breakout B:
Low-Code Automation: Moving Fast Without Losing Control
Chris Ben, Senior Solutions Engineer, Nintex
2:15
It's time we re-thought our approach to automation
Sean Wallace, VP Sales & Community, Flowingly
2:40
Afternoon Tea & Networking
Driving Operational Efficiency With Data
3:00
Reflect & Collaborate: How Better Data Management Leads to Better Public Services
This interactive session invites attendees to collaborate on strategies for driving operational efficiency with data.
How your team can use data analytics to identify inefficiencies within government operations
Leveraging data analytics to make informed decisions and improve the accuracy of policies
Why embedding data into the core of operations can optimise government resources
Bryan Ng, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise
Empowering the Architechts of Change
3:30
Reflect & Collaborate: Designing the Digital Workforce for 2025 and Beyond
This interactive Think Tank session invites attendees to collaborate on strategies for equipping government IT teams with the skills, culture, and tools necessary to lead New Zealand’s digital transformation.
How does the public sector continue to attract the right talent following a time of uncertainty in New Zealand?
Defining the Digital Skillset: What capabilities will be critical for IT teams to thrive in 2025 and beyond?
Strategies to ease the recruitment process in an overcrowded market
Milica Zivanovic, Chief Information Officer, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
4:00
Chairperson’s Closing Address
4:10
Networking Drinks & End of Summit Day One
Day Two | Wednesday 21st May 2025
8:20
Registration and Morning Refreshments
8:50
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Prashant Bakshi, Deputy Chief Executive Strategic and Corporate Services, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Future-Ready Public Services
9:00
Opening Keynote: Building a Future-Ready Public Service through Delivering User-Centric, Innovative and Trusted Digital Government Services
In this keynote presentation, Paul will be outlining the ambitious work programme he is leading to modernise digital government services. Paul will talk about all-of-government service modernisation to accelerate the digitising of government services. He will also talk about his leadership role in key areas of Digitising Government, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Identity. Paul works with his colleagues across the public service to encourage safe uptake of emerging technologies with a recent focus being around how we can do things differently - building a ‘future-ready’ digital public service and investing in the necessary critical foundations.
Paul James, Secretary and Government Chief Digital Officer, Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand
The audience will now split between the DigiGov and CyberGov leaders summit depending on their preference of sessions.
9:40
Do More with Less: Smart Solutions for Better Public Services
Overview: In a world of tightening budgets, workforce reductions, and rising citizen expectations, governments must deliver more with less. But innovation without structure creates risk. In this session, discover why process excellence, smart automation, and governance are the essential foundations for AI readiness and future transformation. We'll explore practical strategies, real-world success stories, and actionable steps you can take now to optimise workflows, strengthen compliance, and lay the groundwork for scalable, intelligent public services. Learn how to move beyond buzzwords and build smarter, faster, and more trusted operations, ready for tomorrow’s challenges.
Chris Ben, Senior Solutions Engineer, Nintex
Putting Data in Action
10:00
Presentation: Findings from a Data Driven to Data-to-Insight Approach
Why your data strategy should align with organisation and citizen strategy
How a comprehensive framework can assist in turning raw data into actionable intelligence
How a data insights approach can aide government agencies in better policy making and resource allocation
Michelle Burke, Director of Knowledge and Information Management, Reserve Bank of NZ
10:30
Morning Tea & Networking
The upcoming sessions are shared plenary sessions across the DigiGov Leaders and CyberGov Leaders Summit.
Collaboration in Digital and Cyber
11:00
Presentation: How Non-Governmental Organisations are Growing and Maturing their Digital Transformation Strategy
Why the government sector wants Non-Governmental Organisations to take on more services
Strategies to scale and mature the digital strategy in the 3rd sector
Tamati Shepherd –Wipiiti, Chief Executive Officer, Ngāti Hine Health Trust
11:30
Presentation: A Path to Cyber for Anyone.
Why cybersecurity should be a priority for the business under the increasing threat landscape
Implementing a coordinated and efficient response strategy between IT and security teams
Defining clear roles and responsibilities to reduce overlap and confusion
What skills are needed in cyber?
Derek Robson, CISO, New Zealand Parliament
12:00
Networking Lunch
Balancing Innovation, People & Risk
12:45
Unconference Sessions: Peer-Peer Roundtable Discussions
Delegates will split into peer-led groups to discuss key challenges within the digital and security world under Chatham House rules.
Topic A:
How to encourage tech adoption across different generations and improve digital accessibility for diverse user groups
Aimee Riddell, Digital Lead, Ministry for Women
Topic B:
Strategies for securing funding and justifying digital investments
Christine Hudson, Programme Director - Digital Planning & Performance / Digital Service & Planning Manager, Ministry of Education
Topic C:
How to build a security-first culture
Cassandra Mesa, Cyber Security Analyst, MBIE
Topic D:
AI and Insider Threat Psychology: Can AI detect emotional or behavioural signals of insider threats better than humans
Peter Benson, Former Governance Advisor, NZ Post
The Road Ahead: Vision for 2030
1:45
Panel: The Road Ahead: Shaping a Secure Digital Future for New Zealand
New Zealand's commitment to becoming a digitally secure and resilient nation.
Strengthening public sector leadership, driving collaboration and accountability
How New Zealand can integrate cybersecurity into long-term strategies for resilience and adaptability
Moderator: Prashant Bakshi, Deputy Chief Executive Strategic and Corporate Services, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Catherine Cooper, Group Manager Security Incident Management, National Security Incident Response, Data & Digital, Te Whatu Ora
Carmel Ali, Information Technology Security Manager, CSS Treasury