Empowering Government IT Teams to Drive Digital Advancement and Citizen Engagement
The 2026 DigiGov Leaders Summit delved into how Government CIOs and IT leaders were strategically leveraging AI alongside the transformation of mission-critical IT and service delivery to achieve better citizen outcomes in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. To succeed, CIOs had to commit to a consistent pace of innovation, build resilience and adaptability, and develop a vision of long-term success towards a finishing line that was almost certain to change.
Over two days, attendees connected and exchanged ideas, best practices, and cutting-edge solutions with thought leaders, leading case studies, their peers, and tier-one vendors. The goal was clear: to enable government IT leaders to deliver value-driven, efficient services for improved citizen outcomes.
Event themes
Responsible AI integration and public value:
Scaling AI responsibly across government through strong governance, transparency, and metrics that demonstrate measurable public benefit and ROI
Cloud-native architecture and legacy inoperability: Transforming legacy systems into cloud-native, API-driven platforms to enable interoperability, agility, and seamless cross-agency collaboration
Foundational data governance and quality: Embedding consistent standards for data quality, access, and integrity to drive evidence-based policy, trusted insights, and ethical decision-making
Citizen-centric design and service innovation: Designing digital services around user needs to deliver personalized, accessible, and inclusive experiences that strengthen public trust and engagement
Change management and workforce evolution: Developing leadership, digital capability, and structured change management practices to guide teams through transformation and sustain innovation
Who attends?
The DigiGov Leaders Summit is the perfect platform to network and engage with public sector digital and technology leaders, who are responsible for:
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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
Featured Speakers
Paul James
Secretary and Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO)
Department of Internal Affairs
Ott Velsberg
Government Chief Data Officer
Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs (Estonia)
Jonas Petersen
Chief Digital Officer; Digital Strategic Manager
Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA; Digital Hub Denmark (Australia/Denmark)
Kari Jones
Executive Director, Operational Excellence and Enablement
Financial Markets Authority – Te Mana Tatai Hokohoko
Why Attend
1. Learn from Estonia’s digital government model: Hear from Ott Velsberg, Government Chief Data Officer, Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs (Estonia), as he shares Estonia’s leading approaches to national interoperability, ethical AI governance and citizen-centric digital services
2. Insights from Denmark and Australia’s transformation journey: Jonas Petersen, Chief Digital Officer, Department of the Premier & Cabinet WA, and Digital Strategic Manager, Digital Hub Denmark (Australia/Denmark) , will outline proven strategies for cross-agency collaboration, scalable digital infrastructure and whole-of-government modernisation
3. Hear from the GCDO on New Zealand’s new procurement model: Paul James, Secretary and Government Chief Digital Officer, will outline the shift to centralised investment and procurement and what it means for simpler, more efficient digital services
4. Hear from the Deputy Privacy Commissioner on the future of biometrics in government: Liz MacPherson, Deputy Privacy Commissioner, will explain how biometrics can both strengthen security and enable innovation, and the privacy, transparency and governance requirements agencies must meet to deploy them safely
5. Learn from leading case studies in data, AI and inter-agency collaboration: Hear practical lessons from agencies advancing data interoperability, trusted AI use, and real-time information sharing to improve coordination, service delivery and public outcomes
6. Connect across the entire public sector: Build relationships with digital, data, and security leaders from central government, local government, emergency services, regulators, Crown agencies and more, all in one place
7. Choose your own experience across both summits: Move freely between the DigiGov and CyberGov streams to tailor your agenda, explore the sessions most relevant to your role, and gain a complete view of New Zealand’s digital and cyber priorities
