AI and accountability: Building trustworthy automation in the Canadian public sector

Alexandra is the Director of External Data Services within the Privacy and Responsible Data team at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. She and her team are responsible for the ongoing development and management of the Open Government Portal. Alexandra is passionate about “telling the data story” and has spent most of her public service career in performance measurement. She has previously held various leadership positions with Employment and Social Development Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from Carleton University.

Maher Mamhikoff has over 20 years of experience in data analytics and insights as Director of Data, AI & Performance at Global Affairs Canada. He is Canada’s foremost expert on Development Finance and is a governing member of the International Forum on TOSSD hosted by the OECD. Since 2019, Maher has been enhancing the GAC’s capacity to apply data science and artificial intelligence solutions to G&Cs data, he is currently deploying AI solutions as part of a landmark initiative to modernize grants and contributions projects. His portfolio includes various machine learning, Agentic and GenAI implementations. Maher holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Ottawa and certificates in Applied Data Science and AI from MIT.

Christine Jackson is the Executive Director for the Canadian Public Sector at SAS, where she leads the company’s business development and sales teams while setting the strategic direction for municipal, provincial, and federal government customers. Christine focuses on partnering with public sector organizations to leverage cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud analytics, data management, and data visualization. Through these efforts, Christine helps governments unlock the full potential of their data to make better, data-driven decisions that improve services for citizens. Christine is a customer champion, always working to understand the unique challenges faced by her clients. By fostering collaborative relationships and advocating for solutions that address real-world problems, she ensures that SAS’s offerings align with the specific needs of government organizations. Whether it’s improving operational efficiency, enhancing public safety, or tackling complex data challenges, Christine brings an unwavering commitment to delivering results that matter. In addition to her professional expertise, Christine is committed to advancing women’s leadership and promoting educational equity. A proud alumnus of the first graduating class of Calgary Girls Charter School, Christine has a personal connection to the school’s mission. As Chair of the Board, she leads initiatives that support the school’s commitment to empowering young girls through education. Under her leadership, the board has focused on fostering an inclusive, sustainable, and innovative learning environment where students are encouraged to pursue their passions and to be anything. Christine is a strong believer in the principle that empowered women empower women, and she dedicates a significant portion of her time to advocating for and leading programs that support the development of future female leaders. Christine holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in International Business from Carleton University and a Master of Business Administration in Management Analytics from the University of Calgary.

Jack is Global Government Forum’s Senior Staff Writer and Community Co-ordinator, and is a journalist, cartoonist and podcaster. After training in financial journalism at City University from 2013 until 2014, Jack worked at Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, afterwards moving into editing magazines on global trade and development finance. Shortly after editing opinion writing for UnHerd, he joined the independent think tank ResPublica, where he led a media campaign to change the health and safety requirements around asbestos in UK public buildings. As host and producer of The Booking Club podcast – a conversation series featuring prominent authors and commentators at their favourite restaurants – Jack engages today’s most distinguished thinkers on the biggest problems pertaining to ideology and power in the 21st century. He graduated from Heythrop College London in 2009 with a BA in philosophy. He lived in China for three years where he worked as a freelance reporter.