The e-Government Forum at CeBIT Australia 2008 was a resounding success. Here is a sample of the world renowned speakers that gave our delegates cutting edge presentations about the key topics and latest trends:

Session 1 - Connected Government

Graham Fry was appointed to his current role in April 2008. The role oversees a range of whole of government programs such as addressing the ICT skills shortage, enhancing ICT investment management in Australian Government projects, addressing emerging technology trends and enabling safe, efficient e-business activity between business and government.

Prior to his current role, Graham worked at the Attorney-General’s Department, where his Group delivered over 400 medium and large projects, such as a whole-of-government secure gateway, ComLaw (a Web-based registration and search site for Commonwealth Acts and regulations), the Australian Disaster Information Network (AUSDIN) portal and the ICT systems and infrastructure for the National Security Hotline.

Lindsay Tanner is the Minister for Finance and Deregulation and has represented the seat of Melbourne in the House of Representatives since March 1993.

Prior to being appointed as a Minister in the Rudd government, Lindsay served as Shadow Minister for Finance and Deregulation and had also held portfolio responsibilities in Consumer Affairs, Transport, Communications and Community Relationships.

From 1988 until entering the Federal Parliament, Lindsay was State Secretary of the Federated Clerks Union (Victorian Branch) which is now part of the Australian Services Union and represents the interests of represents clerical workers in a wide range of industries. He was previously Assistant Secretary of the Union and also worked for three years as an articled clerk and solicitor with Holding Redlich.

Lindsay holds Bachelors degrees in Arts and Laws, a Masters of Arts degree and has written and published numerous books and articles covering a broad spectrum of social, labour, transport and economic issues.

Lindsay’s 1999 book Open Australia provoked significant debate both inside and outside the Labor Party and featured on The Australian’s non-fiction best seller list.

He is also the author of The Last Battle (1996) and co-author of The Politics of Pollution (1978).

Lindsay’s most recent book is Crowded Lives which was published in 2003.

José is currently the eGovernment Lead at W3C. Prior to joining W3C, José was the Manager for the W3C Spain Office for three years and also served as the Advisory Committee Representative for CTIC (host of the Spain Office).

José has broad experience in project management, software integration, customer relationship, PR and IT consultancy. He received Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Masters degree in Enterprise Application Integration, both from the University of Oviedo, where he also worked at its Research and Innovation departments as a researcher, developer and lecturer. He also worked previously as consultant and even founded his own Web company back in 1997.

Ann was appointed to the role of Australian Government Chief Information Officer in July, 2005. In this role Ann is also General Manager of the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), a group within the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

Ann has held a number of senior strategic policy development and managerial positions in the ICT public service sector including: General Manager, IT Planning and Refresh, in Centrelink’s IT Group (2003 – 2005), Principal Adviser, e-Strategy, the National Office of the Information Economy (2002 – 2003) and Director of e-Government, UK Government (1998 – 2002).

Ann has over 20 years public sector experience in Australia and the UK and has participated in OECD, G8 and UC forums aimed at driving change in ICT business transformation and integrated electronic service delivery. Ann holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Canberra.

Topic: ICT in Government: The Way Forward!

Synopsis: Ann Steward will discuss the future for e-Government in Australia and a new model of public administration for the 21st century. In the context of a new federal government Ms Steward will discuss the efficient application of ICT in the public sector and how collaboration, cooperation, interoperability, reuse, and efficiency underpin the effective application of ICT to government service delivery.

Session 2 - Collaborative, Transparent and Sustainable Government

Bruce McCabe is a global thought leader in technology and business innovation. The Managing Director of S2 Intelligence Pty Ltd, which he founded in 2002, Bruce has conducted pioneering research into emerging information technologies and their application in business since 1995. He has authored more than 300 essays, columns and research papers.

Based in Sydney, Bruce’s independent analysis has informed 90 of Australia’s top 100 corporations, and state and Federal governments. He is currently retained as an advisor to Westpac Banking Corporation and Fairfax Media Ltd.

Bruce is a prolific commentator and contributor to public debate. His comments on the future of information technology appear weekly in the media. He has delivered over 400 presentations in the United States, Europe, Japan, China, South¬East Asia, and Australasia.

Bruce is committed to raising the profile of Australian computer science. He maintains relationships with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, National ICT Australia, and a variety of universities, Cooperative Research Centres and commercial R & D labs.

Bruce has a PhD in Computer Science and is a Research Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney.

Topic: Computer Science, Sustainability and The Future

Synopsis: Dr Bruce McCabe will examine the vital roles information technologies will play in delivering sustainable economies over the coming decade. He will use this to highlight the emerging opportunities for governments, and where innovative approaches from the public sector will make the biggest differences.

Dr Karl Mallon has been working in climate change mitigation and adaptation issues since pre-Kyoto. His work and that of his team at Climate Risk Pty Ltd is consistently regarded as expansive, insightful and accessible, using new ways of thinking as a bridge between climate science and practical decision making.

Karl was trained in physics in the UK and holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Melbourne. Karl has been a member of the CSIRO’s Energy Futures Forum, a director of the Australian Wind Energy Association. Karl’s work on the impacts of climate change include from the World Bank through to local councils in South East Queensland.

His recent publications include ‘Renewable Energy Policy and Politics: A Handbook for Decision Making’ published by Earthscan in London, A High Bandwidth Low carbon Future published by the Telstra Corporation and the internationally acclaimed ‘Bird Species and Climate Change: A Global Status Report’ which has become a key text for undergraduate climate change courses in Australia. Karl is currently working with the insurance sector on climate change risk management and adaptive products.

Topic: Telecommunications and the Environment

Presentation Title: Carbon Copy: Using Telecommunications to Displace Emissions

Synopsis: The presentation will look at ground breaking work commissioned by the Telstra Corporation about how telecommunications networks and technology can be used to enhance productivity at a fraction of the carbon footprint.

Mark has extensive experience in software development and commercialisation together with strengths in executive leadership, technology development, organisational change and market development.

Mark’s previous experience at Extensia as the sole director and CEO of the company demonstrated his strong strategic leadership in new technologies, project services and industry thought leadership in enabling healthcare organisations to collaboratively develop new services on the back of a shared health record network.

As CEO of DSTC, Mark demonstrated excellence in his track record with linking innovation research to market adoption. He was also responsible for the Global Professional Services project for an International vendor of commercial software bringing together staff in Ireland, Italy, North America and Australia.

He draws from working with a wide range of industry leaders including health technology, telecommunications, commerce, manufacturing, and research & development. He has over 25 years experience in the IT&T industry and has extensive experience in all areas of IT&T, including the development and management of major projects.

Topic: e-Health – The Way of the Future

Synopsis: This presentation will provide an overview and update on the e-health revolution in Australia.

Specific points for discussion are: E-health on the global agenda; The principles behind e-health; NEHTA’s role in securing e-health for Australians; The benefits of e-health.

Session 3 - Real World Web 1

Kim Denham is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Computer Society. She joined the ACS in February 2008, keen to leverage 20 years experience in ICT to help grow both the Society and the wider ICT sector.

Ms Denham was previously the Information Systems Manager of chemical and fertiliser manufacturer, CSBP, and has also held senior management roles with Ericsson Australia, West Australian Newspapers and Tourism Western Australia. She has a firm belief in the talent and promise of Australia’s ICT industry and a long-term commitment to driving industry development, demonstrated through the many voluntary roles she has held over the years with the ACS, ACS Foundation, ICT Industry Collaboration Centre, Curtin University, Information Industry Forum, WAITTA and ATUG.

Her wide mix of experience spanning government, business and the community, along with her passion for the industry has helped to build her reputation as insightful, collaborative, energetic and results-oriented. She has enjoyed a distinguished career and is an outstanding role model for young women working in ICT, earning a place in the finals of the 2006 Telstra Business Women’s Awards in WA.

Title of Presentation: e-Government’s role in our global future

Synopsis: e-Government enables greater accessibility and efficiency in the delivery of public services. It also creates great impact on how we conduct our business, work and personal life. Kim will present her observation of some interesting trends, explain how a trustworthy environment can make the globe a better place and discuss how an e-Government portal can improve Australia’s international competitiveness.

Greg has had the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of information technology and telecommunications in education and training nationally and internationally.

Greg as a Chief Executive Officer provides leadership and direction in the development, enhancement, standards and use of online distributed and managed national education network services. His current work involves oversight of a number of major national education and business projects.

Greg was a Chief Executive in the Western Australian and South Australian governments from 1987-2004. He has been the Director General of Education in Western Australia and head of the Department of Further Education Employment Science and Technology in South Australia. His Board memberships have included that of education.au, Curriculum Corporation, Australian University Quality Authority, state Higher Education Councils, Australian Education Systems Officials Committee and Australian National Training Authority CEOs. Greg has also advised governments in the UK and Malaysia on their education and training systems.

Gregs most recent work, prior to joining education.au has involved futures thinking in education, business strategies and leadership development, and international education and executive coaching.

Topic: Social Networking in Education

Lisa Romano has had extensive experience in the media working for a range of broadcasters and publishers.

She currently manages interactive projects for ABC Innovation’s Strategic Development team including an interactive TV application for young teens called Roco iTV, which recently won an AIMIA Award. She is also project managing the ABC’s latest broadband video project, ABC Playback.

Part of her role in the Strategic Development team is to oversee ABC's presence in the virtual world, Second Life. In the year since it launched, the ABC Island has already garnered a wide audience and is currently ranked in the top five global brands in Second Life.

In previous years she has managed a variety of large-scale cross-media projects for television. She launched a number of interactive television and digital projects for Arena TV, The LifeStyle Channel, as well as websites and email marketing campaigns for channels including Channel 9, LifeStyle Food, Max and XYZnetworks.

Her projects have received international recognition including a Cannes Cyber Lion for Website - Creating Community, (France) 2001, a BDA Promax Award in 2002 for Best Multimedia Campaign and Innovation in Production (Rich Media) for ABC Island Second life in 2007.

Topic: ABC Island in Second Life - What Have They Learnt?

Topic: One of the ABC’s core principles is to reach audiences wherever they are and to pursue opportunities for innovation. The ABC identified Second Life as one new platform worth exploring. They created a presence in Second Life to learn about virtual worlds and how to build a community in this rapidly growing 3D environment. Find out what they've learnt, 12 months on.

Malcolm Crompton is Managing Director of Information Integrity Solutions P/L, advising private and public sector organisations on building trust through the way they collect and use personal information. He is also a Director of Bellberry Limited, a private not-for-profit organisation that provides health ethics committee services.

IIS has advised Australian Government departments and agencies, Australian financial services institutions and many of the leading global ICT companies, often through Privacy Impact Assessments or strategic thought leadership.

He was Australia’s Privacy Commissioner for five years until April 2004. He led the implementation of Australia’s private sector privacy law. Malcolm has advised APEC regularly on implementation of the APEC privacy framework, including leading seminars in 2005 and 2007.

He is also a member of the Board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Academic Advisory Board, the global External Advisory Board of the IBM Privacy Institute and the Reference Group for the Privacy and Identity Management for Europe (PRIME) project. He has been a member of a number of international privacy award judging panels.

In the previous 20 years, Malcolm held senior executive positions in the Australian Public Service. He has degrees in Chemistry and Economics. His work was recognised in 2004 when he was awarded the inaugural Chancellor’s Medal for distinguished contribution to the Australian National University.

Topic: Privacy Challenges in a Networked World

Synopsis: There are many risks that contribute to, or can undermine, trust in the networked world. They include the obvious such as transaction fulfilment or privacy. But when people say they don’t trust an organization, they are actually worrying about something deeper. Addressing these concerns is critical when people interact with government or elsewhere. A powerful new perspective based on addressing Risk, Control and Accountability will be presented.

Session 4 - Real World Web 2

Sven Bluemmel is the Director of Strategy and Policy in the Office of e-Government in the Western Australian Department of the Premier & Cabinet. Sven has been working in the area of ICT and electronic service delivery for most of his career, and has a passion for ensuring that government uses technology wisely to deliver improved outcomes for citizens and business.

Prior to his current position, Sven practised e-business, banking and privacy law in the Melbourne office of Clayton Utz, a leading national law firm. He has previously held senior positions in the federal government, both in the Information and Security Law division of the federal Attorney-General's Department and in the Online Services division of the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business. He has also practised law in Perth, advising local ICT companies on the full range of legal issues affecting their business.

Sven has been a guest lecturer at the Australian National University and the University of Canberra. He has contributed to a book titled e-Business: Law and Management and has written and presented on numerous legal and policy topics throughout his career. Sven holds a Bachelor of Laws with honours and a Bachelor of Science with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Physics, both from the Australian National University in Canberra.

Sven currently heads up a team responsible for e-government policy and strategy across the Western Australian public sector.

Topic: Western Australian Shared Land Information Platform (SLIP): Effective e-Government Through Collaboration

Synopsis: Sven Bluemmel will give an overview of the Shared Land Information Platform (SLIP) in Western Australia focussing particularly on the role which collaboration played in its successful development, and the important lessons which this provides for all forms of government online service delivery. Sven will also look at some of the challenges facing the delivery of spatial information by government in the future.

Panel Discussion: Virtual Government: The Impact of New Technologies on the Government

Dr Bruce McCabe (Lead); Mr Greg Black; Ms Lisa Romano; Mr Malcolm Crompton; Ms Kim Denham; Dr Jim Macnamara; Mr Emmanuel Rodriquez

Jacqui Begbie is the Director of Web Policy - Australian Government Information Management Office in the Department of Finance and Deregulation. Jacqui is responsible for developing future strategy and policy for the Australian Governments web presence and how the government uses new technologies to connect with its citizens and improve efficiency and effectiveness. Jacqui also manages the .gov.au domain space, web publishing the Australian government style publication. In the last few months Jacqui has concentrated on a policy and strategy for the Australian Governments Consultation forum.

Jacqui has a strategic management background working in e-commerce for Phillips Electronics, Macquarie Bank and News Corporation, leading the development of some prominent websites. With qualifications in marketing and business, Jacqui is currently completing her final thesis for her Masters of Science in Strategic Foresight at Swinburne University of Technology.