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Location: Media Studio - Blue Level, HQ1-B-640
Lessons learned from industry and countries on how digital governments can accelerate the post-pandemic recovery. Three industry and country experts, from the private sector, the OECD and Saudi Arabia, will share their respective experience on how GovTech has the potential to promote faster recovery from the economic crisis.
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Barbara Ubaldi Head of Digital Government and Data Unit, OECD |
Barbara Ubaldi is the Head of the Digital Government and Data Unit in the Division on Open and Innovative Governments within the OECD Public Governance Directorate. Barbara leads the work on digital technologies and data to enhance openness, efficiency and innovation in governments. She is responsible for country reviews, for monitoring the implementation of the OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies and for the OECD OURdata Index and Digital Government Index. Barbara served for eight years as Programme Officer within the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. She gathered extensive experience working on digital government, ICT and knowledge management for development. A Fulbright Scholar, Barbara holds a M.S. on Public Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. Apolitical listed Barbara among the 2018 and 2019 TOP 20 most influential figures on Digital Government worldwide.
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Fil Lekkas Head of International Consulting Team, PUBLIC |
Fil Lekkas leads PUBLIC's International Team working across Ventures and Transformation. In Ventures, he is leading the launch of GovMarket, PUBLIC’s public procurement joint venture in Germany, and has served as Chief of Staff to the Microtest CEO post-acquisition. In Transformation, he leads PUBLIC's international advisory offering, and has delivered technology discovery projects for local and central government clients across the UK, including the Ministry of Justice and the Welsh Government. His sectoral experience spans digital health, education, business-facing public services, and public procurement & administrative processes.
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Turki Almana Managing Director, Investments, Digital Government Authority |
Turki Almana is an executive leader driven by outcomes with +19 years of proven records in leadership, organization building, strategies, investments, partnership & alliances, market growth (organically & non-organic), sales and business development, P&L, and strategic negotiation.
Turki assumed many roles during his career including MD Investments at Digital Government Authority, VP Digital Investments at E-Gov program (Yesser), VP TechMahindra KSA – KWT – BH Cluster, Executive Director ICT – Advanced Electronics Company (PIF Company); Director KSA – NOKIA.
Mr. Almana spends a lot of time studying new technologies, market development, SMEs & startups, sustainability and SDGs. He is the author of Saudi Sustainable Digital Investments Framework in collaboration between Digital Government Authority and ITU.
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Herve Tourpe Chief Digital Advisor, IMF |
Herve Tourpe leads the efforts to provide an unbiased expertise to the IMF Member Countries on the opportunities and risks of transformative technologies such as Fintech, AI, Blockchain, Big Data, or cloud, especially for emerging and low-income countries. Mr. Tourpe is an expert in national digital strategies, with a particular focus on financial inclusion, sustainable development, digital payment and CBDC.
