Lindsay Tanner is the Federal Member for Melbourne and the Minister for Finance and Deregulation in the Rudd Government.

Lindsay has been a member of the ALP for more than 30 years. He was first elected to the Australian Parliament in March 1993 and after his re-election in 1996 was made Shadow Minister for Transport.

Over the years, Lindsay has held a variety of Shadow Ministerial positions in portfolios including Consumer Affairs; Communications; Community Relations; and Finance.

Dr Nicholas Gruen has worked in a diverse range of public policy and other roles since 1981. He has worked as

• An economic policy adviser to two Federal Government Ministers - Treasurer John Dawkins (1991 to 1994) and Industry Minister John Button (1981, 83-85).
• An Associate Commissioner to the Productivity Commission (1994 - 1997) where he was Presiding Commissioner on one inquiry and an industry study and Associate Commissioner on five inquiries.
• Director of the Business Council of Australia's New Directions economic reform project from 1997 to 2000.
• CEO of Lateral Economics and Peach Discount Mortgage Broking since 2000.

Dr Gruen holds a PhD and BA Hons (First Class) from the ANU and a LLB Hons from Melbourne University. He has published in national and international academic journals on a range of issues, including tariff reform, competition policy, intellectual property, innovation in government and macro-economic policy.

He has been a regular columnist for the Australian Financial Review and the Courier Mail and has been a substantial contributor to Australia's thriving policy blog scene at Club Troppo. He has consulted to the Department of Finance and Deregulation on continuous improvement in regulation. He also directed Lateral Economics consulting to the Department's agency AGIMO on its online engagement trials. He was a member of the Government's 2008 Review into Australia's Innovation System.

He is Chairman of National Forum which hosts the popular Online Opinion website and is a board member of Sustainability Victoria.

He is Chair of the Government 2.0 Taskforce.

Mia Garlick is the Assistant Secretary for the Digital Economy branch at the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Her role involves the provision of high level policy advice to the Minister, Secretary and senior executive on a range of issues relating to the long-term direction of the Digital Economy. Mia joined the Department shortly upon her return to Australia from 5 years working in Silicon Valley. Her work in Silicon Valley included working at Google as Product Counsel for YouTube and several years as General Counsel for Creative Commons, a non-profit dedicated to enabling the flexible and authorised use of online material.

Senator Kate Lundy has represented the Australian Capital Territory in the Australian Federal Parliament since 1996. In that time she has had many portfolios in opposition including IT, Manufacturing, Consumer Affairs, Sport and Health Promotion. Senator Lundy is currently Chair of the Joint Standing Committee for the National Capital and External Territories. She is a long-standing member of the Senate Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee.

Senator Lundy has participated in every Senate Inquiry relating to telecommunications and Information Technology of the last thirteen years and continues to be a strong advocate for the use of digital technology and ICT innovation to strengthen and transform the economy for future growth and enhance social inclusion within society.

The Government's View

Dr Mayberry-Stewart, a native of Cleveland, Ohio started her career in Information Technology, which has taken her to work as an IT executive in two Fortune 20 companies, the largest healthcare hospital in the Country, and service in the public and private sectors. With a career spanning 30 years, which started as a Systems Engineer for the IBM Corporation, Melodie remains a top IT executive today. In May, 2007, Melodie was named by Governor Eliot Spitzer, to become the first female and black New York State Chief Information Officer and Director of the Office of Technology. As the Governor's top information technology advisor, Melodie, who is a member of the Governor's cabinet, develops, implements and oversees IT investments for IT for the State of New York, a $120 Billion enterprise with over 190,000 employees serving a statewide population of 19 Million. Her positions requires her to work with local and federal government agencies to better leverage technology to deliver state government services to citizens, businesses and visitors to the State.

USA Best Practice

Dr Andy Williamson is Director of the UK's Hansard Society's eDemocracy Programme. He has an extensive background in research and consultancy relating to digital media and social policy, with a focus on digital engagement, digital inclusion, online political communication and broadband strategy. Prior to moving to the UK, Andy was Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Government's Digital Strategy Advisory Group.

UK Best Practice

Laurence Millar is a widely regarded leader with 35 years experience in executive management, consulting and programme management in the public and private sector in New Zealand, Australia, Asia Pacific, USA and Europe. He was responsible for leadership of the New Zealand e-government programme from 2004, until he resigned from the position of Deputy Commissioner and New Zealand Government CIO in May 2009. His recent work in government includes the development and implementation of the New Zealand e-government strategy and oversight of government ICT expenditure and advice to Ministers on the major IT investment portfolio, totalling $2bn.

NZ Expert Insights

Fay Styman is the Assistant Commissioner, Strategic Communications Branch, in the Australian Taxation Office. The branch is responsible for developing priority marketing communications strategies to address and support compliance risks, corporate objectives and new policy initiatives. The branch includes the corporate market research centre, channel strategy and online marketing teams, and the access and diversity unit. A priority for the branch is to keep abreast of the social media technologies and how to use these tools to positively influence compliance behaviour. Prior to taking up her position in the ATO, Fay was Managing Director of her own communications consultancy company.

Case Study Presentation

Bobby Graham is the Director Web Publishing (Acting) at the National Library of Australia. Bobby has substantial experience in traditional and web publishing. She is an explorer and promoter who enjoys navigating through the new social media. She is interested in collaboration and shared communication in the scholarly publishing and library environments.

Case Study Presentation

Patrick McCormick is a principal policy adviser at the State Services Authority Public Policy and Organisation Review Division and is currently leading the development of a Victorian Public Service Innovation Action Plan.
Prior to joining the SSA in January, Pat worked as a senior consultant with the Nous Group and focused on information management and technology, organisational capability and strategy and public policy. Before relocating to Australia in 2006, Pat worked as a government CIO and ICT industry executive in the Boston area.

Expert Commentary

Gavin Atkinson has managed the strategic direction of government web initiatives and portals since 1996. He has deep international experience in understanding all facets of online service delivery. Gavin has advised Canadian government clients and trained government officials from Singapore, Hong Kong and China in web performance measurement. He worked at businesslink.gov.uk - the UK Government's business portal - for two years and is a former member of its senior management team. His Australian experience includes a whole of government portal strategy for the Queensland Government and heading its internet channel for four years. Gavin recently returned to Australia and established e-Government Results, a niche consultancy with clients already in the Australian Government.

UK Expert Insights

Drawing on more than a decade of experience as an internet professional, Damian Lewis is currently working on his thesis, “Online Strategies for Community Engagement: From Web 1.0 to Web 3.0" at the Queensland University of Technology. In 2007 he led a project team to research and develop an evidence-base about the use of Web 2.0 platforms to engage with the community. In 2008 he followed this up by leading the development of the Queensland Government's web strategy master plan for the QGCIO. His latest work has involved the development of a generic framework to deconstruct the customer experience of online public service delivery.

Case Study Presentation

Damien McCormack is an accessibility expert and manager of Vision Australia's online accessibility services. Seven years experience working with people who are blind or have low vision has evolved a passion and drive to make the world more accessible. In this time, Damien has worked with a large number of government departments, commercial organisations and educational institutions promoting accessibility and providing business and technical advice to enable them to meet their accessibility goals. Damien is also responsible for developing a living culture of accessibility within Vision Australia and experiences the challenges and rewards of delivering accessible outcomes daily.

Expert Advice

Bruce Thompson is Director, Spatial Information Infrastructure, State Government of Victoria, Australia. He is responsible for Victoria's whole-of-Government spatial information strategy and policies, and for the management of the Victoria's spatial information infrastructure. He is a member of the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC), a director of PSMA Australia, Australia's national spatial data provider, and the Deputy Chair of the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information

Case Study Presentation

Dionne Lew has been in Media and Communications for 21 years, working in various roles across a number of organisations, including the National Competition Council, V/Line and her most challenging role to date yet, VicRoads. At VicRoads she is currently Director of Corporate Communications. Dionne has studied broadly, including arts, law (but didn't finish it!), post-grad drama and coaching.

Case Study Presentation

Sally McIntyre is the Principal Online Adviser in the Department of Premier and Cabinet, where she undertakes key WoVG research and strategic projects, and provides advice to DPC and the Departments on emerging trends and issues in the Internet and Web 2.0 space. Sally currently chairs a cross government New Media working group to advise on Government's use of social media, video & mobile technologies, and was most recently working on the Victorian Government's Digital Media Strategy. Prior to the public service, Sally spent more than 15 years in the private sector in marketing and media.

State Government Insights

Margaret Manning is CEO of Reading Room an International agency specialising in Government and not for profit digital communications. With over 150 staff, Reading Room has offices in London, Canberra and Sydney. Reading Room works with organisations such as the Red Cross in Geneva, UNESCO in Paris, The Department of Education in London and the Australian National Audit Office in Canberra. Implementing peer to peer and social networking tools since 2000, Reading Room have also specialised in open source technologies including Word Press and Drupal. Margaret was voted Female Entrepreneur of the Year in the 2008 Fast Growth Business awards and named as one of the top 50 media people to watch in the ‘Courvoisier Future 500' in the Observer. In addition, Margaret was the winner in the Science & Technology section of the recent Lloyds TSB First Woman awards and has been highly commended in the Credit Suisse - National Business Awards for Entrepreneur of the Year. Reading Room was also shortlisted for the Blackberry - Best Company for advancing women in technology - in an impressive shortlist of Dell and Lloyds TSB. She has recently been awarded a place in the UK's top 100 most entrepreneurial women.

Social Media Workshop Facilitator

Sandra Wade joined the City of Melbourne in early 2007 coming to the City to lead the Future Melbourne Community Plan project team. She is the Coordinator of the Integrated Urban Planning Team. Sandra has over 20 years experience in Regional and Local Governments in New Zealand, Tasmania and Victoria working on a wide variety of community and land use projects including developing public consultation and engagement processes to help communities to create their futures

Case Study Presentation

Sally Rose is Blogger-in-Chief at Open Forum (www.openforum.com.au). Before joining Open Forum Sally was self employed as a freelance copywriter; and prior to that ran a small business in the jewellery industry. Sally holds a BA Philosophy & Religious Studies from Newcastle University. Not a techie by any stretch of the imagination, she is interested in finding ways to get the human element of Gov 2.0 right.

Expert Insights

With a background in consumer goods marketing, Craig Thomler has been involved in the development and implementation of internet-based services for almost fifteen years. Having worked in both established organisations and start-ups across several industries, Craig joined the Australian Public Service in late 2006. Previously responsible for managing the online channel for the Child Support Agency and DHS, he now works for the Department of Health and Ageing.Outside his official activities, Craig blogs personally on the topic of Government 2.0.

Expert Insights

Honoured by ISC2 as Senior IT Security Professional for 2009, Ajoy Ghosh has 17 years experience in ICT and business security as an architect, consultant and expert witness and is currently the Security Executive at Logica. He has been the expert witness in Australia's largest and politically sensitive corporate investigations, resulting in multi-billion dollar compensation with civil charges brought against the Directors and is routinely called to provide expert opinion in complex criminal cases. Mr Ghosh is the author/co-author of a number of Australian standards and advises a number of industry and government committees on information and protective security, including advising on regulation and legislation. Mr Ghosh lectures in cybercrime and computer forensics to post-graduate students in Law Faculties, is an accredited iRAP assessor and a Certified Information Security Systems Practitioner (CISSP).

Senior IT Security Professional