Connect the state is Digital Iceland's annual conference where the digital future of the public sector is the topic of discussion. The title of this year's conference is change management with a special emphasis on the implementation of digital services and processes.
The conference will take place on the 26th of September from 13-17 at the Hilton Nordica Hotel and will also be streamed.
Dave Rogers, Liz Whitfield, and Sara Bowley are keynote speakers at this year's conference, all of whom have been involved in and achieved great success in different and large-scale digital transformation projects in the UK government. More information about Dave, Liz, and Sara can be found below.
There will also be a number of interesting talks from organisations that have achieved success on their digital journey. The conference program ends with the Digital Steps of Institutions, where recognition will be given to the institutions that have taken digital leaps during the year in collaboration with Digital Iceland.
On the morning of the conference day, there will be 4 workshops focusing on services, IT, Ísland.is website, and finally on the benefits of digital transformation. Participants in the workshops are CEOs, service managers, and CTOs from organisations. The goal of the workshops is a purposeful contribution to the digital development that lies ahead in the coming months. The workshops are closed, but you can request access and information about the workshops by sending an email to island@island.is with the subject Connecting the State: Workshop.
The workshops will be from 10-12 on the morning of the conference, while the conference will be from 13-17.
The conference will take place at Hilton Nordica Hotel.
Pre-registration for the conference.
By pre-registering for the conference below, interested parties will receive an email before tickets go on general sale.
Ticket prices this year will be 7,900 for the conference and 2,900 for streaming. Ticket sales will start next week.
Keynote Speakers Connecting the State 2024
Dave Rogers is a cross-sector Partner at Public Digital, leading major engagements and providing expertise on digital leadership and technology.
He is an advisor on digital, technology, and organisational transformation, with leadership experience in digital delivery and user-centered service and policy design. He is also a technology specialist, with expertise in the design and delivery of software, data services, artificial intelligence, and cyber security. Dave has advised global governments and multinational companies, including the governments of Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and Madagascar; Arup, The Premier League, and BT. His role is to provide strategy advice, coaching, and facilitation to achieve benefits for end users alongside broader system or market impacts. Prior to joining Public Digital, Dave helped found the UK Ministry of Justice Digital team, growing it from just nine people to more than 1,300. As Chief Technology Officer, Dave helped transform justice in England and Wales through the delivery of technology and the application of user-centered design.
Liz Whitefield, an Executive Director, and co-founder of Hippo brings a wealth of experience and insight, particularly in understanding the challenges of delivery across public services. Hippo is an award-winning full-service digital services partner with a proven track record of delivering user-centered digital services for major public and private sector clients, including Health, Welfare, Education, and Justice. Founded in 2017, Hippo Digital is a Leeds-headquartered technology company that has grown from only six people to employ around 500 consultants across six UK locations.
Her 30 years of experience in the public sector included delivery, consultancy, and transformation roles, latterly in helping to embed digital capability across the Department for Work and Pensions. Liz played a pivotal role in establishing the first Digital Academy in the UK Public Sector which went on to support over 3000 delegates from across multiple government Departments. She has delivered services to improve the experience and support for end users and understands the key part building effective relationships with key stakeholders plays in any transformation
Sara Bowley is the Deputy Director for Digital Health and Disability Services at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) UK. She is responsible for transforming the Health Assessment Service.
Before joining the Civil Service this year, Sara was Delivery Director at the BBC leading digital transformation and delivery of products including iPlayer and Sounds. She was also part of the team at the Government Digital Service (GDS) that launched GOV.UK. She has over 25 years of experience working in digital across many different industries from commercial, public services, media, and charity sectors.
She is an outcome-focused leader who advocates for a human-centred approach to transforming digital public services. She is passionate about putting the user at the heart of the design and delivery process and building great teams empowered to deliver impact at scale.
