Ron Anderson
has been with EPS as the Chief Innovation and Technology Officer since 2019 and presently oversees the Innovation and Information Bureau which includes
Information Technology Division and Information and Analytics Division. Prior to his current role, Ron was an Assistant Deputy Minister at Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Corrections and Policing. He has also served on the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Information Communications & Technology Committee for 16 years and on Statistics Canada’s Criminal Justice Statistics Liaison Committee for 7 years representing the province of Saskatchewan. Ron has worked in the private sector in the Information Technology field and with the Prince Albert Police Service. In 2025, Ron was formally invested as a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, recognizing Ron’s exemplary leadership and transformative contributions to innovation and technology within law enforcement. Additionally, Ron received the CACP/Axon Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award for their pivotal role in leading the implementation of the Body Worn Video Redaction Partnership with Technology North. Ron is an active community member both locally and internationally through his volunteer work and as a board member for the Missing Children Society of Canada.
Vass Bednar
is the Managing Director of SHIELD.
Recognized as one of Canada’s sharpest policy minds, she is known for cutting through corporate jargon and bureaucratic inertia to ask the questions others won’t. With a career spanning think tanks, government, academia, and media, Vass has built a reputation as a fearless and independent voice on the policies that shape our daily lives. In 2020, she co-founded the Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program at McMaster University, where she also taught courses on policy design.
Vass is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a Fellow at the Public Policy Forum, and an advisor to both the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project and Social Capital Partners. She is the co-author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians and writes for the The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business where she focuses on the policies, technologies, and corporate forces that shape our everyday lives and economic futures.
Colin Bennett
is Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Fellow at the Center for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. For over thirty years, his research has focused on the comparative analysis of privacy protection policy at domestic and international levels. In addition to numerous scholarly and newspaper articles, he has published seven books on these subjects, including The Governance of Privacy (MIT Press, 2006), as well several policy reports for national and international agencies. His current work focusses on the importance of privacy for democratic rights, and on the capture and use of voters’ personal data by political parties in Western democracies.
Marc Gagné
Pamela Forward
is the president of the Whistleblowing Canada Research Society. She has had a varied career in business, health care and government (federal public service, advisor to federal cabinet Ministers, and candidate for public office). She also practiced as a Family and Workplace Mediator. She has been active in professional, community and political organizations throughout her career. Her interest in whistleblowing advocacy began in the 1990’s while working in the Federal Public Service. She recently completed an in-depth, qualitative case study on whistleblowing regarding drug safety issues at Health Canada. It highlighted many system flaws and shed light on why reprisals occur. This blend of knowledge and experience has stimulated an abiding interest in supporting conflict-friendly, ethical and accountable organizations. It also inspired the founding of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society.
Education: BA Political Science, MA Legal Studies, Graduate Certificate Conflict Resolution, formerly a Registered Nurse – speciality Mental Health.
Dawn Gallagher Murphy
serves as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Newmarket—Aurora (Ontario), having first been elected in June 2022 and re-elected in the 2025 provincial election.
Dawn is an active member of the Standing Committee on the Interior and the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, and she also serves as Vice-Chair of the Ontario section of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, where she advocates for Ontario’s Francophone communities on the national and international stage.
Dawn has championed several major initiatives at Queen’s Park, including a groundbreaking motion on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in government.
Before entering politics, Dawn spent more than 25 years in the secure payments industry, including 15 years as the head of her own consulting firm. She held leadership roles developing bilingual solutions for digital card payment technologies, working with major Canadian banks and clients across North America. Her expertise helped usher in innovations in mobile payments, chip cards, and contactless transactions, building trust and security in the digital economy.
Antoine Guilmain
is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Montréal office where he co-leads the firm’s national Cyber Security and Data Protection Law Group and serves as a member of its Technology Group.
With an international background in Canada, the United States, and Europe, including high-level experience at one of the largest US technology companies, Antoine provides strategic and operational advice on a range of data protection and cyber security issues. His practice encompass privacy, European data protection regulation (GDPR), anti-spam compliance, risk management and cyber security compliance, access to information and consumer protection, among other areas.
Harnessing this broad experience, he routinely supports clients in the design and deployment of emerging technologies, including with respect to artificial intelligence automation, the monetization of megadata, immersion through virtual and augmented reality and connectivity through the Internet of Things or the metaverse.
In the realm of AI, Antoine helps clients anticipate and address the distinct legal implications of integrating intelligent systems into their operations. From drafting AI-focused contractual terms to advising on the accountability of AI-driven decisions, he ensures that businesses mitigate risk while staying ahead of regulatory requirements and ethical considerations. His guidance extends across industries, helping organizations manage the complexities of data governance and liability as they incorporate AI into both customer-facing products and internal systems.
Antoine holds two PhD’s in Information Technology Law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and from the University of Montréal
Grace Hessian David
is the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Saskatchewan.
Ms. Hession David graduated from the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan in 1985. She completed a Master’s degree at Western University and then articled with the law firm of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP in Toronto in 1989. She clerked for Justice Moldaver at the Ontario Superior Court before joining the Ontario Securities Commission as their first tribunal Adjudicative Counsel. She then served as legal counsel supervising corporate governance for Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in the Equity Division. In 2011 she joined the Ontario Attorney General in Toronto and prosecuted fraud and other criminal organization matters involving Part VI Criminal Code applications and wiretaps. She has been active with the Canadian Bar Association criminal justice section in Ontario and Saskatchewan and was employed with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General in Regina, in their appellate office prior to assuming the position of Commissioner. She is the co-author of Prosecuting and Defending Fraud Cases published by Emond Publications, third edition.
Milad Khani
is a foreign-trained lawyer and legal professional with experience in legal compliance, regulatory analysis, and policy development. He is skilled in interpreting and applying privacy legislation and has advised a wide range of clients, including those in healthcare product manufacturing, oil and gas, hospitality, food and beverage, IT, and trading. His work includes conducting legal research, advising on risk, and drafting governance documentation. He is experienced in communicating complex concepts to diverse stakeholders and managing confidential information with discretion.
Milad holds an LL.M. in Law and Technology from the University of Ottawa, with research focused on Canadian privacy law, cybersecurity, and data governance. He is the recipient of the 2025 Deirdre G. Martin Memorial Privacy Law Award and is a current member of the PACC.
Marc Alexandre Ladouceur
is a Media Education Specialist, and responsible for creating resources for educators, parents and community groups and for conducting outreach activities with French language schools, school boards, education ministries, faculties of education and community organizations across Canada. He holds a Master’s Degree in Theology, as well as Bachelors’ in Education and Theology. Marc Alexandre has previously worked as a teacher in the Ontario and Alberta school systems, as a facilitator in Ontario schools and as an editor and translator.
Lisa LeVasseur
Kasie Lewis-Graham
Kurt Martin
brings over 26 years of policing experience across frontline operations, major investigations, and executive leadership. As Acting Superintendent of the Information & Analytics Division, he provides strategic leadership in information management and technology operations across the justice sector. He oversees the division’s three branches—Information Governance, Police Information Access, and Intelligence & Analytics—ensuring coordinated delivery of technical initiatives.
Throughout his career, Kurt has led transformational projects that redefined investigative workflows and digital evidence management. His leadership was pivotal in:
- Records Management System (RMS) and Digital Evidence Management System deployments, including body-worn video integration, from proof of concept through full service-wide rollout
- NicheUA transition—one of EPS’s largest organizational changes—overseeing team building, training for 2,500+ members, and strategic decision-making under tight timelines.
- Advanced digital-note initiatives to reduce administrative burden and enhance investigative quality.
Kurt’s expertise spans policy development, training design, and inter-agency collaboration. He co-developed detective training programs and has presented nationally on investigative innovation, drawing on experience in Forensics and Homicide. Known for systems thinking and strong problem-solving, he transforms complex challenges into scalable, user-focused solutions that enhance public trust and operational efficiency.
Caroline Maynard
is the Information Commissioner of Canada.
Since her appointment in 2018, Caroline Maynard has advocated for an efficient and responsive access to information system while investigating thousands of complaints and pursuing litigation to enforce the law and uphold the right of access.
Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Maynard worked as a lawyer and senior executive. She was the Interim Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Military Grievances External Review Committee, where she also served as Director General of Operations and General Counsel for 11 years. Earlier in her career, she was Legal Counsel in the Office of the Judge Advocate General at National Defence and with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee. She also worked with the Canada Revenue Agency and in private practice.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1994. A native of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, she lives in the National Capital Region with her family.
Diane McLeod
was appointed Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta on August 1, 2022. She is Alberta’s fourth Information and Privacy Commissioner.
For more than 25 years, Diane has been committed to helping governments, health care providers and businesses protect the access to information and privacy rights of citizens, patients and customers. Most recently, she served as Yukon’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, along with the roles of Ombudsman and Public Interest Disclosure Commissioner. In these roles, she helped to grow the offices, supported a culture of compliance across government and healthcare, and upheld individuals’ rights.
Prior to her experience in the Yukon, Diane worked at the OIPC including as the Director of PIPA. She also worked in private practice in British Columbia supporting clients in complying with access and privacy laws, and for the former Calgary Health Region where she was responsible for the administration of FOIP and HIA. Diane has also been a member of a clinical medical research ethics board evaluating privacy risks in research proposals.
Diane obtained her law degree from the University of Victoria in 2009 and has been called to the bars of British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon.
As Information and Privacy Commissioner, one of Diane’s priorities is to ensure access and privacy rights are prioritized in Alberta’s efforts to diversify the economy through data-driven innovations. This includes advocating for modernized access to information and privacy laws that enable digitization across Alberta’s public, health and private sectors while safeguarding the rights of Albertans.
Toby Mendel
is the founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy, a Canadian-based international human rights NGO which provides legal and capacity building expertise regarding foundational rights for democracy, including the right to information, freedom of expression, the right to participate and the rights to freedom of assembly and association. Prior to that, he was for over 12 years Senior Director for Law at ARTICLE 19, an international human rights NGO focusing on freedom of expression and the right to information.
He has collaborated extensively with inter-governmental actors working in these areas – including the World Bank, UNESCO, the UN and other international rapporteurs on freedom of expression, the OSCE and the Council of Europe – as well as numerous governments and NGOs in countries all over the world.
Before joining ARTICLE 19, he worked as a senior human rights consultant with Oxfam Canada and as a human rights policy analyst at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He is the author of a large number of articles, monographs and books on a range of freedom of expression, right to information and communication rights issues, including several books published by UNESCO.
Adam Molnar
is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, where he is also primary investigator on a five-year SSHRC-funded project, “Understanding the Risks and Regulation of Workplace Surveillance in Canada’s Digital Economy.”
As homes have become offices, and laptops and smartphones are used for business, school, and entertainment, the increasing surveillance of ‘remote workplaces’ complicates boundaries between work and personal spaces.
Adam has conducted similar interdisciplinary projects on the use, risks, and regulation of consumer spyware, and investigates the emergence of new surveillance technologies and analyse techniques in practices of law enforcement and security intelligence.
Sharon Polsky
is president of the Privacy & Access Council of Canada, and the host of the 2026 Privacy & Data Governance Congress
Jennifer Quaid
is the Executive Director of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX).
Aany Vital Ramos
is a mutlilingual, highly motivated, and community-oriented 16-year-old high school student and youth leader dedicated to public service, youth advocacy, and mental health. She has served as a Mental Health Champion and an active member of the CHEO National Youth Forum, contributing to youth mental health initiatives such as Kids These Days and co-hosting CHEO’s mental health launch on YouTube. She volunteers with CHEO Hospital, the CHEO Research Institute, and Perley Health Retirement Home, supporting both pediatric care and senior wellness.
As the Logistics Coordinator for PuMP (Prospective Medical Professionals), Aany connects youth with healthcare and data governance opportunities through partnerships and guest speaker outreach. Nationally, she has served as an SDG Facilitator with Children First Canada, participating in G7 Youth Data Privacy Discussions.
Most recently, Aany was selected as one of the youth voices for the Actua National Girls Program Roundtable, contributing to national conversations on digital literacy, online safety, and equitable access to technology. A strong advocate for digital and data privacy, she is committed to empowering youth to navigate an increasingly digital world safely and responsibly. A high-achieving student who qualified for OFSAA in both cross-country and swimming, she also works as a certified lifeguard, swim instructor, and tutor for neurodivergent children. Across all her work, Aany remains dedicated to strengthening youth privacy awareness and promoting the well-being of young people across Canada.
Niki Sharma K.C.
is British Columbia’s Deputy Premier and Attorney General, serving as MLA for Vancouver-Hastings since 2020. As Attorney General, she has been a national leader in public safety and justice reform, championing changes that make communities safer. Under her leadership, B.C. successfully pushed for national bail reform, introducing tougher standards and reverse-onus provisions to keep repeat and violent offenders off the streets. She has also advanced stronger protections against online exploitation, led efforts to hold multinational corporations accountable for harmful practices, and is working to create a better legal system for victims of gender-based and intimate-partner violence.
A lawyer by profession, Niki’s practice focused on representing Indigenous peoples, including residential school survivors. She is a strong advocate for reconciliation, climate action, and equity, and has been recognized for her work combatting racism and advancing community development.
Raised in Sparwood, B.C., Niki now lives in East Vancouver with her two children and is committed to building a safer, fairer, and more inclusive province.
Harriet Solloway
is the Public Secgtor Integrity Commissioner for Canada
Lisa Switzman
is an Emergency Room physician and Co-chair of the Governance Transformation Task Force at the Ontario Medical Association
Valerie Steeves
is a Full Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa. She was the lead researcher of Young Canadians in a Wired World from 2001 to 2022 and is the principal investigator of The eQuality Project, a cross-sectoral partnership looking at young people’s experiences of privacy, surveillance and equality in networked spaces.
