Democracy is being disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century

The founder and chief executive officer of the Cognoscenti Group, a political and strategic risk consultancy, Alan DuPont is one of Australia’s best-known strategists, Asianists and thought leaders. He has worked extensively at the interface of business, finance, security and politics and has held several advisory and board positions. Alan has an international reputation for his research and commentary on international affairs, geopolitical risk, defence and national security and he has been an advisor to several Australian ministers of defence and foreign affairs.

Following 25 years of service in government as an army officer, defence intelligence analyst and diplomat, Alan distinguished himself as an academic entrepreneur, teacher and scholar and was recently named by the Australian Financial Review as one of Australia’s leading strategists.

Alan is the opening speaker at Democracy IS Being Disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century, with a panel of five experts in smart governance and democratic innovation and digital transformation for democracy.

Tom Burton is a highly recognised publisher, digital leader and corporate affairs executive with sophisticated media, digital, marketing, communications and regulatory experience and contacts working in top-level commercial, government and global NGO enterprises. Deep understanding of media, telco, IT and internet sectors.

Tom is acting as the chair of Democracy IS Being Disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century, with a panel of five experts in smart governance and democratic innovation and digital transformation for democracy.

Elizabeth Tydd is the NSW Information Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC). She has been a key advisor on the National Action Plan for Open Government in Australia convening information commissioners across the country to coordinate their input into the plan.

Elizabeth is a panelist in Democracy IS Being Disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century, as part of a panel of five experts in smart governance and democratic innovation and digital transformation for democracy.

Daryl Karp is currently the director of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House where she has doubled the visitation in three years and given voice to tens of thousands of visitors through large-scale participatory collaborations, interactive experiences and targeted research. She combines over 20 years’ experience as a CEO and senior manager in broadcast and digital media. Her work in non-fiction narrative and consumer engagement leads to commercial, community and educational outcomes. She has worked across public, private and government sectors enabling high performance work environments.

Daryl is a panelist in Democracy IS Being Disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century, as part of a panel of five experts in smart governance and democratic innovation and digital transformation for democracy.

Iain Walker holds a master's in public policy from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from UTS. His career has spanned commercial roles in professional sport at the PGA Tour and Golf Australia and time in the technology industry at Microsoft Australia. Iain is a panelist in Democracy IS Being Disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century, as part of a panel of five experts in smart governance and democratic innovation and digital transformation for democracy.

Amelia Loye is the founder and managing director of engage2. For more than 15 years, Amelia has helped governments in Australia, New Zealand and Canada to engage the people and organisations they represent, serve and govern in policymaking, planning and service design. Amelia was recently invited to speak to the United Nations Economic and Social Council about public participation in government and society.

Formerly executive director at MiVote, Jamie Skella is the co-founder of Horizon State, an Australian startup redesigning how societies can be engaged and make collective decisions using distributed ledger technology. A technologist and foresight strategist, Jamie has spent 20 years in the design, building and advising of emerging technology businesses working across smart cities, IoT, virtual reality, and machine learning. A public speaker with a bent for intelligent optimism and the conscious design of our future, he is considered one of Australia’s foremost authorities on blockchain’s applications for social good.

With Horizon State’s ever-solidifying role to play in establishing new levels of trust in government, he presents often on the opportunity to utilise blockchain for social good and civic improvement - everywhere from United Nations HQ in NYC to mayors' forums in South East Asia. Jamie has been invited as one of twenty-five individuals to join the BMW Foundation Global Table in Norway, seated beside 24 leaders from EU national parliaments, multinational corporations, and international organisations. Together they will be working to strengthen democratic processes, improve community dialogue, and shrink the gap between government and citizen.

Jamie is a panelist in Democracy is Being Disrupted: Governing in the 21st Century, as part of a panel of five experts in smart governance and democratic innovation and digital transformation for democracy.