AI and Canada’s Productivity Puzzle: Cracking the code to unlock investment

As the managing partner of Government & Public Services (GPS), James is dedicated to helping public service organizations prepare for a prosperous and inclusive future. With his team, he serves clients across all levels of government, as well as Crown corporations, boards, commissions, and higher education institutions.

With over 20 years of experience as a trusted executive advisor, James has a strong appreciation of the challenges that government stewards face to balance environmental, economic, and social objectives with the need for robust policy as these priorities converge. He understands the strategic shifts that are shaping citizen expectations and the important role that public service renewal plays in creating sustainable and meaningful service delivery experiences. A strategist and a collaborator, he has a track record of supporting executive teams with implementing their mandates and driving change agendas to improve public outcomes.

Nihar is a Partner in Omnia AI, Deloitte’s artificial intelligence (AI) practice. He leads the practice’s Government & Public Services industry team. Nihar specializes in implementing technology solutions and building analytics strategies. He has worked with organizations across Asia, North America, and South America to deliver data-driven insights through analytics and AI. Nihar works with public sector corporations, as well as the federal and provincial governments, to solve complex problems using analytics, AI, innovation, and leading technologies to drive both economic and social impact. He has a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Oxford and a Master of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Nadia provides strategic and operational oversight on Digital’s $350 million technology leadership and COVID-program portfolio. A community builder at heart, she sees the potential of technology as a catalyst for positive social change. Prior to joining Digital, Nadia worked on a wide variety of technology-centric projects across North America, Europe, and Asia with a focus on enterprise solutions and international development. When she’s not working, you can find her hiking, listening to a podcast or tinkering with a recipe. Nadia holds a B.Eng. in Electrical (Computer) Engineering (McGill) and an M.Ed. in Adult Literacy and Global Change (UBC).

Brian Mereweather is the Informatics Site Lead for our Technology HUB located in Mississauga, Ontario. He is a member of Group Informatics and a member of the Mississauga One Roche Council. Brian is accountable for the growing Mississauga Informatics community which is one of 5 key strategic Informatics locations around the world. He is also a North American leader for an enterprise program designed to create one Digital ERP Enterprise Resource Planning) Backbone for Roche.

A passionate leader, Brian has been driving IT solutions for business challenges for many years. He currently is the Site Lead for an Informatics team of over 200 highly technical IT roles ranging from Project Managers, Business Analysts, Software Engineers, Data and Analytics and AI professionals.

Brian started his career in consulting, manufacturing and specialty gas before spending the past 25 years in life sciences. He is dedicated to applying an ever-changing technology landscape to solve business challenges which ultimately leads to more life-saving medicines being delivered to the highest level of care for patients.

Before joining Roche Canada in 2007, Brian worked at Altana Pharma for 7 years. Brian has an Honours Math / Business degree from the University of Waterloo and has held his Project Management Professional (PMP) designation for the past 18 years.

Sara-Christine Gemson has worked in journalism, communications and non-profit management.

She was previously Vice-President of Programs and Director of Communications at Teach For Canada, a non-profit that partners with remote First Nations to recruit, prepare and support educators.

Sara-Christine also worked as a TV, radio and digital journalist for many years, primarily for Radio-Canada in Toronto and Regina. She was also an Aga Khan journalism fellow in Kenya, where she wrote for the Daily Nation.

Sara-Christine completed a B.A. in philosophy and communications at the University of Ottawa and an M.Phil in comparative government at Oxford University. She is an Action Canada alumna.

Sara-Christine joined PPF in 2022.