SAS Government Leadership Forum Rebroadcast

Dr. Peter Aiken, Author, The Case for the Chief Data Officer

Peter Aiken is acknowledged to be a top data management (DM) authority. As a practicing data consultant, author and researcher, he has been actively performing and studying DM for more than 30 years. His expertise has been sought by some of the world's most important organizations and his achievements have been recognized internationally. He has held leadership positions and consulted with more than 75 organizations in 21 countries across numerous industries, including defense, banking, healthcare, telecommunications and manufacturing. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and author of multiple publications, including his latest the "Case for the CDO" & "Monetizing Data Management." Peter is the Founding Director of Data Blueprint, a consulting firm that helps organizations leverage data for competitive advantage and operational efficiencies. He is also Associate Professor of Information Systems at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and past President of the International Data Management Association (DAMA-I).

Bernard Blais
Senior Manager, Americas Technology Practice, SAS

Bernard Blais leads the Global Demo Enablement Practice and is responsible for adapting SAS® solutions and technology to address challenging business issues. Since 2012, he has focused on SAS High-Performance Analytics and big data.

Ray Boisvert, President and CEO, I-Sec Integrated Strategies (ISECIS)

The formation of ISECIS builds on Ray Boisvert’s career of almost 30 years in both operational and executive roles with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), where he retired as the Assistant Director of Intelligence.
Additional roles within CSIS included Director General (DG) of the principal counter terrorism program, as well as the lead DG for all operations support activities including operational security, special operations and risk management.
With his extensive and specialized knowledge, Boisvert has uniquely positioned ISECIS to identify global risks, convey privileged insights and create intelligent organizational resilience – including anti-corruption strategies for global, enterprise-level activities.

Keith Collins, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, SAS

Keith Collins is passionate about delivering on the promise of big data and big analytics. Except for a stint in sales, he directed Research and Development at SAS for most of his career, including 13 years as Chief Technology Officer. His latest charter is to redefine the role of IT from tactical to strategic and to accelerate SAS into the cloud.
Collins, a graduate of North Carolina State University in computer science, is a founding member of the computer science department’s strategic advisory board. In 2003, the university named him a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus. Collins also serves as an adviser for Bull City Venture Partners and is a patron of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Dr. Tyrone W A Grandison, Deputy Chief Data Officer, US Department of Commerce

Dr. Tyrone W A Grandison is currently the Deputy Chief Data Officer at the US Department of Commerce. Formerly, he was a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow (2014-15) working with the US Department of Labor and the US CENSUS Bureau on their data and API (application programming interface) initiatives. 
Dr. Grandison has over 20 years experience in software engineering, security and privacy. His work in database security and privacy has been internationally recognized as pioneering and impactful.  In addition to relational data privacy and security, he has created and successfully led research and product initiatives in RFID data management, privacy-preserving mobile data management, private social network analysis, text analytics and healthcare management systems. 

Jon Minkoff, Chief Data Officer, Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications Commission

During his ten-year legal career in both the FCC’s Wireline and Enforcement Bureaus, Jon Minkoff worked with numerous competitive market and anti-trust issues, so he was accustomed to working with spreadsheets and complex data models.  In 2010, while serving as the senior legal advisor to the Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, Mr. Minkoff was tasked with leading a project to consolidate the separate, legacy data systems on to one platform.  The user base included engineers, attorneys, and business analysts.  During his work on the system which was deployed into production in late 2011, Mr. Minkoff was integrally involved in the project's data architecture, funding, budgeting, and training.  Since being named the Chief Data Office for the Enforcement Bureau in 2010, he has been deeply  involved with developing strategic management plans, analyzing project efficiency gains and returns on investment, improving data quality, identifying training needs, presenting trainings, facilitating issue discussions, and fostering team leadership.  Now, with over 15 years' worth of digging into intricate data sets and explaining the practical implications to all project stakeholders -- from the users of an application all the way up to the executive managers -- Mr. Minkoff is adept at explaining meta data at the executive level, especially to non-technical decision makers.

Alec Ross, former Senior Adviser for Innovation to Hillary Clinton and author

Alec Ross advises the political elite about the future fronts of technology and innovation and advises the technology elite about emerging trends, opportunities and threats in geopolitics. Ross brought these two select worlds together for President Obama during his first presidential campaign and for Hilary Clinton as Senior Adviser for Innovation to the Secretary of State, a role created for him to maximize the potential of technology and innovation in service of America’s diplomatic goals. Ross' much anticipated book, Industries of the Future, set to be released next spring, will give readers an understanding of the next wave of innovations that are going to disrupt markets and workplaces around the world, for better and for worse.  

Constance Sayers, President, Government Executive Media Group

Constance Sayers is the President of Government Executive Media Group where she leads revenue and programs for all GEMG brands.  As president, Sayers launched the Route Fifty brand and led all product development and design as well as marketing, audience and sales strategy for the award-winning, digital publication aimed at state and local leaders.  Twice, she was named to Folio's "Folio 100" annual list of innovators for both 2014 and 2015 and their "Top Women in Media" for 2015.   Previously, she served as publisher of Government Executive Media Group where she helped launch the Defense One brand.  
In 2010, she re-joined Atlantic Media to serve as vice-president of National Journal LIVE and one year later was promoted to direct the ad sales team.  At National Journal, she developed the media company’s 2008 and 2012 Presidential Elections and Conventions programs including producing thirty-eight events and an award-winning mobile application.  She also brokered all event partnerships with on-air talent from CBS News and ABC News.  Her media experience includes leading the advertising, marketing, and events divisions at CQ/Roll Call and Government Executive where she received a Chairman’s Award for revenue growth.

Sheldon Shaw, Cyber Analytics Specialist, SAS

Sheldon Shaw spent 16 years in the intelligence services in Canada. At the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, he worked on computer and weapons of mass destruction issues before moving on to executive positions at the Communications Security Establishment Canada. Prior to joining SAS, Shaw worked with Bell Business Markets as the Director of Business Development focused on public safety issues. He is a graduate of Acadia University.

Karen Terrell, Vice President, SAS Federal

Terrell leads a high-performing, $100 million business that helps civilian, defense and intelligence agencies across the US spend taxpayer dollars effectively to achieve missions and goals – all using the power of SAS® Analytics. Terrell oversees a division of sales, consulting, business development and technical professionals focusing on supply chain and logistics optimization; fighting fraud, waste and improper payments; improving financial transparency; and improving the performance and accountability needs of today's government leaders. A 17-year software sales veteran, Terrell began her career in sales support, quickly moving into federal sales leadership roles at international software companies, including Crystal Decisions, Business Objects and DuPont.