Public Sector Podcast

In this episode, Corina Hernandez-Muñoz, Head, Cyber Behaviour and Culture | Enterprise Information Security (EIS), Export Development Canada explores why effective cybersecurity depends just as much on people as it does on technology. As digital threats become more complex, organisations are recognising that strong systems alone aren't enough — building awareness, shared responsibility and a culture of vigilance across the workforce is essential. This conversation looks at how federal agencies are strengthening their human layer of defence by investing in skills, knowledge and collaboration.

You'll hear how leaders are reshaping cybersecurity as a collective effort that blends technology with trust, empowerment and informed decision-making. From leadership engagement to frontline readiness, the episode highlights practical approaches to building cyber-aware teams, improving threat response capabilities and balancing human judgment with AI-driven tools to create a smarter, more resilient defence.
Corina Hernandez-Muñoz, Head, Cyber Behaviour and Culture | Enterprise Information Security (EIS), Export Development Canada
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In this episode, Aimé Nsengiyumva, Deputy-Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Finance and Administration, State of Tennessee shares how the state is strengthening its cybersecurity posture as threats become more complex. The keynote reflects on recent progress and explains how Tennessee is aligning with growing federal momentum to better protect both state and local government systems.

The session highlights key milestones, outlines Tennessee's priorities for cyber resilience heading into 2026, and unpacks how the state is balancing governance, technology choices, and workforce readiness. It also offers practical takeaways for agencies looking to modernise their own cyber programs, including lessons from supporting local government through federally funded initiatives.
Aimé Nsengiyumva, Deputy-Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Finance and Administration, State of Tennessee
 
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This week's episode brought to you by Objective, features Cassandra Bisset, VP Strategy, Objective who looks back at the Innovation Showcase in Victoria, Australia. Cassie explains how quickly AI has shifted from "emerging" to urgent, with public sector teams under pressure to adopt while managing trust, risk, and tight budgets.

The key message is "readiness over hype". With many AI projects failing, Cassandra argues success depends on clear "what good looks like" pathways and strong foundations, especially trusted information, governance, and the "dull" work that makes AI safe and scalable.

Visit www.objective.com.au to learn more about how Objective is helping public sector organisations take control of their information; strengthen governance, reduce risk, and enable better decisions.
 
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This week, Dan Roelink, Director, Office for AI, Digital.NSW, NSW Department of Customer Service explores why the biggest barrier to AI in government is no longer understanding the technology, but removing the organisational and system "friction" that prevents safe, lawful, and scalable adoption.

From an inside-government perspective, Dan looks at what it takes to move beyond pilots and experiments by putting the right foundations, governance, and operating models in place. It covers how governments can modernise risk and assurance, build the core components needed to scale (from policy and frameworks to capability and platforms), and strengthen the partnerships and problem-led collaboration required to take AI from idea to production. The episode also considers what "mature" AI-enabled public sector systems could look like in the future, and what effective cross-sector partnerships will need to deliver in a low-friction environment.

Dan Roelink, Director, Office for AI, Digital.NSW, NSW Department of Customer Service
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Check out EY's AI Pioneers series and subscribe for future episodes on your podcast platform of choice.

This week Dr Robbie Melton, Vice President SMART AI Technology Innovations, Tennessee State University explores how AI is changing both education and government, and what it takes for institutions to move beyond experimentation into responsible, practical adoption. The conversation focuses on embedding intelligent tools across curriculum, student services, and institutional strategy in ways that improve efficiency while advancing equity, and on connecting higher education innovation to wider statewide goals.

You will hear concrete approaches to modernising learning with immersive technologies such as wearables, holograms, and mixed reality, while aligning institutional plans with AI governance and ethics frameworks. The episode also covers using AI to improve advising and administration, building faculty capability through scalable training and curriculum pilots, and turning academic centres into real-world testbeds that bridge research and public impact through cross-sector partnerships.
Dr Robbie Melton, Vice President SMART AI Technology Innovations, Tennessee State University
 
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