Financial Management Institute of Canada - Alex Benay / Tyler Knowlton

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Social Media in the Public Sector - Opportunities & Risks

This webinar explores a number of questions related to the impact of social media in the public sector throughout the world and specifically in Canada. For instance, what developments have there been in the public sector in terms of using social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube? What are the benefits and risks that public sector policymakers and administrators are facing in the use of these tools for public engagement? How is social media fitting into the evolution of the public sector? Is there a human impact on employees in the federal, provincial and municipal public service in terms of expecting employees to work outside of regular office hours? Our presenters will draw from their specific experiences of using social media in the context of Public Service Without Borders and OpenText, and will be able to define this social media initiative and what value it holds for the public sector. The presentation will also explore how the last two G-20s summits have used OpenText’s Social Workplace.

Alex Benay, Vice President,
Government Relations, OpenText Corporation

Alex Benay has acquired a vast range of experience in the information management and public sector management sectors, ranging from policy development and program management to solutions development and implementation. Having spent the first eight years of his career in the Canadian Federal Government as an executive in such organizations as Library and Archives Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Canadian International Development Agency, Mr. Benay then proceeded to help establish Enterprise Content Management capacities in several small to medium sized enterprises in the Ottawa area. Currently, Mr. Benay is the Senior Strategist for the GlobalPublic Sector within OpenText, where he is responsible for setting strategic direction and policies for all levels of government.

Tyler Knowlton, Chief Strategist on Innovation,
Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia and Chief Trade Commissioner, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

With a multidisciplinary background of Public Relations, Digital Communications, Fine Art and a healthy technological obsession, Tyler Knowlton leads the development and implementation of the Virtual G-20 Secretariat and continues to be at the forefront of digital multilateral collaboration and negotiation. His team of strategists at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have worked with international organizations and projects like the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Canada-Mexico Partnership as well as other Canadian Federal Government Departments to help further their online collaboration efforts.