Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership

Born out of philanthropist Jim Palmer’s vision to restore the leadership role he believed the public sector had lost, the Palmer Conference on Public Sector Leadership has been successful in bringing together policymakers, public servants and stakeholders since 2010.

Providing a forum for dynamic discussions with diverse participants, the Palmer Conference has set a standard for high-quality dialogue and world-renowned speakers and aims to fulfill Jim Palmer’s desire to provide a process by which those who make policy, implement policy, and feel the effects of policy could have meaningful interactions and garner valuable insight from one another.

This year’s conference, hosted at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), will focus on The Future of Work — the challenges and opportunities “emerging” and “disruptive” technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation are having on labour and consumption. Notable speakers will include Sandy MacDonald, president and CEO of Holland College and Atlantic Canada’s representative on the Future Skills Council; John Baker, founder of the education software company D2L; Nicole LeBlanc, director of investments and partnerships for Sidewalk Labs; Carl Benedikt Frey, Oxford University expert on the economics of automation; Lisa Taylor, president and founder of Challenge Factory and the Centre for Career Innovation; Gwynne Dyer, journalist and author; and Benjamin Pring, co-founder of the Center for the Future of Work, New Jersey. Don Newman of CBC will return as the conference emcee, and 75 delegates will participate.