22 September
UNGA, New York
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22 September
UNGA, New York
The DPI 50 recognises 50 public sector leaders innovating or advancing in digital public infrastructure: foundational digital systems that deliver public services, such as digital identity, payments and data exchange, as well as the next generation of interoperable and AI-enabled infrastructure.
Summary:
Apolitical, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure, has published the DPI 50: Leaders of Digital Public Infrastructure
The list celebrates 50 public sector leaders whose work on digital public infrastructure (DPI) is helping governments deliver faster, more accessible and more trusted services
The DPI 50 launches on Tuesday 22 September 2026 during UN General Assembly week, with an in-person event in New York
Today, Apolitical, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure, published the DPI 50: Leaders of Digital Public Infrastructure. The list celebrates 50 public sector leaders from around the world who are advancing DPI and delivering measurable, citizen-centred impact through digital transformation.
The list includes Paula Ingabire, Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation, who is steering the country's shift toward AI-ready public infrastructure, including a new National Artificial Intelligence Agency and a Kinyarwanda language model. In Australia, Chris Fechner, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Transformation Agency, has helped the country rise to second place overall in the OECD's 2025 Digital Government Index through investment in shared platforms and user-centred services. And in Indonesia, Rahmat Danu Andika, Senior Advisor at the National Economic Council, led the development of Perlinsos Digital, a system that connected data from eight ministries in just one year to improve how social assistance reaches people, in a country where an estimated 45% of aid had previously been mistargeted.
The DPI 50 highlights these individuals and others like them who are turning impressive promise into practice and solving delivery problems for citizens. It serves as a reference point for what effective DPI leadership looks like, and as inspiration for public servants working on similar challenges everywhere.
Fragmented systems remain one of the biggest obstacles to good government, making services slow and often complex for citizens to access. When designed and deployed well, DPI helps governments improve this, building the foundational layers (such as digital identity, payments and data exchange) that enable services to work faster and more reliably. The DPI 50 also looks ahead to the next generation of interoperable, AI-enabled infrastructure now emerging.
"Governments are being asked to do more with less, faster than ever before, and DPI is what makes that possible," said Robyn Scott, CEO and co-founder of Apolitical. "That progress depends on people, often working without much recognition. The DPI 50 shines a light on their leadership, and gives public servants everywhere a clear reference point for strong DPI, applied in the real world."
"Every effective public service, from a benefits payment to a digital ID, rests on behind-the-scenes infrastructure most citizens never see. The leaders featured in the DPI 50 are the ones building that infrastructure: designing systems that are safe, trusted and ready for what comes next," said Kelly Ommundsen, Head of Digital Inclusion and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum. "Recognising them matters, because DPI only works when it's built and sustained by people who understand both the technology and the citizens it's meant to serve."
The DPI 50 launches during UN General Assembly week, positioning the list within the wider global conversation on digital government and public sector innovation. Apolitical and the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on GovTech and DPI are marking the launch with an in-person roundtable in New York, The DPI 50: Recognising the People Behind Digital Progress” bringing public sector leaders and government representatives together for a discussion on building trusted, citizen-centred DPI.
The DPI 50 is available now at https://apolitical.co/lists/dpi-50
The DPI 50 is an initiative by Apolitical in collaboration with the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure. This initiative celebrates individuals who are working at the frontier of digital public infrastructure (DPI)
The World Economic Forum Global Future Council on GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure is a global council convened by the World Economic Forum to advance thinking and collaboration on government technology and digital public infrastructure.