Virtual event
[Replay] How to Improve Your Strategic Thinking
Exclusively for public servants and policymakers
Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026
Time is displayed in your local time zone
At this event, you’ll learn:
- Core frameworks for strategic thinking in public service
- Practical tools for improving decision-making
- How to anticipate and adapt to emerging challenges
Speakers
We’re bringing back some of our most highly rated events. This session features a recorded masterclass alongside live elements, giving you a new chance to engage with proven approaches that continue to resonate.
It doesn’t matter what department you work for, or even how senior you are. If you work within government, the pace is fast and the problems are complex.
To overcome these challenging dynamics, the ability to navigate complexity and anticipate future challenges is paramount. Developing strategic thinking skills enables public servants to address intricate problems, recognise emerging opportunities and make informed decisions that drive meaningful outcomes.
This masterclass will offer practical tools and frameworks to enhance your strategic mindset, drawing on insights from experienced leaders and strategy-setters within public service. Join to build the skills needed to develop effective policies and services that benefit communities worldwide.
Who should join:
Public servants and policymakers at all levels of government seeking practical strategies to enhance their strategic thinking and decision-making skills.
Join the Systems Thinking in Government Community
The Systems Thinking in Government Community is a collaborative space designed for Apolitical members to access conversations, insights, ideas and resources on the application of systems thinking in government from your peers across the global public service.
This event will take place on Zoom. Joining instructions will be displayed once you register. The event will be recorded and the recording will be sent to all registrants. The recording will also be made available on Apolitical's platform for other members of our community to enjoy. We may also generate insights about our community members by uploading the recording to HeyMarvin, an AI-powered qualitative research tool. If you would prefer not to join the call live, you may view the recording on the platform after the event.
Interested in how Apolitical can support you and your organisation? Learn about collaborating with us.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Speakers
Jeannine Ritchot
Assistant Deputy Minister Multilateral Relations and Internal Trade – Intergovernmental Affairs Privy Council Office.
Canada
Alain Ruche
Former Senior Official, European Union (Senior Advisor to the Secretary General, European External Action Service)
Belgium
Jeannine Ritchot, Assistant Deputy Minister Multilateral Relations and Internal Trade – Intergovernmental Affairs Privy Council Office. Jeannine joined Intergovernmental Affairs, Privy Council Office in April 2022. As the Assistant Deputy Minister of Multilateral Relations and Internal Trade, she is a senior member of the team of Canadian civil servants advising the Prime Minister on matters such as national unity, the evolution of the federation, and removing interprovincial barriers to trade as a means to bolster Canada’s economic resilience. Prior to this, Jeannine was the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Communications and Portfolio Sector at Natural Resources Canada. She has also held executive positions at Treasury Board Secretariat, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. In 2020, for her efforts in promoting international and interprovincial regulatory cooperation as a means of removing barriers to trade, she became an inaugural recipient of the Apolitical and World Economic Forum “Agile 50” Award, which recognized the 50 Most Influential People in the World Revolutionizing Governance. In 2019, Jeannine became the first woman to serve as Chair of the OECD Regulatory Policy Committee. She was also a peer reviewer of governance structures for international regulatory cooperation in the U.K. and Mexico and negotiated the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Good Regulatory Practices Chapter. Jeannine has strong community roots and is a fierce advocate for the advancement of women and girls in sport. She is a donor and mentor to women athletes at the University of Ottawa and is Chair of Girls on the Run Ottawa, an organization that teaches girls to live joyful, self-confident lives through physical activity. Jeannine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Arts degree in Conflict Studies from St. Paul University / University of Ottawa.
Alain Ruche, a Belgian citizen and former EU senior official living in Brussels. He worked for nearly three decades at the UN, the World Bank, and, mainly, at the EU External Service, with assignments on four continents. Alain has focused on complexity and how to look at things from another angle, including the role of artists in social change. He is a long-standing practitioner of collective intelligence techniques, with (ex) affiliations at The Club of Rome (EU Chapter), The UK Royal Society of Arts (EU Connector), The Global Salzburg Seminar, The Asian Foresight Institute (Bangkok), Kosmos Journal adviser, and Mentor at Duo for a Job. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Schumacher Institute and recently co-authored "Archipelago of Coherence," published in Kosmos Journal.
