The Balsillie School of International Affairs is pleased to host the Honourable Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement for a fireside chat on the theme “Unlocking Opportunity: How Ontario Businesses Can Thrive under the Buy Ontario Act.”
This discussion will also feature Mike Amato, Christopher Gonsalves and Jamie Wallace, where they will discuss how Ontario’s evolving procurement approach is supporting local businesses, streamlining government processes, and enabling the adoption of innovative and secure digital solutions across the public sector.
The event will be moderated by Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
Biographies
Michael Amato, Chief Information Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Technology and Operations Division
Michael Amato is the Chief Information Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Technology and Operations with Government Information Technology Ontario in the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. He leads the province’s largest enterprise technology division, responsible for the digital and operational foundations that support the public services Ontarians use every day.
Michael oversees critical technology operations including digital infrastructure, procurement, service management, project delivery and product support. In this role, he works closely with government partners, Ontario-based suppliers and the broader technology sector to deliver secure, scalable and reliable digital solutions across the province.
The Honourable Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
Stephen Crawford is a Canadian politician who has been the Ontario minister of public and business service delivery and procurement since 2025. Crawford has been the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Oakville since 2018, representing the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party.
Shawn Cruise, Chief Revenue Officer, Oproma
Shawn Cruise has a 25-year career of success focused on building growth teams, developing people and accelerating innovation in complex SaaS and Cloud sales programs.
Christopher Gonsalves, Assistant Deputy Minister, Supply Chain Policy and Oversight Division, Ontario Ministry of Public and Business Services Delivery and Procurement
Chris Gonsalves is an accomplished senior leader with over 20 years of experience in supply chain transformation in the public and private sectors. Currently, he is the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Supply Chain Policy and Oversight Division within Ontario’s Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, responsible for governance and oversight of the Supply Ontario agency and enabling the modernization of Ontario’s public sector supply chain.
Jamie Wallace, Chief Executive Officer, Supply Ontario
Jamie Wallace is the Chief Executive Officer of Supply Ontario, the Government of Ontario’s Crown agency responsible for modernizing and strengthening public sector procurement and supply chain management. He assumed the role on January 23, 2023 after serving as Chief of Staff to the Premier of Ontario, where he played a central leadership role in advancing the government’s agenda and supporting Ontario’s response to the COVID 19 pandemic in close partnership with the Ontario Public Service.
Prior to entering government, Jamie spent more than 30 years in the media industry, including senior executive roles at Postmedia, where he served as a vice president, as well as a long career as a journalist and editor. He is widely recognized as an operational and transformational leader, bringing significant experience in organizational leadership, stakeholder engagement, and large scale change management to Supply Ontario as it delivers improved value, resiliency, and outcomes for taxpayers and public sector partners.
