Laura Kask
Laura Kask is Chief Executive Officer of Proud Engineers, a company helping governments and large corporations solve complicated challenges and build an inspiring digital future. Laura is one of the people who have shaped the Estonian digital transformation and Estonia is widely lauded as one of the world’s most advanced digital nation. Laura worked as Chief Legal Officer for the CIO of the Estonian Government and was responsible for the legislative framework of the Estonian information society. While working for the Estonian government, Laura was involved in many innovative projects, including data embassies and digital continuity to name a few. She has been responsible for implementing the main EU level regulations (e-authentication, electronic signature, cybersecurity, data protection) into the Estonian legislative framework.
- What does transitioning together mean to you?
The focus must lie on coordination and communication between the different players that are in different stages of their respective transitions. We see this clearly in the area of government digitalisation where, for example, agencies develop their own systems/standards/mechanisms without checking in with the national and international developments – and the result is not just sunk cost, but also lost time.
I don’t want to say with this that transitioning together means that we all have to move at the same pace. There will always be early and late bloomers; all we need to do is ensure that they keep talking with each other about their experiences.
- What would you like to learn at the FERMA Forum?
I am very much looking forward to my panel discussion on Translating Transition but there are a lot of other exciting sessions, too! For me personally, the workshop on Navigating Geopolitical Risks also sounds truly interesting; I have worked on the world’s first Data Embassy for the Republic of Estonia and can confirm that there are so many aspects to risk management on the international stage.
Above all, though, I am excited to meet all the experts in various fields that will be present. FERMA always brings together a highly knowledgeable crowd that sparks excellent discussions.
- How important is risk management in creating successful transition?
It’s quite literally indispensable. Anything less would mean setting yourself up for failure. There are so many different aspects to risk management, both physical and digital, which need to be taken into account to keep the trust of your stakeholders, clients, employees, and partners.