National Conference on Information Technology

Save is ICANN’s Vice-President for Stakeholder Engagement serving the Oceania region. He is responsible for managing relationships within the Oceania Internet community to bring ICANN to the region. This involves outreach, support and engagement with user groups, governments, private sector, civil society and technical community throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands to further the global cause of ensuring a secure, stable, and resilient Internet.

Before joining ICANN, Save was the Policy Development Manager at APNIC. He supported policy discussions around IPv4, IPv6 addresses and Internet resources managed under APNIC. He led stakeholder engagement for APNIC into the Pacific Islands region promoting technical capacity development and participation in APNIC. In 2004, he helped co-found the Pacific Network Operators Group (PacNOG), a technical capacity development platform for network engineers in the Pacific Islands.

Save managed the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association, PITA secretariat between 1997 to 2001. His early technical career started at Telecom Fiji Ltd supporting the expansion of cable networks and rural telecom services throughout Fiji.

Sagar Patel is a cybersecurity and digital infrastructure leader with over 25 years of experience across Oceania, Asia and the United States.

He currently serves as Head of Cybersecurity Solutions and Architecture at Datec Fiji, specialising in Zero Trust, cloud security, critical infrastructure and cyber resilience.

Champika is an experienced Internet technology and Cybersecurity professional currently serving as the Technical Engagement Director for Asia Pacific region at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). He is a team member of the ICANN’s Office of the CTO and represents ICANN in Technical, Security, Law Enforcement and Capacity Building forums.

Prior to ICANN, Champika served as the Training Manager at Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) where he was instrumental in setting up and managing the APNIC training program. Champika started his career with IBM Corporation as a technical specialist, and later worked in the IT industry, academia, research, and training environments.

Champika also serves in various technical community groups and committees.

Dr Isimeli Tagicakiverata attended USP in Suva where he obtained his Bachelor of Education degree in 1997, his Post Graduate Diploma in Education in 2001 and his Master of Arts degree in 2004. Then in 2012 he graduated with Doctor of Philosophy from The University of Newcastle in Australia.

In 2013 he returned to Fiji and joined Fiji National University as Chief Research Officer TVET, and later as Acting Director TVET. In October 2017 he became Director NTPC and Head of the National Productivity Organisation for Fiji. Then in 2023, he became the Pro Vice Chancellor TVET and head the TVET Pasifika under the Fiji National University.

He is a member of Fiji TVET Association and a member of the International Vocational Education and Training Association. He is a current Board Member of the Centre for Appropriate Technology and Development (CATD) and he is also the Asian Productivity Organisation Alternate Director for Fiji. He was a recipient of the 50th Anniversary Independence Medal, as recognition for his work in TVET and Productivity in Fiji.

Fiji-based agency helping businesses across the Pacific grow through artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and automation. He also serves as Communications Director for PayMeGPT and ChatbotBuilder AI, two international AI platforms focused on conversational commerce, AI chatbots, and marketing automation.

Asta builds and deploys these systems hands-on for clients in Fiji and abroad, bridging global AI technology with practical business use cases in the Pacific. He also shares what he learns through his YouTube channel, teaching AI chatbots, automation, and no-code tools.

He is especially interested in how Pacific businesses can adopt emerging AI responsibly while protecting trust, data, and customer confidence.

Dr Ioana Chan Mow is Professor of Computing and Computer Education at the National University of Samoa (NUS).

She is the country Focal Point for Samoa for the Commonwealth of Learning and been pivotal in the integration of technology-enabled learning through research and training at NUS.

Her research interests are in TEL, e-government, IT security and ICT for development. Dr Chan Mow has led various projects for NUS including the ESD Edulink project, PACENET+, Pacific attitudes Survey, SKSI, Skills for Work, Online proctoring (OPS).

She currently teaches postgraduate courses in the areas of systems management, ICT policy and regulation, ICT in education, and risk management. She is an Honorary Fellow for the Commonwealth of Learning and Founding Fellow for the Pacific Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Pritika Reddy (PhD) has joined as a Lecturer in the School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics (STEMP) at The University of the South Pacific (USP). She has more than ten years of experience in tertiary teaching and research.

Dr Reddy’s research delves into ICT integrating teaching and learning – digital education and initiatives, digital literacy and digital citizenship, cyber-hygiene, and recently, she has ventured into exploring the adoption and application of GENAI by professionals, academics, and Students in the South Pacific. Dr Reddy intends to continue her work on digital literacy for the Pacific, with a broader focus on green digital skills and skills forecasting in workplaces.

Through her research work, Dr Reddy published several ranked journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Her published work can be referred to here: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4088-1706.

Dr Pritika has also carried out consultancy work in ICT in Education, digital literacy, assessing Internet development, assessing citizens' awareness of their Right to Information, assessing the cost of education, and ICT in education policy development and integration for Fiji and the South Pacific. She has also attained certification in AI Policy development from the Centre for AI and Digital Policy.

Through her work Dr. Pritika advocates for a sustainable digital future for the South Pacific.

Professor Bibhya Sharma is currently a Professor of Applied Mathematics and Head of School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics at USP. He is a researcher who has led both International and Pacific-based projects, and is a member of a number of professional mathematics and science societies and unions.

Bibhya has published more than 170 articles, book chapters and commissioned reports in the fields of Pacific science education, TLPs of higher education especially dealing with ICT, assistive technologies, and RTI work in the Pacific.

He champions adaptive works, EDI, innovations and targeted interventions for higher education, anti-corruption and sustainable economies.

Dipti Sharma is the Founder and CEO of Eventuros Fiji, a digital media marketing and events agency, and Mydesk Fiji, a coworking space in Nadi.

With over 20 years of experience, she is a recognised business strategist, entrepreneur and advocate for women in business, currently serving as Director of Events, PR and Communications at Women in Tech Fiji.

Ofa is an ICT and Cybersecurity Intern at the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji and a recent graduate of the University of the South Pacific, holding a Diploma in Networking and Cyber Operations. She has also completed a certification in Aviation Law.

Originally from Salia Village in Nayau, Lau, Ofa is an active member of several regional initiatives, including Pacific Women in Telecommunication, Women in Tech Fiji, Women Techmakers, and other Pacific youth networks. She is also a former Fiji national representative in athletics, swimming, and rugby, experiences that have strengthened her leadership, resilience, and commitment to excellence.

Passionate about technology, cybersecurity, and digital inclusion, Ofa is dedicated to empowering communities through innovation and inspiring more young women and girls to pursue careers in STEM. She is committed to helping build a more inclusive, digitally connected, and resilient Pacific

Prashil Kumar is the CEO/CISO of Cyber Acads, a Fiji-based cybersecurity firm providing virtual CISO services, penetration testing, ISO 27001 implementation, IT audit, and cybersecurity training across Fiji and the Pacific.

With over 17 years of IT experience, including more than a decade specializing in cybersecurity, he currently serves as the virtual CISO for critical infrastructure organizations across the Pacific.

Prashil holds internationally recognized certifications, including CISM, CRISC, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, and NIST CSF Practitioner, and is a regular keynote speaker at local and international conferences.

In addition, Prashil was selected as the winner of a 2022 cohort of the Cyber Leadership Program, among more than 30 cybersecurity leaders from around the world

Dr. Krupali Tappoo is a specialist general practitioner, healthcare leader and humanitarian in Fiji.

She is the Director of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor in Family Medicine at Fiji National University.

She has received several national and international awards for her contribution to healthcare and community service, including the Companion of the Order of Fiji in 2025.

With 28 years in IT and a career built at Anvil Solutions, Ashley Kirk is Technical Director and co-owner of the West Auckland Technology Solutions Provider in New Zealand.

A lifelong security enthusiast and Bitdefender Gold partner of 11 years, he specialises in cloud technology, solution design for clients, and Managed Security Technologies for MS365 and Google Workspace in multiple industries.

At NCIT, Ashley joins as sponsor and panelist, sharing how boutique teams deliver enterprise-grade, resilient security