Linda Karçanaj
Linda Karçanaj, born in Tirana, Albania, into a family of esteemed professors, holds BA, MA, and PhD degrees in computer science from the University of Tirana. Initially a full-time lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, she also worked as a programmer, database manager, and IT expert for international organizations, projects, and local companies.
Upon moving to Canada, Karçanaj served as an IT manager for five years, overseeing data processing and analytics for Ontario-based companies. Returning to Albania, she became the Director of Information Technology in the Municipality of Tirana for four years, pioneering ICT integration in local government administration and leading digitalization efforts.
Karçanaj later resumed her role as a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana, before assuming the position of General Director at the Albanian National Agency of Information Society (NAIS).
For the past 11 years, she has been the General Director of NAIS, driving the digital revolution in public services through the e-Albania platform.
NAIS has revolutionized public services through the e-Albania platform, with 95% of services now available online-only. It has enhanced citizens’ quality of life by investing in electronic systems across various sectors, reshaping the interaction between citizens and state institutions, and highlighting the importance of digitalization in public administration.
Karçanai spearheads the development of integrated systems across diverse sectors, enhancing the quality of life for citizens by optimizing processes and minimizing expenses. She advocates for substantial investments in electronic systems, digital archives, physical infrastructure, and cybersecurity enhancements. Additionally, she directs efforts to bolster digital defenses against continuously evolving cyber threats, thereby safeguarding the integrity and confidentiality of the systems managed by NAIS.
Under her guidance, robust cybersecurity frameworks are implemented as the best security practice, adopting a Zero-Trust architecture combined with a Defense-in Depth strategy to ensure cyber resilience.
Through her management, the cyber security department has exponentially increased its capacities in terms of defending against and reacting to cyber threats, thus achieving a high maturity level in a short period of time.
She is dedicated to implementing emerging technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data, analytics, and blockchain in public administration.
During her lead, NAIS has garnered international acclaim from organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the OECD, positioning Albania as a regional leader in digital governance.