One month in and full steam ahead!
It’s hard to believe that President’s Conference was only a month ago – it already feels like a distant memory! Stepping into the role of Socitm President has been a whirlwind – exciting, energising, and full of moments that have made me incredibly proud.
Embracing new horizons and leading change
I wanted to share a few reflections from this first month – not just for future Presidents, but for anyone curious about what this journey looks like behind the scenes.
Thinking back in my role at Norfolk County Council it was always my ambition to become Head of IT. That’s where I was headed. That’s where I wanted to be. Socitm was not even on my radar so neither was the presidency.
Yet here I am post-conference, reflecting on my first month in the role.
President’s view of President’s Conference
It was inspiring to watch Norfolk’s own Chief Executive, Tom McCabe, deliver the opening keynote.
Even more unforgettable was Carol Williams, radiating energy and passion in her role as president. She captivated the room. Championing the achievements within the public sector and igniting enthusiasm for the innovative work we were celebrating.
At midday, during the AGM, Carol officially handed over the presidency to me. A moment that left me deeply humbled. I delivered, with honour, my acceptance speech to everyone in attendance.
I then had the opportunity to introduce the gala dinner in the evening an introduce a charity I’d selected for us to support which was Norfolk Blood Bikes, something close to my heart.
The following day, I took on the role of host.
These events represent a true highlight in my career
I was and am filled with pride and gratitude for the opportunity to showcase the great work of the public sector.
Getting started
Carol did say that it would be a juggle and she was not exaggerating. A lot has happened already.
In just a few weeks:
- I saw all the feedback about the conference on LinkedIn: including pictures of colleagues from across the country and myself, as well as suppliers and partners.
- I commented, to the press, on the announcement from the government of £187m investment in AI.
- Started working with the Socitm team to consider how we can jointly bid for funding to improve digital inclusion and Norfolk’s Tech Skills for Life work.
- Planned out my schedule for 2025-26 to work out which future events I need to attend (to support and represent Socitm) and to ensure they don’t clash with my day job. As President there are a number of larger events and other organisations you have to support. One of these is the Major Cities of Europe conference which is in October 2025 where I’ve been asked to be the keynote speaker – opening the conference in France.
- I’ve reviewed and helped update members’ information on AI@Socitm helping them accelerate the AI journey.
- Sample terms of reference for an Artificial Intelligence Governance Board
- Attended the digital day of the GovNews Reimagine Public Sector conference to present the Norfolk County Council innovation story. Describing how it aligns with Socitm’s Digital Trends 2025, and hopefully showing the art of possible.
- Met the management team and trustees to help host the strategy day which defines what we’re doing as a charity over the next 12 months, including the key priorities and activities for members.
Coming soon to the UK?
Another advantage of being Socitm president is the opening of doors to new opportunities which you can engage with to help improve the whole public sector
At the conference in June, I met Mike Manson from New Zealand’s ALGIM – one of our LOLA colleagues. Socitm is the only UK member of the international Linked Organisation of Local Authority ICT Societies (LOLA). They bring a different perspective to us in the UK.
Mike showed us some of the work he did across New Zealand and Australia around a product called Infobase. It’s a database that provides a comprehensive list of vendors, products, and services that councils (in Australia, New Zealand and Canada) are using.
It’s the type of resource that has cropped up in workshops my Socitm colleagues held with members starting to work through LGR and devolution.
We’re testing in Norfolk now. If it’s successful, we’ll work with Socitm to see if and how we can share this with the rest of the UK.
So that’s the first month of being the Socitm President, I wonder what next month will bring?!
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