What's next?

It’s been nearly two months since I left GDS. It’s high time I talked a bit more about what’s next for me.

I was really pleased with everything we got done in my last few weeks at GDS. Alongside the inevitable handover tasks, we made a big announcement about the future of government networking), began to share a draft policy about APIs and expanded the guidance around the “Cloud First” policy. I remain very grateful to the many brilliant colleagues who helped get all that done.

For the most part I spent February trying to slow down. I finished some books, watched some films, and had coffee with lots of friends. But I can’t switch off completely, so I spent a very pleasant morning doing a little mentoring for Matt’s accelerator and preparing for sessions at OpenGov Leadership Forum Philippines, Cloud Expo Europe and CyberUK In Practice.

March has been another change of gears. I spent some time helping FutureGov work through plans for an exciting new project. I then had a couple of days in Toronto sharing experiences and advice with the Ontario government. Then it was Manila, where I spent a day talking with regional governments about cloud and leadership. And quick stops at Cloud Expo Europe, and CyberUK In Practice (chairing a panel on cloud security).

I’ve decided that my next phase is going to be a spell of independent consulting. It wouldn’t be right to dive straight into one big thing after the intense experience of building and sustaining GDS. And I quite like the thought of a bit more variety. I’m already seeing how much the lessons learned at GDS can help all sorts of other organisations.

I want to help organisations who are trying to integrate internet-era technology and thinking into their strategy. To help people approach security as a positive agent for change. To bring together cross-disciplinary teams and adopt continuous delivery. The sort of things we did at GDS, but in a few different contexts.

So… if you think I could help you, do get in touch. I’m London based, but happy to travel for the right project.

(To keep up the travel theme, I’m also planning a trip to Perth, Australia in May to speak at YOW! West. If you know of anyone round there who’d like some of my time, I have a few days free around the conference and would love to use them productively).