Suzanne Newton, Operational Excellence award, 2014
What was your role in 2014?
I was the programme director for real time information (RTI) for PAYE at HMRC. We were delivering the biggest change to the PAYE system in 70 years – no small feat! I was leading a virtual team of 400, working with hundreds of payroll software suppliers and supporting millions of employers and employees across the UK. The stakes were high: RTI was a critical dependency for Universal Credit, so there was a lot of pressure and a lot of eyes on us. I was also juggling life at home with young twins, so it was a real balancing act.
And where are you now?
Fast forward to today, and I’m HMRC’s director general for the change delivery group. I lead a fantastic group of around 1,000 people and I’m responsible for some of the department’s biggest and most complex programmes. It’s a role that keeps me on my toes, but I love the challenge and the opportunity to make a real difference.
Tell us a bit more about the award-winning project, and what you are proudest of when you look back on it?
RTI ended up being recognised as Project of the Year at both the Pay and Benefits Magazine Awards and the Real IT Awards in 2014, and I was lucky enough to win the Operational Excellence Award at the Civil Service Awards. But what I’m genuinely proudest of is the team we built and the culture we created. We brought together people from all sorts of backgrounds – policy, commercial, comms, operations, strategy – and focused on being open, resilient and relentlessly outcome-driven. We didn’t just deliver a project; we changed the way people thought about what was possible.
What was the biggest challenge?
Without a doubt, it was the sheer scale and complexity of the change, and the level of scrutiny we were under. There were plenty of doubters as to whether we could deliver this change, and we were working in the shadow of some previous projects that hadn’t gone so well. On a personal level, I was working compressed hours and raising young children, so there were days when it felt like I was running a marathon in an hour! But I learned to be honest when things were tough and to lean on my team when I needed to.
What lesson did you take from the project?
One of the biggest lessons was the importance of involving end users right from the start and being crystal clear about the outcomes you want. I also learned that bad news doesn’t get better with age – being open and honest, even when it’s uncomfortable, is absolutely vital. And, finally, resilience is everything. Projects are relentless, but if you build a supportive team around you, you can get through anything.
What is your strongest memory of the night you won?
My strongest memory is just the overwhelming pride I felt in the team. It was such a special moment to pause, look back at everything we’d been through, and celebrate together.
Who did you tell first?
The first people I told were my family and my team. My family had been there through all the late nights and early mornings, and my team had given their all to make the project a success. Sharing that moment with them was incredibly special.
What impact did winning have on you, personally or professionally?
Winning gave me a real boost in confidence. It made me believe that I could take on even bigger challenges and trust my instincts as a leader. Professionally, it opened doors and raised my profile, but more than anything, it reinforced my belief in the power of teamwork and honest leadership.
Can you give us the highlights reel of what has happened in your career since then and how you ended up leading the change delivery group at HMRC?
Since RTI, I’ve had the chance to take on some amazing roles: director of transformation portfolio at HMRC, director at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, and chief portfolio officer at the Home Office. Each role taught me something new about leadership, innovation and building high-performing teams. In February 2023, I came back to HMRC as director general for change delivery and I’m now leading the department’s most significant programmes and helping to shape its future.
Do you have any advice for this year’s winners and shortlisted teams about making the most of their achievement?
Absolutely: take the time to celebrate! Recognise everyone who played a part and don’t be shy about sharing your story and what you’ve learned. Use the recognition as a springboard to support others and keep building on your success. Stay humble, stay curious and remember: the best projects are built on trust, honesty and a shared sense of purpose. There’s always more to learn and new challenges ahead, so keep going!