What was your highlight of 2025?
Personally, it's obviously Liverpool winning the Premier League! Professionally, I was so proud of the expertise, professionalism and persistence of colleagues in successfully landing trade deals with the United States, India and the European Union – which will create jobs and opportunities right across the country.
What was the hardest part of being a leader in 2025?
Taking colleagues through the implications of our FutureDBT programme to ensure the department has the capability to deliver on the priority of economic growth. We will be 25% smaller as we shift resources into direct support for business. This obviously affects the lives of our colleagues and their families. It's so important to make sure we handle this transparently, fairly and with decency.
What are the main challenges facing your department in the coming year?
Our number one priority, our North Star, is economic growth. We need to work with a sense of urgency, creativity and ambition to help businesses invest, export and grow.
Which celebrity or historical figure would you choose to turn on the Christmas lights in your town – and why?
Jurgen Klopp. An amazing manager, but more importantly such an inspirational leader. He would help us all enter 2026 with a sense of hope and optimism.
Read all the entries to this year's perm secs round up here