With the end of 2017 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2018 – and tell us what they cannot do Christmas without
What are you most proud of achieving in 2017?
I am delighted to have joined NS&I and become part of a growing and successful business. NS&I has a unique role in the UK, serving 25 million customers and at the same time serving the public good by raising cost-effective finance for the government. Underpinning this, I am proud to be working with such a dedicated and talented team who are committed to the organisation and its values.
What was your most difficult decision in 2017?
In 2017 I made the decision to move to NS&I from Barclays. While I’m delighted to be in my new role, it did mean cashing in my beloved Premium Bonds, some of which I had held since I was a child! I miss imagining the moment Agent Million would knock on my door to deliver the £1m prize and the excitement of checking to see if I’d won each month, but it’s fun to be a part of the organisation that brings this moment to millions of people across the UK.
What are NS&I’s top priorities in the year ahead?
2018 will be the first year of our new strategy. Embedding this in everything we do and beginning to deliver our strategic goals will be at the forefront of the business. NS&I will continue to focus on delivering cost-effective funding for government through selling savings products to citizens in the UK. This is a highly competitive and innovative marketplace that constantly offers new products and services to customers. We will be looking at how we can embrace emerging opportunities such as open banking and how we can improve our customer proposition through working with fintechs. In addition, we will be looking to grow our Government Payments Service and seek out opportunities to help develop and deliver retail financial services policies. Finally, we have 25 million customers to look after, without whom we wouldn’t have a business!
For you, no Christmas holiday is complete without…
Of course there’s Christmas Pudding, Green and Black’s chocolate and a family winter walk curtailed as the rain sends us all back inside.
For me, however, receiving a new car from my wife is what I really look forward to each Christmas. Over the years I’ve acquired quite a collection; a Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti, McLaren and more. I enjoy working on them over the holiday period… I am always happy to welcome an addition to my Lego collection!