2025 has been a difficult year. It was a year that forced me to pause, reflect, and eventually reach a much better understanding of how my own brain works. Out of that thinking, I’ve found myself slowly finding my voice again. As a result, this note is a little more personal than previous years.
A difficult start
Early in the year, I hit a wall.
It is difficult to talk about these things, but I think it’s important to recognise it, and to publicly highlight when it happens. Burnout can happen to anybody, no matter how experienced you are; it’s vital to recognise the signs early and give yourself permission to put your own health first.
After a long period of difficult work, I found it increasingly hard to keep going. I wasn’t doing anybody any favours, and I certainly wasn’t giving my best. The truth is, I didn’t realise quite how bad things had become until I stopped. I am incredibly lucky that Public Digital gave me the time and space to pause and focus on getting better.
My return was a nice and slow ramp up - which allowed me to ease back in by focusing on internal capability and writing rather than diving straight back into high-pressure client delivery.
Mum
Just as I was starting to get back on my feet, in April my mum died.
She had been living with a serious lung condition that had progressed to the point where it was impacting her heart. While we knew time was limited, none of us expected it to happen as quickly as it did. She had a heart attack at home and passed away. I am incredibly grateful for the ambulance crew who treated her and my Dad with such care in her last moments.
Mum was a foundational part of who I am.
She shaped my taste in music and was the one who introduced me to - and encouraged - my love of Sci-Fi. I have so many memories of us watching hours of Star Trek together; every week, we’d head to the rental store to pick up the latest Deep Space Nine or Voyager tapes. The staff there used to keep them hidden behind the counter for us so we could be the first to watch them.
But more than that, she was the champion of my interest in technology. She backed me up in arguments with teachers and enrolled me in evening classes to learn the things that school wouldn’t teach me. She even went back to college to do an HND herself, just so she could understand the world I was becoming part of. She’d bring home coding books and software, encouraging me to learn alongside her.
I wouldn’t be doing the work I do today, or be the person I am, without that constant encouragement.
I miss her.
Reflection and reprioritisation
Both the burnout and the loss of my Mum have pushed me to reflect and reprioritise.
I’ve spent more time this year learning about how my brain works, which has led me down the path of finally getting a proper neurodivergence diagnosis. I’ve known for most of my life that I haven’t quite fitted in, but hitting that wall earlier in the year made me realise that I’ve found it harder and harder to “mask” it. Understanding this has been a huge part of my recovery and how I’m thinking about the future.
I also realised that I’ve been increasingly quiet over the last few years, finding it harder to be vocal about the things I truly care about. I’ve been the person behind the scenes getting things done, rather than the leader out front. I’ve been trying to find my voice again - talking a little more publicly and spending much more time writing things down.
Changing the narrative in Wales
Last year at GovCamp Cymru, a group of us found ourselves frustrated that we’d been talking about the same delivery challenges for over a decade with very little change. We decided to do something about it.
What started as a fortnightly catch-up evolved into a formal report: Transforming Public Services for a Modern Wales. It’s a blueprint for how the next Welsh Government should approach delivery. We spent many evenings and weekends writing, editing, and tweaking the text based on feedback - putting into words the lessons we’ve all gathered from years of doing this kind of work elsewhere.
Since then, we’ve been busy socialising the report with politicians and public servants. With a restructured Senedd and a new government arriving in 2026, now is the perfect time for a new approach. A particular highlight was in December, when Ann gave a talk to the Cross-party Senedd Group on Digital at M-Sparc in Ynys Mon.
Work - Public Digital
The year began in the final throes of work with one of the most complex clients I’ve ever worked with, based in Washington DC. While we had hoped the work would continue, the US election results ultimately put a halt to that project - a reminder of how quickly the political landscape can shift the ground beneath our feet.
Given this year’s other challenges, travel took a back seat. The notable exception was a trip to Barbados in February to support the creation of GovTech Barbados. A highlight was discussing why digital transformation is a priority for her government with Prime Minister Mia Mottley. I even found myself dusting off my rusty coding skills to prototype a new government website in the gaps between meetings. It has been great to see that team grow throughout the year, recently launching alpha.gov.bb.
Away from client work, I’ve spent time developing our internal technical capability, including a new inclusive hiring approach for technologists. However, what I’m most happy about is the time I spent writing and editing PD’s latest book, Shaping Technology for Transformation.
The book is a collection of curated articles from myself and my colleagues across PD. It is a guide to building the technological resilience and adaptability organisations need to thrive in the internet era - and, crucially, the foundations they must have in place to be truly ready for AI. I’ve really enjoyed the process of pulling these thoughts together, and I’m really looking forward to launching it in the new year.
Work - Health Board
It has also been an interesting year at the Health Board. We finally published our new 10-year long-term strategy. I’m genuinely pleased with the result; there is a strong emphasis on prevention and a clear “now/next/later” framework for actions. While it isn’t perfect, it is a significant step up from what came before, and the hope is that it becomes a living document rather than a one-off publication.
On the digital front, we approved a plan to replace the frustrating WCCIS system for our mental health services. What excites me most isn’t just the new software, but the commitment to a permanent team to manage it. We also approved the first stage of a major project to rebuild one of our most important hospitals - a project driven partly by the presence of RAAC - transforming it into a major centre for day surgery.
In early 2026, I’ll be coming to the end of my initial four-year term on the Board. It has gone incredibly quickly, and in many ways, I feel like I’m only now really starting to find my feet. The backdrop, however, remains incredibly challenging. The challenges facing the NHS are real, and I’m increasingly convinced that the status quo isn’t sustainable. Without substantial transformation, it’s going to be more and more difficult to keep things running.
The House
Early in the year, we finally finished the first stage of our renovation work and moved into our refurbished studio offices. It has been fantastic to have a dedicated, comfortable place to work - particularly for my writing.
We’ve now moved on to the second phase: the main house. This is the most disruptive part of the plan, involving a new kitchen, bathroom, floors, staircase, and wiring. It’s a lot of upheaval, but it’s restoring original features and modernising the bits of the house we use the most.
Other things in brief
- March: A final visit to my high school before the buildings were demolished to make way for a brand new school.
- April: The wedding of one of my university friends.
- June: A short break in Pembrokeshire, including a visit to The Grove in Narberth for an amazing tasting menu and non-alcoholic drinks pairing.
- October: Two weeks in Scotland, split between Ballindalloch in the Cairngorms and Skye. The weather was awful, but it meant plenty of time to relax, eat well, and read.
Writing this note has been a different, and more difficult experience this year. Usually, these posts are a catalog of projects and travel, but this year has been harder. It has been a year of navigating loss and burnout. And trying to work out who I am.
While I have done a lot of reflecting, thinking, and recovering over the last twelve months, it is very much still a work in progress.
2025 in photos
