It is a real privilege to be in a position to support Hackney's digital transformation, while also having the opportunity to work in a fantastic borough that I know so well having previously been a resident here for 10 years.

In my previous role, as part of a strong core team in Buckinghamshire CC we had to move quickly to meet the council's ambition of saving £1.9m through digital over three years. One of my last acts was to inform the scrutiny committee that we were on track to meet the target for this year. But I was acutely aware of the trade-off between working rapidly to improve residents' experiences and winning hearts and minds among colleagues.