A goal of mine this year is to be intentional about how I spend my time and energy to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal life. That starts with prioritisation. I regularly step back to focus on the five decisions that matter most weekly, both personally and professionally, building in time to prepare, reflect and, just as importantly, switch off when needed.
An important part of that balance is using technology more intelligently. I want to lean further into AI to help speed up life, at work and at home, and to reduce wasted energy. We’re seeing the rapid evolution of far larger language models and growing momentum around agentic AI, with real potential to process information faster and support better decision-making. Used thoughtfully, these tools can create space in our professional and personal lives.
I will continue to immerse myself in the tools and technologies shaping our world, understanding not just what’s possible today but what’s coming next. The ability to interact confidently with technology, and to use it to deliver meaningful outcomes, will define the next generation of leadership and is something I intend to keep sharpening throughout 2026.
Personally, my resolution is simple: for every decision, ask whether it moves us closer to where we want to be, not just away from where we are today. Keeping that question front of mind helps ensure we continue to build technology with a clear purpose, rooted in the real needs of the people who use it.
From a leadership perspective, 2026 for me is all about balance. Staying close enough to remain hands-on, while also stepping back to connect the right people at the right moments. Communication plays a huge role here. I’m doubling down on clarity, always starting with the ‘why’, then the ‘what’, and reinforcing the ‘why’ again. When teams understand the purpose, they are best placed to figure out the how.
One resolution around culture for the year ahead is to set a clear rhythm early on. Periods of intense activity are inevitable in technology, but they are also predictable. Planning for peaks – and for the recovery that follows – helps teams sustain performance over the long term. It’s also vital that talent doesn’t operate in silos. High performance should enable and elevate others, ensuring strong teams support strong teams.
On the strategic side, my focus is on making AI genuinely useful for engineers, not just impressive on paper. That means building an AI strategy that empowers teams at every level, with flexible tooling and a developer experience that unlocks new ways of working, including agent-to-agent collaboration. At the same time, the ability to transform data into practical insight will be the true differentiator. Organisations that use this to inform clear decisions grounded in data will be the ones that make consistent, incremental gains.
AI is set to democratise geospatial data, unlocking new ways for people to interact with location intelligence. In 2026, we can expect assistants that can interpret complex datasets and guide users in plain language. Conversational and agentic AI will become mainstream, enabling natural-language queries that democratise access to geospatial insights. Imagine a planner asking ‘where’s the best site for a new school?’ and receiving an answer that combines catchment analysis, transport access and land availability – without needing specialist GIS skills.
Adopting AI isn’t just a technical shift – it’s a cultural one. To be effective, AI tools must be responsibly embedded into workflows, with a strong focus on quality, risk management, and IP protection. This means more than new technology; it requires upskilling and, in some cases, retraining.
That’s why OS is building an AI community and AI champions across the business, alongside curated learning pathways and an AI accelerator to drive experimentation. Innovation must be built on trust and provenance, because reliable data underpins everything – from future-proofing infrastructure against climate change to creating a more connected and sustainable nation.
A goal of mine this year is to be intentional about how I spend my time and energy to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal life. That starts with prioritisation. I regularly step back to focus on the five decisions that matter most weekly, both personally and professionally, building in time to prepare, reflect and, just as importantly, switch off when needed.
An important part of that balance is using technology more intelligently. I want to lean further into AI to help speed up life, at work and at home, and to reduce wasted energy. We’re seeing the rapid evolution of far larger language models and growing momentum around agentic AI, with real potential to process information faster and support better decision-making. Used thoughtfully, these tools can create space in our professional and personal lives.
I will continue to immerse myself in the tools and technologies shaping our world, understanding not just what’s possible today but what’s coming next. The ability to interact confidently with technology, and to use it to deliver meaningful outcomes, will define the next generation of leadership and is something I intend to keep sharpening throughout 2026.
