Swindon Borough Council: Past, present and future
Sam Mowbray, Chief Executive at Swindon Borough Council, recently joined us at ‘Transforming Swindon: A look back, and forward, at digital innovation’, an event highlighting eight years of progress through digital transformation.
Reflecting on her ten years at Swindon, Sam shared insights from the council’s journey to modernise its services—demonstrating that meaningful digital transformation is rooted in people, culture, and leadership, not just technology.
Although not a native of Swindon, Sam has made the town her home and takes pride in its history. From its early days as a railway hub engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to its evolution into a centre for the motor industry, Swindon has continually reinvented itself. Even after the closure of a major car manufacturer before the COVID pandemic, the town has emerged as a growing centre for drone technology and climate tech innovation.
This spirit of reinvention provided a strong foundation for transformation within the council itself.
When Sam joined the council in 2015, the organisation faced significant internal challenges. Paper-based processes were widespread, with 15 million sheets printed annually, while only 8.5% of interactions with residents occurred online. Alongside pressure on public-facing services, internal inefficiencies were affecting staff productivity and morale.
Recognising these challenges, Sam launched an organisational excellence initiative in 2017 to modernise services for both staff and residents. Crucially, this was not approached as a technology programme alone, but as a broader transformation focused on people, culture, and processes.
As Sam explains:
“Do not lead with the technology. People care about changing the lives of residents.”
Swindon’s approach was built on a set of clear, practical principles that can be applied across organisations:
These foundations ensured that transformation was not only initiated, but sustained.
A key milestone in Swindon’s transformation was working with a delivery partner aligned in values and approach. Sam emphasised the importance of choosing partners who understand organisational culture and long-term goals, rather than focusing solely on technology capability.
Establishing repeatable service patterns enabled the council to scale digital services more effectively and increase adoption among residents.
The results of Swindon Borough Council’s transformation have been significant:
Beyond these metrics, the most important outcome has been the creation of a more agile, transparent, and empowered organisation.
Swindon’s experience reinforces a key lesson for digital leaders: sustainable transformation is driven by leadership, culture, and trust—not just systems.
Sam’s message to digital professionals is clear: trust your teams, empower your people, and create space for experimentation.
As she concluded:
“COVID showed us that we could trust people to take on new challenges and learn on the job. We just need to be brave and take some of the brakes off.”
For organisations at any stage of their transformation journey, the lesson is simple but powerful: start with people, focus on outcomes, and build a culture that enables change to thrive.
originally posted here
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