After more than three decades leading technical support and customer experience teams, I’ve stepped away from the world of work — not with relief, but with a deep sense of gratitude for the journey and genuine excitement about what comes next.

My career was built on a belief that people matter most. Leading global support teams taught me that technical excellence means little without empathy, emotional intelligence, and the courage to step outside the familiar. As I often reminded my teams: “Ships are safe in harbour, but that’s not what they’re built for.” That philosophy didn’t retire when I did.

Now, I’m putting it into practice in a different way. My partner and I have made the leap to the Isle of Lewis, swapping the rhythms of corporate life for the wide skies, wild coast, and quiet of the Outer Hebrides. It’s a deliberate, joyful reset — the kind of move that takes years to plan and a single moment of courage to make.

Beyond my professional life, I am passionate about hiking, exploring post-modern literature, and creating ambient electronic music, inspired by a love of place and psychogeography. I also have a deep interest in photography, which allows me to capture the world’s subtle details and fleeting moments in a tangible, analogue form.

I remain curious about technology, AI, and the ever-shifting relationship between humans and digital tools — but I’m approaching it now as an observer and maker rather than a manager. The questions still fascinate me; I just no longer have a team to drag into the conversation.

Whether I’m out on the machair with a camera, composing long-form soundscapes at my desk, or watching the stars from somewhere genuinely dark, I’m still committed to authenticity — and to making something worthwhile with whatever time I have.

Oh, and I still talk — a lot.