I have been with TONIC for almost three months now and I wanted to use this opportunity to share some of my reflections with you so far.

I joined TONIC after a little over 17 years in the public sector and for me, it felt like a big leap. Being someone who works in public sector research and analysis has been part of my identity for so long, it felt like it was a part of who I was and what I did. I thought I might have to leave some of that behind.

To be honest, I need not have worried. The team at TONIC are committed to their work with public sector organisations and charities, they care deeply about the communities they work with and produce meaningful and impactful insights. They are skilled in a variety of research techniques, yet willing to learn, share knowledge and give back to colleagues, stakeholders and those with whom they connect via their research. They are always seeking opportunities to add value to the lives of people we interact with. The nature and scale of the projects delivered are varied, as are the clients for whom we work, this means that no two days are the same. In short, I felt right at home being surrounded by an amazing team of people and have high hopes about the journey ahead and how I can continue to contribute to the high-quality research and analysis that TONIC provides to public sector organisations as part of this great team.

My transition to TONIC was not only about a new environment but also about entering a new role, Head of Business Development…cue the imposter syndrome! Being involved in wider strategic decisions and business improvement is something that I was becoming more and more passionate about, so whilst it seemed slightly scary to take a little step back from the day-to-day delivery of research this was the right opportunity at the right time. My key areas of focus so far have included income generation and diversification of income streams, reviewing and streamlining internal practices and processes, refreshing our vision and mapping our organisational values, developing and maintaining partnerships and raising our profile.

I am passionate about and excited to continue on this journey of supporting TONIC and the team to continue to grow, expand our services and work together to support organisations achieve impactful changes for our communities. Please keep an eye out for our upcoming social media posts about our activities and our progress!