I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: I’ve had the honour of receiving an award for “Continuous Transformation” at Kaplan. This award recognises the efforts I (and the rest of the incredible Platform team) have made to redefine how we use and host AI within the organisation.
As the eminent Simon Williamson recently blogged about (paraphrasing); those of us who have knowledge of, or understanding behind new technologies, have a duty to make these usually complex topics digestible for the masses. This award shows I’m on the right track for this.
This award isn’t just a personal milestone—it’s a testament to the transformative work we’re doing in the Platform team. The focus has been on leveraging AI to drive innovation internally, ensuring the business stays at the forefront of technology. From hosting AI models securely to refining the way sensitive information is integrated into AI tools, we’ve been paving the way for a future where AI is not only powerful but also responsible.
Information Security is a large part of our daily work; every Engineer should think with a DevSecOps mindset. The recognition highlights how we’ve addressed the dual challenges of accessibility and security. Hosting AI internally has allowed us to unlock its potential while maintaining complete control over data integrity. At the same time, we’ve prioritised safeguarding the flow of information into AI tools, ensuring compliance and building trust across the organisation.
A college and I recently joked that we need to “brace, brace” for the incoming wave of AI tooling we will be required to maintain; we’re in a good position to do that, which feels good!
This journey has been nothing short of transformative, and I’m immensely proud of what I have achieved, plus all the efforts of the other Engineers in the Platform team - we are really making a difference. It reminds me of the impact anyone can make when innovation meets accountability.