Talking 5 with Local Public Services Member Dell

Each month, techUK's Associate Director for Local Public Services, Georgina Maratheftis, interviews a member active in the local government space about their vision for the future of local public services and where digital can make a real difference to people and society. This month we talk with Michelle Mcgeoch, Regional Sales Director, Local Government & Police at Dell, about the role that digital plays in delivering best in class services.

Welcome Michelle McGeoch at Dell Technologies. Firstly, tell me more about you, your career and how you got to this position today?

So I started my career at Dell Technologies in 1989 when it was a PC company and clearly Dell has evolved greatly in terms of its customer reach and its breadth of portfolio allowing wider collaboration to help enable our customers with technology.  Through my 35 years in the Tech industry I have worked predominantly with Government customers, often on site with the customer but I have also worked within other Tech organisations which has given me a broader perspective of how we might assist and add value.  I have had the pleasure of working across all sectors within the UK Public Sector for many years and met some great ambassadors who really want to drive positive change and deliver greater outcomes for the country.   I have more recently taken up the role managing specifically Dell’s Local Government business which is very exciting.

What is the greatest opportunity for local government when it comes to digital?

There are so many opportunities to modernise, to advance services and transform the way we work by looking at what’s next in technology and how that can help our Local Government customers.

I believe that as we move into the latest era of AI & Gen AI there is an opportunity to really harness the power of data, bring AI to the data and utilise it much more effectively to gain better insights and ultimately deliver better services & outcomes. 

What is your vision for the future of local public services and places?  

A more joined up approach , more local organisations working collaboratively and sharing best practise for the good of the UK, to deliver best in class services for local people.

I believe local services to be just that -   delivering what’s important to the people in that location whilst also harnessing those services that make sense to deliver at a national level, so making use of best in breed and reaping the benefits of shared platforms & process’s where it makes sense.  

There is still a lot of work to do but as newer technologies are evolving at pace there are reasons to be positive and optimistic about what can be achieved.