Governments don’t often look outside their walls for leadership talent—but they should.
Because here’s the truth: when you’ve spent your career in the private sector, especially in a place like Apple, you learn to see systems differently. You’re trained to spot friction, chase clarity and prioritize the customer experience—not just in theory, but in execution. And that’s exactly what many public institutions are missing.
The best private companies don’t just streamline—they obsess. They build systems for the user, both external and internal, constantly asking: Is this easy? Is it intuitive? Does it make someone’s day better?
Now ask yourself this: when was the last time a government form or process felt like that?
Lesson #1: If you want trust, design for ease.
In government, our “customers” are residents, taxpayers and business owners. They deserve services that are accessible, responsive and human. They deserve friendliness. They deserve empathy. And they love to see—more than anything—a bias for action.
Before entering public service, I spent nearly two decades in the private sector, including fourteen years at Apple. I worked in the U.S., China and Europe. Across every culture and every market, the core lesson was the same: the most powerful form of innovation isn’t always a product. It’s how you make people feel.
Real transformation in government starts with people who are brave enough to ask better questions—and act on the answers
At Apple, that meant “surprise and delight”—not just on the sales floor, but embedded in our leadership philosophy. It meant asking better questions, obsessing over details and treating colleagues and customers as people first.
The Apple Retail Credo says: Our soul is our people. That wasn’t just a slogan—it was a call to lead with heart.
Lesson #2: Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall. It’s what gets reinforced every day.
Often we see a very different rhythm in government. You may experience systems that were designed around internal workflows, not resident or business owner needs. Processes are inherited, not questioned. Efficiency may be a nice-to-have.
But private sector leaders are trained to reverse that. We begin with the end-user and work backward. We ask, What problem are we solving and for whom? That mindset is transformational in the public sector— because the stakes are even higher.
In business, you may lose a sale. In government, you might lose public confidence.
Lesson #3: In government, design with empathy, and lead like it matters—because it does.
Bringing an outside perspective doesn’t mean ignoring the constraints of government. It means asking better questions within those constraints. It means pairing innovation with accountability and reminding everyone that operational excellence isn’t exclusive to the private sector—it’s just not always expected in the public one.
But it should be.
At Apple, clarity, speed and trust weren’t aspirational— they were baseline. Expectations were high, but so was the investment in people. Leadership wasn’t about managing—it was about creating conditions where others could thrive. That mindset—people first, purpose always—has been foundational in how I lead my team in Government Relations today.
When I made the leap into public service, I wasn’t just bringing a resumé. I was bringing a philosophy. I know how to build high-trust teams, communicate with transparency and scale systems that work.
And perhaps most importantly, I understand urgency. In business, delays cost revenue. In government, they cost trust.
The public sector is full of smart, capable professionals. What it often lacks is a culture of iteration—a willingness to ask, Is this still working? and Can we do better?
At Apple, that question was built into the rhythm of our work. In government, I’ve had to bring that rhythm with me— and model it through action. Real transformation doesn’t start with systems or software. It starts with people who are brave enough to ask better questions—and act on the answers.
