In the public sector, customer experience (CX) isn't just about satisfaction; it’s about trust, accessibility, and delivering essential services to every citizen. Unlike the commercial world, our focus isn’t on the most profitable segments, but on ensuring equitable, effective interactions for all. This fundamental distinction defines the unique challenges – and immense opportunities – for CX leaders across government bodies.
This critical perspective is precisely why we partnered with Marketing Week, Google Cloud, and Salesforce on the CX50 2025. This year, their focus on the public sector highlights the visionaries who are not just adopting technology, but thoughtfully integrating it to serve millions. It's about understanding the profound implications of digital transformation when you're responsible for the lives and livelihoods of an entire population.
Anaïs Reding, Chief Digital Officer at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), articulates this responsibility with striking clarity. As she emphasizes, when building public services, we "always have to worry about 100% of users." This isn't a minor detail; it drives every design choice, every communication strategy, and every technology implementation. It demands robust, transparent, and trustworthy systems that cater to diverse needs, from internet access limitations to complex data handling.
Recognising Public Sector CX Excellence: The CX50 2025
The CX50's recognition of these leaders underscores the sector’s growing maturity in digital experience. These are individuals who navigate complex mandates, ensure operational resilience, and drive innovation that yields tangible societal benefits. Their collective efforts offer a powerful blueprint for organisations committed to mastering CX within this vital domain.
THE CX50 2025: PUBLIC SECTOR
Theo Blackwell, Chief Digital Officer, Greater London Authority
Chris Howes, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
David Knott, Government Chief Technology Officer, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Megan Lee-Devlin, Director General, Service Transformation, Ministry of Justice
Sonia Patel, Chief Technology Officer, NHS England
Anaïs Reding, Chief Digital Officer, Department for Business and Trade
Daljit Rehal, Chief Digital and Information Officer, HM Revenue and Customs
Joanna Rowland, Director General, Customer Services Group, Home Office
Gill Stewart, Chief Digital Officer, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Helen Wylie, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Department for Work and Pensions
Trust as the Cornerstone of Innovation
Maintaining public confidence is paramount. As Rohit Gupta, our Managing Director for UK and Ireland, observes in the Marketing Week article, consumer trust in AI varies, and for public bodies, decisions carry profound weight. This is why the public sector's approach to AI adoption often appears more deliberate than the private sector's. It's not a lack of technological ambition, but a deeply ingrained sense of accountability and responsibility to citizens. We’re not just deploying technology; we are building foundational digital infrastructure that millions rely on.
The Strategic Imperative: Service Ecosystems
Anaïs Reding's vision of "service ecosystems" is compelling. It acknowledges that no single government department can be the sole provider of all services. Instead, it advocates for leveraging technology, particularly AI, as a connective force. This involves creating platforms that amplify government's value by securely and transparently linking citizens and businesses with a wider, trusted network of third-party services and content.
Imagine a citizen visiting a government website, trusting the official brand, and through intelligent AI, seamlessly gaining access to relevant, vetted content and services from a vast array of trusted external organizations. This paradigm shift transforms government from a siloed provider into a trusted orchestrator of an expansive support network. It enables personalised, proactive service delivery, drawing on an entire ecosystem that extends far beyond departmental boundaries.
This vision underscores a critical principle for us: user-centered design must lead every technological discussion. The focus must always be on how technology genuinely enables better service delivery and helps citizens achieve their goals, rather than merely showcasing new features. It’s about asking: "Does this technology truly add value and enhance the citizen's journey, or is it just an alternative to what was already available?"
The public sector, with its unique responsibilities and commitment to inclusive service delivery, is forging a profoundly impactful approach to CX. They are not simply adopting technology; they are strategically integrating it to build resilient, trustworthy, and immensely powerful "service ecosystems." This, unequivocally, is the future of public sector customer experience.
