Ambition, Tenacity, & Delivery - In Conversation with Sarah Windrum

A founder sells her shares, goes back to school for data science and AI, and then lands in a role that sounds simple but isn’t: making sure a world-class mobility and automotive innovation site gets seen, funded, and understood. 

I sit down with Sarah Windrum to unpack the real story behind economic development, public sector and private sector collaboration, and the kind of relationship-building that turns regional ambition into national attention.

We dig into the early signals that made AI feel inevitable long before it became the daily headline. From cloud technology and SME adoption to the rising demand for insight, trends, and predictive analytics, Sarah explains why “more data” only matters when it improves productivity and decision-making. 

If you care about electric vehicles, automotive engineering, mobility innovation, or how the UK improves growth, competitiveness, and jobs, you’ll hear a grounded view of what actually moves the needle.

Then we go personal. Parenting while running a business means tradeoffs that don’t fit neatly into a highlight reel, from leaving a school sports day during a crisis to canceling professional commitments when your child needs you. We talk about making hard calls, being honest with people, and living with the reality that balance is a practice, not a perfect plan.

We also break down what it takes to bring senior leaders to a place like MIRA Tech Park, including the Prime Ministerial visit to launch the industrial strategy, the importance of cross-party support, and how a well-designed ecosystem creates collaboration instead of silos. 

So, if you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, share it with a friend who cares about EVs and industrial policy, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. 

...And, if you have been - thank you for listening! 

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Swap

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Uh and then I decided it was time to kind of sell my shares in the in the company.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

I was like, Hello, and welcome to the Electric and Eclectic Podcast Show with Roger Atkins and some truly super smart and amazingly interesting guests.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

I obviously had you know my daughter and wanted to kind of have a bit more freedom, I guess, in terms of you know understanding how you could get the best out of the public and the private sector working together. Are you sitting comfortably? Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Hello everybody. I'd uh thought I'd like to turn the tables on uh on Sarah, on Sarah Wyndham, because you kind of interviewed me for the podcast a few months ago now. It was for Christmas, wasn't it? That's right, yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Well, I've had an unusual path, shall I say, into uh working for Hariba Myra and Myra Tech Park. Uh so I ran my own technology company. Uh and as part of that I worked uh, well, volunteered, I should say, um, for Commentary and Warwickshire's local enterprise partnership. Um so I was a board director there and then I was chair. Uh and what the local enterprise partnerships did was they brought the private sector and the public sector together uh to invest in economic development. So in in money that came from central government to the regions, so kind of the precursor to devolution, if you will. Right. And uh so so that was my kind of voluntary uh role, and from there um supported the formation of the West Midlands Combined Authority. So uh Andy Street obviously was the first mayor, but we kind of brought the authority together before that. Yes, I'm sure we'll talk about that as well. Um and so so yeah, so that was kind of uh uh my as I say, my kind of voluntary career alongside building and and scaling this technology company. Uh, and then I decided it was time to kind of sell my shares in in the company. I was sort of a bit tired, I'd been, you know, doing it for over a decade and uh obviously had you know my daughter and and wanted to kind of have a bit more freedom, I guess, in terms of you know, managing and scaling a company is a lot of responsibility. And uh so I'd been to visit uh well sorry, first I went back to university. So I did an MSc in data science and AI because everyone back then in twenty twenty, twenty-21, everyone was saying how AI was gonna be the next big thing, and you know, here we are, uh kind of living through some of that. Uh, and then so I sold the company, went back to university, and then when I graduated, I had absolutely no idea what I was gonna do. Because I could be a graduate data scientist, and I looked at some of those roles, but then I had all this experience in you know understanding how you could get the best out of the public and the private sector working together, and how that drove economic growth and opportunity, an inclusive opportunity for communities as well. Uh, so I wasn't going to do that as a graduate data scientist, and I felt like, well, I'm gonna miss that. I really, you know, that really felt quite purposeful. Uh, and I'd been to visit um Hariba Myra and the tech park a couple of times in in my role as as uh chair of Coventry and Warwickshire uh local enterprise partnership. Loved what they did, felt like this was one similar to so much exciting uh technology and opportunity being built here. You know, really you see the future kind of before your eyes. And I'm not an engineer like yourself, but I wanted to be part of that. Um so I I wrote to Declan and said, I've got these very kind of strange skills that I've sort of put together. Is there any opportunity for me to come and work with you? Um, and we had a conversation and and

From Founder To Tech Park Advocate

SPEAKER_02 3:44

kind of the rest is history. Here I am. Uh, and and the reason it was so important for um Myra Tech Park, particularly at the moment, we're in this real challenging uh geography for devolution. So we don't have devolution where we sit here right now. We're in both Warwickshire and Leicestershire, and neither of those counties have that kind of overarching mayoral authority, which means we don't get any economic development funding to support growth in this area. But as you know, Myra Tech Park, 40 plus businesses now really accelerating growth for you know the communities of this area, and um we need someone to they well the uh Hariba Meyer and the tech park needed someone to shout about that, and that's my job basically.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

It's not long-winded at all, and you know what, you said you're not an engineer, but it struck me as you were describing all of that, Sarah. You you've engineered an amazing, you know, situation in terms of knowledge, experience, and yeah, you talk about passion. You can't fake passion. No, you you you either feel it or it it's not there. Yes, I think. Um so so I and yeah, you're right, we're we're kindred spirits in that. You know, the engineering here, the mix of companies here, the opportunity both for large and small companies to come and join uh and progress it, it's yeah, it's it's a very exciting time. Um and that point about you know, choosing as you did, and ten years is hard graft. That's like, you know, some people do bad stuff and go to prison for less than that, you know. So so that's very impressive. And the fact then, and it in a one way it's not a long time ago, but it is in in m many aspects, to focus on AI as you did then, what, 2021 you said?

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Yeah, you know, it's even that it's like five years ago. Um, of course, everybody talks about it now. They did last year, a bit the year before. But back in 2021 it wasn't at the the heart of everything, it wasn't the zeitgeist.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

No, it was coming. You knew it was coming. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

So why did you know it was coming? I mean, I'm just like to understand that a little bit because it is a lot to do with everyone we've got here, you know, at

Data, Cloud, And Early AI Signals

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Myra Tech Park now.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

So I think it was data, really, and what I was doing in the um my so my company was a cloud technology company. So started in 2009, previous to that I'd worked for BlackBerry. Um, so it was kind of bringing that mobile technology uh and that IT infrastructure world together. And again, you know, everyone uh knows about cloud technology now, but in 2009 I was targeting SMEs. So I'd worked with a lot of big companies, obviously, in my my role with the BlackBerry um uh uh you know as BlackBerry account manager. So it was then bringing some of that experience to those smaller scaling growing uh businesses, again, we didn't call them scale-ups then, but it was those companies that needed to embrace that technology. Yeah, um, so so that was kind of how it how it all started. And and I think increasingly as the time went on, the demand from those companies was all about data. You know, we were using Power BI and we were giving them productivity reports, but they weren't really, in my mind, they were activity, not productivity. And I thought, well, how do I understand some of this better? How do I understand how you can get you know insight and analysis and trends and predictive analytics out of out of data? Um so that's what led me to do the um to do the the MSc in data science and AI. And initially I thought I would bring it into the business, but at that point I thought actually no, this is this is something different, this is gonna take me in a in a different direction.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Yeah, and wow, great direction as well. And and and I think that thing about data, which I'll confess I I had this for you for a long time, that it was a bit boring. It was a bit like, you know, well, it's just stuff, isn't it? You know, it's just information that gets put somewhere in, you know, s some system. But but but it's not, it's at the heart of you know, product, service, strategy. Well, I don't need to tell you. You look, you're cleverer than me. I shouldn't start pretending I know this stuff because I don't. Um but I get the gist. I hope I get the gist. Uh right, so the one thing I really wanted to sit down and talk to you about in particular um is yeah, what what you're doing now and how you seem to be, you know, very much at the heart of getting hold of the right people, bringing some significant people here, ministers, government ministers.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Prime Minister.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

Well, yeah, okay. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, fair enough. You know, no, no, blow the trumpet, blow the trumpet. Um that that stuff's important, but

The Real Cost Of Working Parenthood

SPEAKER_01 8:28

can I just jump back for a second? I am being reminded at the moment of how challenging and tricky it is to bring up children because we've recently got grandchildren, you know, now in our 60s, we've got twin grandchildren who are 22 months and a little granddaughter who's four months. And I'm being reminded of how challenging that is in juggling child uh children, nursery, and then school, obviously eventually with our grandchildren, and having a career and and and running a business or or whatever. Have you got any reflection on all of that? Because uh, you know, I need to understand things. I'm asking for help basically. Yes, you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Uh I think you know, the challenge for me is it's always there's always a sacrifice involved. And I think I mean I can take you straight to a time when it's my daughter's PE day at school and um I'm there for the morning, you know, book the day off, I'm there for the morning. Crisis comes in, I have to leave. She wins the running race, I see a video of it from another mum on their phone. You know, that's the stuff that you don't talk about. But you you have to make those sacrifices. Would I do the same thing again? I mean, probably. You know, it was a crisis, the company needed me at that particular point. It's really difficult because you're having to kind of continually make those decisions. But I think as long as you can kind of step back and look at, you know, at the end of the day and go, okay, I've prioritised the business. Now, you know, when my daughter needs me, obviously I'm 100% there all the time. And I think also, so she's 14 now, I think she recognises the value of hard work. She understands that you can't nothing, you know, that what's the there's an image, isn't there, of kind of the iceberg and what people see as the success at the tip, and they don't see all that sacrifice and hard work and persistence and consistency and all of those things underneath. Yeah, she's seen that, she understands that that's what success takes.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Or more looking at the gliding swan, so yeah. You know, the thing underneath going like that, you know. Exactly. And and I like I said, the reason I brought it up was because, like I said, I'm seeing it afresh now, to be really honest. You know, um I don't know at the time when our children were little, it kind of all just went by, but um seeing it now and how that challenge is a balance for for both the dad and and and mum. Yeah, um, and and and because these days most families have to, it's both partners that are working, you know, the man and the woman. So so this stuff's you know tricky. That's a great answer, and thank you for you know, I wanted to be okay, personal. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Well, I mean, conversely, I can tell you about a time when I was supposed to be at a tech awards giving an award out, and my daughter needed me, and I had to call and cancel. You know, I think that's this is it, you have to make these decisions as you go along. Yes, but I think it's all about kind of going, well, I've I'm I need to prioritize X right now, now I need to prioritize this. And and being comfortable with having to make some of those difficult decisions, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

Yeah, well, it's heart and head, isn't it? And this is life, you know, life's full of heart and head decisions, and we're making them all the time, really.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

And I think often people are more accepting than you think. So I think being honest with someone and saying, look, I can't make it, you know, this has happened, my daughter needs me. I mean, it wasn't it, you know, it wasn't an illness or anything. She was just, you know, fascinated. Ne needed me there at that particular time. And it's like, well, that's the decision I have

Prime Minister Visit And Industrial Strategy

SPEAKER_02 12:00

to make then.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Yeah. Okay, so all of that went on, but meanwhile, the Prime Minister came here a little while ago, and you you man you helped make that happen. Now, I'm fascinated about this. So can you just remind everybody why he came here and how significant that was because of what was announced?

SPEAKER_02 12:17

So it was June last year, and it was the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the then Secretary of State for Business. Full House. Full House, exactly. Uh, to launch the industrial strategy. Yeah. So the most important strategy for economic growth in the UK for arguably a decade.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

I could totally agree with you, and and like other commentators have been shouting, you know, why haven't we got an industrial strategy? Where is it? Where is it? And then it's launched there. Well, well done, yeah. So your job in terms of bringing together people here, um, and thanks for correcting me, from the Prime Minister right the way through. Um, how do you go about that? You know, how do you map out what influence can be and how you build that support, strategic support, investment support, etc. How do you map it all out, Sarah?

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Well, you start with your ambassadors, don't you, kind of within within government. So the Department of Business and Trade, you know, we're very well aligned with with what they're what they're doing. Right. A lot of what we're driving at at um Myra Tech Park is, you know, we're enablers for growth and particularly for growth in automotive and and mobility. So we've got those natural allies in in the Department of Business and Trade. So we've very much been working closely with them. You know, before I before I came, this isn't this isn't all me, this is relationships that have been built over time. And then obviously I'm able to kind of enhance those, um, make sure that they've got the right evidence that they need when they're talking to uh to to ministers. Yes. Um using you know our R MPs uh locally here. We've got three that cover our geography. They're all conservative and Labour, they're all fantastic, they're all real champions for for what we do here and for the potential, because I think that's the other thing. It's great to have the evidence of what we've done, but actually, my message to to all of government is you know, and that's regional and national, but look at the potential, look at what we could achieve. We build out the master plan here. You're talking about a once-in-a-generation opportunity for for this part of the Midlands because of everything that's happened um, you know, previously in a kind of post-industrial heartland that we've got here.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Yeah, and it's and you definitely speak with passion about this, and you've alluded to something that I think is really important, you know, a real lesson to be learned is cross-party support, you know, apolitical, if you like, uh influence. So as I understand it, the battery industrialization centre came about in that way, you know, in between Labour and Conservative and others. It was what's in the best interest of the region, not where do we score political points. Yeah. And I'm sure there was a bit of a bit of that along the way. But but something like that is uh, in my opinion, jewel in the crown of the battery ambition of the UK. And yes, we've got gigafactories, we've got Agritas building now, we've got AESC obviously up for a good number of years now in the Northeast and and building on that. Um so how can you encourage that? How can you not be political? Because if you're dealing with the government of the day, you're dealing with the elected politicians of the day, but I guess also the civil service, which is which is there constantly. Yes. So any any thoughts on that you can share?

SPEAKER_02 15:48

Yeah, as I say, I think that's where your relationships with those civil servants who, as you say, are being toughed with driving the objectives of the current government. I mean, we know it's always going to be about growth. We know the UK needs uh needs you know uh improved productivity, improved growth, and that's what we're enabling here. So that's as you say, we it's very, it's very um, you know, we've got all the evidence. We we can make it easy for for um for the civil servants when they're talking to to um their ministerial uh teams. But also it's I mean you know this better than anyone, it's people, it's relationships,

Cross-Party Influence Through Evidence

SPEAKER_02 16:28

it's kind of making sure you go to the events and and you chat to to to kind of the key people, having that prospect list. I mean, it's very similar to to how you build a business really, in that sense that you you you know you build relationships with with people, you understand what they're um what they want. Uh, you know, I listen to a lot of of uh um different kind of podcasts, so the Institute for Government podcast, the rest is politics. Yes. Um, you know, just getting that sense of well, what are people different people's priorities, looking through the transcripts of you know, the speeches that get get made by by um uh you know various figureheads and you know also people who've previously been in government. I mean Grant Schapps talks a lot about uh defence, obviously, from his previous uh um Secretary of State role. So listening to those people, you know, they've got they've got great knowledge and just understanding kind of how we help to enable some some of what they're trying to achieve. So yeah, it's a lot of research, it's a lot of data, and then it's a lot of kind of layering what we've got on top of that.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Yeah. Well, data's your thing, sir. You told us earlier. But the thing in you describing all of that, that again I'm reminding of that swan with the feet under the water thing. When I come, you've invited me kindly to some of your amazing gatherings that that we have here. Um the fact that so much has had to go on behind the scenes to make that happen, to bring those people together, to influence those those companies and and organizations come and spend their time here, and the creation of those happenstance moments where people are like, Oh, I didn't know that. Oh, are you doing this? Oh, let's do it together. You know, that whole culture of together everyone achieves more, you know, which I I I love the acronym because it spells team. Yeah, you know. I I I'm impressed by simple things. Um, you do a lot of that, but again, just like you did with your work before, as you explained at the beginning, um the what people don't see is all of that groundwork, all of that legwork, all of that extra time, all of those, all of that, you know, research, all of that reading that then takes you to the point that people see the result. But but you've you've you've earned that, you know, you've had to you've had to build that.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

And I mean I'm incredibly lucky. Like, as you say, the the the work that goes on here, the hard work, the commitment to supporting our customers, uh, you know, our businesses that are based here, I I get to go and talk about that. I mean, I honestly I pinch myself sometimes and think I have genuinely the best job in the world because I get to take all of that knowledge and expertise and excellence and go and tell the world it's happening and and how it's supporting them. I mean it's it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 19:15

I'm with I'm Sarah, I'm with you. I I honestly I sometimes think all I do is bathe in the reflected glory of other people's hard endeavour. You know, and people say, Oh, it's really cool, you're doing that. No, I'm not doing it, I just know the people that are. But I I think um I was talking to to one of the students earlier about this. That the the fact is that you know, um anything in this world that's to do with progress and development change comes from not just individuals but primarily teams. And any environment where you bring together people and and you create that that community spirit in some fashion um works really well. I know when I spoke to Jack, I asked the question well, okay, this you know, a lot goes on here that's very focused, very um uh what's a confidential, you know. You have to I have to get my phone covered with stickers and all this, and it's of course it should be secure, but the fact that even with all of that, you still get this cross-collaboration, for you know, cross-fertilization of of ideas and things. I think that's a trick you get really done well here.

Designing Spaces That Create Collaboration

SPEAKER_01 20:25

Um, can you give us another little flavour of how and why that works then? How you haven't got just 40 odd silos and no one ever sees anybody. Where do people meet?

SPEAKER_02 20:34

Well, again, I can't take the credit for this. I think Jack and the team have worked really hard at creating this collaborative ecosystem with um you know places to be. So the hub, um, you know, over lunchtime, people are there, they're they're you know, they're chatting, you've got a a a mix of of all the different companies. You can you know, you see all the logoed gear, so you can just you know take a kind of snapshot of all the different people, people that are that are here.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

And really they really do mix and mingle?

SPEAKER_02 21:04

Yeah, they mix and mingle. I mean, you've got the Myra Technology Institute, so there'll be a lot of training and CPD that can go on there. Again, you see, you know, similar in terms of different companies taking advantage of that, having that that close by. Um, you've got the the the coffee van that goes around. Yes. Um, you know, and again, I've seen uh with with street food in in the summer, and I've seen you know great conversation heard, overheard great conversations happening in those queues. I mean, it is, as you said, there is almost a kind of once you're here, there is a an understanding that you've been uh you know, I I guess vetted to a certain extent. I mean, you know, not not kind of full security clearance, but you know, you you're you're part of the ecosystem, therefore there is this kind of sense of a bit more openness. And perhaps you wouldn't discuss these things out in the wider world, but you're you're you're happy to kind of um talk a bit more and be a bit more open here.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

But I as I say, I do think a lot of that. Is in the creation of these, you know, of these of these spaces and and and the way that they work, communal meeting rooms in the innovation centre. You know, you you end up kind of having to talk and find out who who's here and and what's going on. The fact that we we've got the the logos, we do um bring our our occupiers together for different events. So we've just done one around um ESG. So we're saying to them, well, this is what we're doing in terms of of supporting with your scope three and with some of the um social impact programs that that Lindsay looks after. Can we help you? Do you want do you want to be part of these? I mean, we've got a litter pick that went on this lunchtime that again is cross-tenants, you know, across across companies on the site that getting involved in in that and helping to to to So you drive it.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

It's not just let's hope it happens. It's actually structured.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:55

Yeah, but but in in a nice way without being too formalised.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

And continue. I mean, the l so the litter picks, I was just chatting to Lindsay there over lunch, they've been running for about 18 months now. And obviously there was a lot of those events where it was just Hareba Myra and Myra take part people, but actually you do them every month. All of us they go out to to um places you know close by. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

Um that's I was gonna say, I haven't seen any litter here on the other. No, so it's not it's not here. No, it's yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Yeah, they go out to kind of some of the uh they do but they do a lunchtime one and and sometimes in the summer they'll do evening ones. Um and uh I lose track of how much how many litres of litter they've collected, but it's a lot.

SPEAKER_01 23:33

Oh honestly, I I don't get litter, I don't understand.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

No, it's t it's terrible, isn't it? But again, I think it's that commitment to well, we're doing these, and then as you say, the businesses here go, oh well, it's happening again. Oh, it's happening again, oh we'll go this time. Yes. Um things like the big feed uh that that Lindsay does as well, that we're doing, we did one of those last year, we're doing another one this year. It is that consistency of activity, and as you said, it's providing that structure by which these companies can can get involved.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

Well, there's a lot in that, and yeah, I I'd like to, if I can get have I been vetted by the way? I don't felt uh have I been vetted? I must have been, I guess. Well, you will when you go through the contracting process.

SPEAKER_02 24:15

So yeah, you won't worry about that later.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

Oh, I've been well, I guess I have been vetted at some point. I didn't feel a thing, to be honest with you. But but what you've described then very much reminds me of, I remember reading that Steve Jobs, when they were building in the early days of building, you know, Apple headquarters, not the current one, the new one, uh, uh he was demanding of the architects, and you must make a place where everybody has to get together. Mix and mingle for coffee, mix and mingle for whatever, because that's where often the best ideas get shared and things are triggered. Yeah. You know, if everyone just goes back to their team, back to their office, there is no interactive, you know, there interactions. Um, so it's great that you're doing it here, it makes complete sense. So the hub, that's so if I hang out there, I might get, I could become clever, is that possible? You might be able to do that. Maybe you I may have left it too late, Sarah, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

But you know, I mean, certainly that's what as you say, like part of my role is understanding all the great stuff that goes on here so that I can go and talk about it. And yeah, yeah, those those those communal places,

Final Reflections And Where To Follow

SPEAKER_02 25:20

going to visit companies, talking to them about what they're working on. I mean, yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

Yeah, well, wow. Well, look, like I said right at the beginning, you might not be an engineer, but you've engineered a really fantastic way of bringing people together, triggering that activity and influence. And I can hear in your voice and how you describe things, you really have a passion for helping not just this region, of course, you're local, that's what you want. Yeah, but the country to, you know, progress and to sustain, to build our GDP, to build our future, to you know, create those jobs and and and wealth. And it's great, it's uplifting, you know, in a world where all too often people talk about negative, this is all positive.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:59

And it's positive because you get on with it. You know, you get up in the morning, come to work, get stuff done. Um, so well done. Thank you very much. And thank you for sharing all of that with me. I didn't know half of that stuff. We've known each other a little while now, but um, yeah, I really I learnt a lot. Thank you. And yeah, good good luck. So, you know what I'm gonna say now? Now back to the studio. Very good. Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

Thanks for listening to the show. And make sure you follow Roger on LinkedIn, where you'll discover almost all there is to know about the spectacular electric vehicle revolution.