'Fran was instrumental in convincing the HMCTS Change programme board and customer experience teams of the business efficiencies and user benefits of developing ‘citizen common components’. As digital product manager she led this initiative, presenting capability maps with costed arguments informed by insights and evidence captured from user research across the programme. Her approach was approved by the board, resulting in multiple efficiencies and improved customer experience.'

'Fran joined my user-centred design team (UCD) team to establish and lead our Content Design team whilst I was in a senior leadership role at the Home Office. She created the foundations of best practice, standards and assurance which continue to support a team of 50 people (at the point I left the department). Fran led on recruitment strategy, attracted external talent and hired our first permanent content designers.

Getting to this point required some delicate negotiation with the Comms team - which was then the home for editors of Home Office GOV.UK web content. Fran engaged with senior leaders in that space, reassured them that these were different roles with aligning skillsets and successfully set up the new profession. In an environment which can be very territorial, this was an achievement.

A good example of handling a difficult situation whilst in a leadership role was her work to engage with a delivery team working on the Independent Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry website. The team were isolated and struggling to win trust of the Inquiry team - which itself was in disarray. Fran got the delivery team onside, won their trust and then radically changed their creative direction away from what would have been reputationally damaging for the Inquiry. She built links into the Inquiry leadership so that the team felt better supported and enjoyed higher levels of engagement with their output. This was all handled whilst navigating the delicate relationship that then existed between the department and the independent inquiry team.

Fran was someone I relied upon to support me on a more broad leadership level. This was because she brought a wider perspective than many others operating at her grade. She personally led the Home Office effort to rationalise onto GOV.UK following the amalgamation of UK Border Agency into the Home Office in 2012 and so had an intimate understanding of both the GDS approach and also the perspective of departmental staff who resented the nature and the speed of the switch to GOV.UK. Fran negotiated this extremely tricky landscape with balance, empathy and sophistication.

I was not surprised to see her move into leadership roles when she moved on from the Home Office. She's got bags of talent, drive and emotional intelligence and I'd have her back in my team in a heartbeat. She's certainly got the breadth to lead across the roles within UCD and her naturally collaborative style lends itself well to a role such as Head of UCD where you need your own deep specialism whilst knowing enough about the wider practice to lead others with confidence across roles such as interaction design, service design, user research.'