Kat Sexton

Head of Product @Birmingham City Council

Birmingham, GB

My main responsibility is to drive the council’s digital strategy, making local services simpler, clearer, and faster to access. I promote product thinking, agile methods, and user-centred design, working closely with senior leaders to shape strategic roadmaps.I created the Digital Foundry in 2024—a transformation initiative that encourages user-centred design, creative problem-solving, and agile, iterative delivery in collaboration with services. This approach is shifting the mindset at Birmingham City Council from \"big bang\" technology projects toward continuous, enabling innovation.Key responsibilities:• Lead the development, delivery, and refinement of the Digital & Technology Service’s vision and strategy, leveraging data and technology to enhance the citizen online experience.• Engage strategically to understand organisational challenges and propose solutions that balance time, cost, quality, and sustainability.• Direct and manage a team of around 50 staff, contractors, and suppliers, building internal capabilities and reducing external reliance.• Collaborate with services to identify user needs and organisational goals, shaping vision, strategy, and product roadmaps.• Build and evolve the product function by setting standards and practices, continuously improving products, and delivering new value.• Foster new working methods to boost productivity and staff experience, coaching teams and deploying talent based on skills.• Champion the shift from project-based to empowered product teams focused on solving problems and delivering better outcomes.This approach is transforming not only the council’s use of technology but also how it approaches service delivery and team collaboration, putting user needs and iterative improvement at the heart of everything we do.

University of Wolverhampton

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

A Levels

Adcote School

8 GCSE's A-C