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!