As we approach International Women’s Day 2026, we’re celebrating the incredible women at Nimble Approach by sharing their stories, career lessons, and perspectives on leadership. In this spotlight, we’re chatting with our Head of Public Sector (Growth), Nina Midgley.
Nina’s career has been defined by a single, powerful motivation: making a difference in the real world. From her first job out of university working on digital democracy tools to leading high-speed government service deliveries, Nina has spent over a decade proving that technology is, at its heart, a human problem.
Q: You’ve dedicated much of your career to the public sector. What drew you to this space?
Nina: It started with one of my first roles out of university at a ‘digital democracy’ agency. I realised early on that even on the most stressful days, it was incredibly satisfying to go home knowing my work impacted real people’s lives.
Public sector work is unique – every pound of taxpayer money has to be fairly attributed and drive tangible outcomes. I spent years learning the craft of working within government frameworks and writing compelling bids. I love the challenge of telling a story and the thrill of winning a competitive competition for a new piece of work. Knowing that you have won the opportunity to deliver an exciting new public service or solve a pain point for a critical government department feels very meaningful.
Q: Is there a specific project you’re particularly proud of?
Nina: One that stands out was a rapid 12 week delivery for BEIS. The Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme is a key policy in the Government’s approach to tackling fuel poverty and reducing the energy costs of low-income and vulnerable households. With the cost-of-living rising, the WHD team identified a risk that their call centre could become overwhelmed by the volume of calls from citizens looking for financial support, leaving them unable to conduct critical BAU. The simple self serve tool on Gov.UK saw over a million uses in the first couple of months. It diverted and estimated 207,000 support requests (20 times the client’s best case scenario) providing citizens with faster answers while freeing up capacity for critical assistance.
Q: You recently wrote about being a “techie.” What advice do you have for women who feel they don’t fit the traditional tech mold?
Nina: My biggest advice is: do not underestimate your softer skills. For a long time, I apologised for ‘not being a techie’ because I don’t write code. But tech spaces need dot-connectors, strategists, and people who can build psychological safety.
Transformation is just as much a people challenge as a technical one. If you can bring clarity to a problem, listen to user needs, or manage complex communication, you are a techie. Whether you are an account manager, a content writer, or a business analyst, you are a crucial part of the patchwork that creates our digital world. Lean into those skills.
Q: How do you navigate the frustrations and “red tape” often found in large-scale digital projects?
Nina: I’ve learned to see the public sector as a web of human beings rather than just a hierarchy of governance. When things get stuck, it’s usually because people are incentivised against taking risks. Choosing to believe that everyone is doing the best they can with what they’ve got is crucial.
The key is empathy. I try to understand their motivations and tell the right story. If you can bite off a small chunk of a project, show immediate impact, and arm a civil servant with a success story, you build the momentum needed to unblock the larger challenges.
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
Nina: It’s about visibility and celebrating the women who inspire us, past and present. But it’s also about challenging our own biases – we are still fighting for change and equality and equity every day. Even I find myself regurgitating deeply ingrained bias, and shying away from difficult conversations. It is all of our responsibilities to gently, kindly, but assertively speak out when we spot injustices.
Q: Finally, what brings you joy outside of the office?
Nina: I’m a total geek! Our house is full of 3D-printed things, Lego, and computer games. I’m an obsessive reader (anything with dragons in it!), and because I studied illustration and animation, I always find my way back to creativity – whether it’s painting, cross-stitching, or making things with my kids.and I’m a fully qualified face painter! I’m waiting for the next Nimble event to put those skills to use.
