What was your highlight of 2008?
Visiting the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer was a wonderful opportunity to witness the power and reach of sport. It was a real pleasure to be in Beijing to experience Team GB’s most successful Games since 1908, of course – but the trip also provided valuable insight into the running and staging of the Games.

What can we learn for our own Games in four years’ time? Well, first and foremost, I believe that Beijing is not an impossible act to follow. London can deliver an excellent experience for spectators through work such as publishing clear programmes in advance, managing refreshment facilities, and providing large screens in public spaces to engage the wider population who can’t get to the events themselves. We now have our work cut out through  the next four years to ensure both that we can maximise the huge opportunities the Games present, and that we use that opportunity to deliver a lasting legacy for the benefit of the whole country.

Beijing, I think, has brought a national change in mood. The focus is back on sport, and the question now is: how do we deliver a great and distinctive Games in London in 2012?

What was your biggest challenge in 2008?
2008 saw the culmination of our transformation programme. As a result, DCMS will fundamentally change the way we operate, allowing us to be more focused, flexible and influential. In particular, we have re-structured the department to effectively tackle cross-cutting issues, providing flexible resources to deliver ministerial priorities faster and in a more connected way.

Inevitably, changing the way we work brings challenges. As we continue to introduce our new business processes, we are working hard to ensure that the new systems are properly embedded and that nothing slips between the gaps. Although the full benefit of our new structure will only be realised over time, I firmly believe we are on the right track. The challenge now is to sustain the momentum to get the most for our sponsored bodies, the sector as a whole and the government more generally.

What are your priorities for 2009?
Aside from seeing through the implementation of transformation, a key priority for DCMS next year will be maintaining vibrancy in our sectors despite the economic downturn. Across government we will have to develop innovative and creative ways to combat the downturn. Increasingly, this will involve doing more with less. Two of our highest priority programmes will continue to be delivering the Olympic Games and digital switchover, both of which – I am pleased to say – are on well on track.

How do you intend to achieve them?
Our new structure will benefit us in this respect: through being more focused, we can be clearer on where we add value. For example, we have a number of high-impact programmes that support our overall goal of unlocking talent to realise the sporting and cultural potential of the nation. Transformation means that we can keep on top of them more effectively, responding more quickly to changing circumstances and deploying people and expertise more efficiently.

What would you like for Christmas?
I love history, and I haven’t yet got to the ‘Babylon’ exhibition at the British Museum (one of our sponsored bodies), so I’m hoping to find time to get along over the Christmas break.