I won Network Ireland’s National Established Businesswoman of the Year 2026, and in this episode I’m reflecting on what that recognition really means to me. It’s not just about the business I’ve built — it’s about how AI has transformed the work, the thinking, and what I’m building next with GovComms.ai.
National Businesswoman of the Year 2026: What This Award Really Means
When my name was announced as Network Ireland’s National Established Businesswoman of the Year 2026, it genuinely stopped me in my tracks. Not because I didn’t believe in the work — I do, deeply — but because national recognition like this has a way of making you pause and look back at how far the journey has actually come.
Digital Training Institute didn’t start as an AI business. It grew from my background in journalism, public relations, digital marketing and public-sector communications. When generative AI arrived, I didn’t throw out everything I’d built. I asked how two decades of experience could be applied to this new era.
From Talking About AI to Building With It
There’s a big difference between talking about AI and actually building with it. I started researching and publishing about AI every day through this podcast. I wrote the AI Playbook for marketing and communications. I redesigned my training around three pillars: knowing AI, using AI and governing AI.
And then I started building — that’s where GovComms.ai comes from. It’s about bringing domain-specific, governance-led AI into public-sector communications, combining what I’ve learned over more than 20 years with what AI can now offer.
The Risk Sitting Right Next to the Reward
There’s a really important research finding I keep coming back to. A study involving 758 consultants at Boston Consulting Group found that when using GPT-4 on tasks within AI’s capability frontier, consultants completed more work, finished faster and produced substantially higher-quality results. But when given a task outside that frontier, those using AI were 19 percentage points less likely to reach the correct answer.
That tells you everything. The advantage and the risk sit side by side. What separates them is the knowledge and judgement of the person using the system.
Adoption Is Not Transformation
I see so many organisations buying licences and giving staff access to tools. That’s adoption — it’s not transformation. Real transformation happens when:
- People develop the skills to use AI well
- Workflows are redesigned around actual needs
- Responsibility and governance remain clear
- You ask what new value your existing knowledge and IP can create
GovComms.ai is my answer to that last question. It takes everything I know about government and public-sector communications and turns it into a practical AI product.
None of This Is Built Alone
This award matters to me because it recognises not just a business, but a direction. My clients bring the real problems. My team turns ideas into programmes, content and products. Developers translate vision into technology. And you — the people who listen, attend webinars, or push back on my thinking — you’re part of this process too.
AI may expand what one person can produce, but trust, experience and relationships still determine whether a business creates anything of lasting value. So I want to leave you with the same question I’m sitting with: what knowledge or experience already exists inside your organisation that AI could help you turn into something more useful, accessible or valuable?
If you want to build your AI literacy and skills, I can help
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Key Statistics
– A study of 758 consultants at Boston Consulting Group found those using GPT-4 completed more work, finished faster and produced higher-quality results on tasks within AI’s capability frontier.
– Consultants using AI on tasks outside AI’s capability frontier were 19 percentage points less likely to reach the correct answer.
– Joanne has over 20 years of experience in government and public-sector communications.
About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
