What's on my mind? How far we've come

It's that time of year. Time to look back through your camera roll and be reminded of everything you did. Time to look back at those goals you drafted in January and see how many you can finally check off. Time to look back at your objectives and key results and see if you delivered them for your business.

As I get older, I find this reflection time so important.

It helps me realise just how much I've accomplished. It also helps me understand why some goals I set were unrealistic or just things I didn't care enough about to actually do. For me this year, that included making tortillas... which sounded good, and probably would've tasted good, but it turns out convenience was more important when it came time to cook!

Taking time to reflect also makes me smile as I recall the fun times I had and somehow forgot, like seeing Taylor Swift in concert with my daughter or meeting new furry friends while trying out kitten yoga (yes, it's a thing!).

For us Colties, reflecting on the year involves recognising that we became the 1% in many areas.

We helped change the world with our sustainability efforts, winning EMEA Circular Economy Transition of the Year at the Sustainable Company Awards and developing our incredible partnership with The Arctic Arts Project.

We know people matter, and that's why we went above and beyond to take care of our customers every hour of every day, wherever they’re located and whatever they’re facing: it’s what helps us achieve a net promoter score that ranks us at the top of the telco industry.

We care for our communities, and with that we were able to raise €340,467 for 22 charities across the globe as 175 Colties rode their bikes from Brussels to Dusseldorf. I'm proud to say it was our most inclusive, first fully accessible annual Colt Bike Ride.

?We were brave and we knew we could always find a better way, taking on a massive integration which few companies do. We built a new IT stack including a new inventory and front-end system, setting us up to migrate the data we need and leave behind the hundreds of systems that, over time, drag telco companies down. Instead of allowing ourselves to drown in technology debt, we moved ahead with integrating our networks and portfolio.

And last, we have won together. Working side-by-side with our partners, we delivered two world-firsts in subsea! First came an ultra-fast 800G Ethernet service trial that tested the boundaries of next-gen wavelength, capacity, speed and latency with Nokia and Windstream, then we achieved a 1.2 Tb/s wavelength transmission across the Atlantic with Ciena. Through our European partnerships, we also increased?our on-demand capability to 150,000 sites and won no less than six awards at MEF Excellence Awards, including Global and European Leader?of the Year?for Network as a Service.

I don't have a piece of paper long enough to list everything we did, all the objectives we met, and all the achievements we claimed. But as I look back, what I can tell you is that I am #proudtobeacoltie.

There is an old saying by John C. Maxwell, "Teamwork makes the dream work." And it definitely holds true for us.

I hope as you take time to reflect on what you accomplished this year personally and professionally, you also feel proud, you smile, and you're able to pat yourself on the back on a great year of development, growth and challenge that you turned into opportunity. I also hope you can give your friends and family a big hug for being your biggest supporters and helping you along the way.

May you have a happy holiday season, and a great end of year!

See you in 2025.