Welcome to July 2026’s edition of Movers & Shakers.

This month saw a spread of high level appointments with some partnerships and expansions thrown in, making it a stellar summer month for Scotland.

July saw a range of appointments, from industry groups, research and funding organisations, and top names in cybersecurity.

All that and more coming up.

Partnerships

Scottish Water Joins Forces with Accenture

Scottish Water will work with Accenture to support the management and reinvention of the digital services underpinning its water and wastewater infrastructure, delivering more resilient, efficient and sustainable services to millions of customers nationwide.

Working in close collaboration with Scottish Water’s ecosystem partners, Accenture will manage core business systems, business-critical applications, and its enterprise data platform, supported by its Scotland-based team.

Drawing on its deep industry technology expertise, it will also work with Scottish Water to identify opportunities to apply AI to enhance its digital foundation. This will enable the utility to better anticipate risk, optimise asset performance and strengthen the long-term resilience of the essential services communities across Scotland rely on.

The collaboration builds on Scottish Water’s ongoing technology modernisation, which aims to help the utility adapt to intensifying pressures including ageing infrastructure and climate volatility.

Appointments

The Data Lab Boosts Board With Seven New Members

The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, has appointed seven new members to its Governance Board. The new board members assumed their terms in June with an initial appointment of two years.

The Governance Board’s responsibilities include setting the strategic direction for the innovation centre, including providing guidance on the focus of innovation activities and The Data Lab’s professional learning and education portfolio.

New members to the innovation centre’s Governance Board are:

• Jon Buglass, Vice Principal for Innovation, Planning and Performance at Edinburgh College
• Luca Corradi, Managing Director at Winnocks
• Robin Huggins, Chief Revenue Officer at Head for Data
• Roma Maguire MBE, Professor of Digital Health and Care at the University of Strathclyde
• James Mitton, Chief AI Officer at HMRC
• Anneli Ritari-Stewart, Head of Digital & AI Marketing at Royal London
• Adam Sroka, CEO and Co-Founder of Hypercube Consulting

Read more here.

Edinburgh-founded Quorum Cyber Appoints New CEO

Microsoft-first cybersecurity services provider Quorum Cyber has announced the appointment of Kevin Hanes as its new CEO to drive the company’s next stage of global expansion.

As a seasoned cybersecurity executive, growth leader, and recognised innovator with a proven track record of scaling high-performance teams, Hanes has led both Reveal Security and Cybrary as CEO, served as COO of Secureworks for eight years – where he built the firm’s EMEA presence and Romania operations from scratch – and as Executive Director at Dell Technologies.

According to Quorum, Hanes is passionate about collaborating closely with customers and supporting them to solve their biggest cybersecurity problems, fighting bullies, and helping good people win. His focus will be on protecting as many organisations as possible, achieving operational excellence, and building momentum to scale and optimise the business.

Read more here.

ScotlandIS Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

ScotlandIS, the membership and cluster management organisation for Scotland’s digital technologies industry, has appointed Andrew Weir as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 July. He succeeds Karen Meechan, who stepped down in May this year.

As CEO, Andrew will lead ScotlandIS’ mission to strengthen Scotland’s technology ecosystem at home and abroad, support its growing membership and foster greater collaboration between industry, government and key stakeholders.

Andrew brings over 28 years’ experience in digital transformation across the public and private sectors, supporting businesses in financial services, manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals and more. Most recently, as Transformation Programme Manager at multinational engineering company Weir Group, he led initiatives that delivered millions of pounds in savings by reducing IT spend and improving internal business functions.

Read more here.

Cooper Parry Wealth Makes Strategic Relationship Partner appointment

Cooper Parry Wealth (CPW) has taken the next step in its UK growth strategy with the appointment of Darren Lees as Relationship Partner, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Scotland.

The appointment builds on CPW’s plans to expand nationally through strategic investment in people, acquisitions and deeper integration with the wider Cooper Parry business. Scotland has been identified as a key growth market with Darren becoming the firm’s first dedicated Relationship Partner based in the country.

Based in Scotland Darren will work closely with clients, professional introducers and Cooper Parry colleagues to strengthen relationships across the region. At the same time he’ll be helping clients access the firm’s integrated wealth planning tax and business advisory expertise.

With more than a decade of experience advising entrepreneurs, business owners and high net worth individuals with strong Scottish connections, Darren brings an established network and deep understanding of the local market. He will play a central role in developing CPW’s presence across Scotland. Working alongside Cooper Parry’s growing tax and advisory teams to deliver joined-up advice tailored to clients’ personal and business ambitions.

Expansions

Count App Launches in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Count, the UK’s only FCA-regulated platform delivering end-to-end automated financial advice, today announced its launch in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scotland operates its own income tax bands and its own set of benefits and allowances, distinct from the rest of the UK. Count has rebuilt its advice engine specifically to reflect this.

Not a generic UK product switched on for a new postcode, but a plan built around what actually applies to someone living in Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Inverness. Northern Ireland residents gain access to the same fully regulated, personalised advice already available across England and Wales.

“Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own financial rules, and until now, no automated
advice platform has treated them as anything other than an afterthought,” said Laura
Cornely, CEO & Co-Founder.

“We built Count to close the advice gap for the ones that have  been priced out. And that means building it properly for wherever they live, not just London”