Recruitment

Brillband

Scottish broadband firm Brillband has made two key appointments as it prepares to launch a trial of its app technology in Scotland.

Entrepreneur and fundraising specialist behind investing company Raising Partners, Helena Murphy, has joined the firm’s board, while Euan Plater, who has previous experience working in the beauty industry’s biggest digital campaigns, has been appointed head of marketing.

Murphy said: “A brilliant solution to a common problem is only the first step in building a successful challenger brand. It’s about surrounding yourself with the right people, and then securing the right funding and investing it in the right areas – that’s exactly what Brillband has done in securing the backing of Fuel Ventures and some highly strategic private investment from industry experts.

“Duncan has an incredible vision, the technology is truly cutting edge, and Brillband has the potential to completely transform the broadband industry as we know it – it’s a privilege to be along for the ride.”

Plater added: “This is a special project and I’m massively excited to be part of the Brillband story. I have always been inspired by organisations that have a clear mission, and Brillband is very much in that mould.

“We are on the precipice of something really special – our pioneering technology and dedication to customers is completely unique and will shake up an industry dominated by profits over people.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Hot Tin Roof

Tech PR agency Hot Tin Roof is marking its 20th anniversary with a series of new hires and internal promotions, indicating the Edinburgh-based business is on track for further growth.

Hot Tin Roof’s team is now 11-strong, with the appointment of former STV journalist Rod Scott as a Senior Account Manager and former Los Angeles-based advertising strategist Tobias Cragg as Account Executive.

These hires follow hot on the heels of the arrival of Catriona Mackenzie as a Senior Account Manager. Catriona previously managed communications for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and has worked as a press manager for MPs and MSPs.

Recent internal promotions include Jen Richards becoming Account Director. Jen has been with Hot Tin Roof for almost a decade. Steven Herd, who joined in 2020, has become a Senior Account Manager.

In June, Hot Tin Roof won a major industry accolade, picking up the Scottish B2B campaign award at the PRCA Dare Awards. Hot Tin Roof won for its eleven-day “Road to Renewables” PR tour of the UK, driving home a message of sustainability for SSE Energy Solutions ahead of the COP26 climate summit.

Hot Tin Roof founder and Managing Director Sarah Lee said: “I am very proud of the 20 years of campaigns we have delivered for our clients at Hot Tin Roof. Since setting out as a freelancer the business has continued to grow and thrive, and our latest promotions and hires show we are on track for further expansion.

“Our experience in working with tech innovators and energy pioneers, coupled with our excellent contacts in the media, means we remain ready to deliver the right messages to the right audiences in an incredibly competitive environment.”

Openreach

Openreach Scotland’s first female service delivery director Jenni Macfarlane will lead a field force of around 1,200 engineers, whose role is to keep people connected across the whole of Scotland.

This is on behalf of more than 600 providers who use Openreach’s network to provide services to their customers. Mcfarlane also joins the Openreach Scotland board chaired by Katie Milligan.

Macfarlane, said: “I am extremely proud to be appointed as the director for service delivery in Scotland. It is such an exciting time to lead an industry-leading team through our ongoing transition to full fibre broadband.

“We have big ambitions that also come with big challenges and I am looking forward to guiding our Scottish team on this journey, continuing to deliver a world-class customer experience across the board.

“I will work to champion a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to a bright future for both Openreach and our customers in Scotland.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Skyrora

Scottish rocket company Skyrora has hired SpaceX veteran Lee Rosen to the role of Chief Operations Officer as the firm looks towards a maiden launch from British soil.

Lee Rosen, Colonel, US Air Force (retired), ex-Vice President of Mission and Launch Operations and Customer Operations and Integration at SpaceX, will soon take up the role.

Rosen boasts a long list of achievements, with previous experience as a SpaceX veteran of over 150 missions. He will provide Skyrora with extensive operational expertise as the firm aims to be the first UK company to launch from British soil.

Rosen said: “With Skyrora leading the way in UK launch and building infrastructure for the future of the UK’s space economy, it’s an exciting time to join the company. Currently, the UK is completely reliant on the US and, although this is a crucial relationship, Skyrora is building towards a future when space capabilities in this country will allow for regular sovereign launches.

“Space capability is now critical to providing an edge when it comes to defence. Skyrora’s mobile, agile and responsive launch and on-orbit capability can provide the UK with something it has been missing and bolster its special relationship with the US. Additionally, we’re setting an example for the space industry with a responsible and sustainable attitude towards spaceflight.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Know-it

Cloud-based credit management platform Know-it has announced the appointment of Wendy McMurray as its new Head of Product.

Know-it’s solution enables users to credit check and monitor customers in real-time using data integrations from Graydon, Companies House, The Gazette and Unsecured Creditor Claims.

The tech streamlines the credit-control process, so users can credit check and monitor, chase payments, and collect overdue, unpaid invoices all from one place

Heading the ‘Construction Accounting Product of the Year’ team for five years running, McMurray joins the team with over 20 years of experience in technical product management.

McMurray said: “Having worked in a startup previously and thrived on the challenges and responsibilities it brought along with the excitement it created, I was keen to become involved and join a strong entrepreneurial leadership team.

“Lynne’s passion and enthusiasm are as refreshing as contagious and were key factors in my decision. The innovation and creativity within the team have led to a solution that not only supports SMEs but solves a real issue for businesses both locally and globally.

“I have always enjoyed learning about innovative technologies/processes/markets and will use this to improve personally and professionally to ensure Know-it continues to grow and reshape the credit management space”.

At Know-it, McMurray will work with the leadership team on completing the synergy between the business and the Know-it product as the company continues to scale

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Eos Advisory

St Andrews-based investment firm Eos Advisory has added to its team with Andrew Durkie joining as a Partner, as well as Andy Lothian and Sandy Kennedy appointed as Non-executive Growth Advisors.

Andrew Durkie is a chartered accountant who brings over twenty years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions.

Andy Lothian is the CEO at Dundee-headquartered Insights, a global people development group that operates in over 40 countries worldwide and counts Microsoft, Google, Nike, and the NHS among its client base.

Sandy Kennedy has twenty-five years’ experience as an entrepreneur, CEO, investor, and advisor to scaling companies, government and entrepreneurial support organisations, including as the longstanding CEO of Entrepreneurial Scotland, an advisory board member with Scottish EDGE, and a board member at Social Investment Scotland.

Andrew McNeill, Managing Partner, Eos Advisory, said: “As Eos, our portfolio, and investments scale, it’s important that we continue to build a team that can help guide us through our next phase of growth. Along these lines, we’re really pleased to get Andrew, Andy, and Sandy on board.

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

xDesign

Digital development firm xDesign has hired Robin Baird as its first Chief Strategy Officer (CSO).

The appointment comes as the business looks to strengthen its market position as well as its strategy and design offering, while continuing to deliver on ambitious growth plans.

Baird, who will be based in xDesign’s Edinburgh headquarters, will join the company’s executive leadership team, and lead its brand and market strategy.

He will have an initial focus on helping to strengthen and boost xDesign’s product, design, and engineering propositions to drive new market opportunities.

Baird, CSO, xDesign, said of his new role: “The work xDesign has delivered for some of the UK’s biggest and best-known brands has been outstanding and its bold and ambitious growth plans – balanced with its focus on people – is what really attracted me to the company.

“I believe that great things happen when creativity, culture, and technology collide – particularly when you can see first-hand how they can be fused together to create meaningful change.”

In addition to Baird’s appointment, xDesign has hired Andy Shaw as communications lead. With extensive experience in the PR and comms sector, Andy joins the business from AND Digital where he helped to shape the company’s external profile.

The new partnership will create 400 high-value jobs, 150 of which will be created across xDesign’s Edinburgh and Leeds offices by the end of 2022.

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

AND Digital

Tech consultancy AND Digital has appointed Fiona Burton as Club Executive of its third Scottish Club in Edinburgh.

In her new role, Fiona will be responsible for setting up and leading the second Edinburgh Club by building an 100-strong team of product analysts, software developers and designers across all levels over the next 12 months.

Previously a Board Director at The Leith Agency, Fiona brings considerable expertise in growing a successful client base and leading teams.

Commenting on her new role, Fiona Burton, added: “This is an incredible opportunity to lead a talented team of diverse people who’re passionate about solving our clients’ tech challenges.

“AND Digital has successfully established itself in Scotland and we have found a great appetite for digital acceleration across our customer base, as well as a rich pool of digital talent. We aim to support new clients in the building of innovative products and support them in developing their own in-house digital capabilities.”

Cyacomb

Edinburgh-based tech company Cyacomb announced Former Chief of Police Mike Burridge as VP of Sales for North America expansion.

Burridge will build on over 30 customer wins in the region in the last six months. He is the first employee of the newly incorporated Cyacomb Inc, the North American arm of the UK based Cyacomb Limited, and a key part of its international expansion strategy.

Burridge commented: “During my 30 years spent working in law enforcement and 15 years in industries providing tools to law enforcement, I’ve never before been exposed to tools that can provide such immediate benefit.

“The speed and thoroughness of Cyacomb’s tools truly aid investigators to narrow their investigative focus, and be more effective, efficient, and expedient.

“One of the most exciting parts is that you don’t have to be a forensic expert to use this technology, as officers can be trained quickly to use the tool in a highly effective manner that produces results immediately in the field.”

Ian Stevenson, CEO of Cyacomb, added: “We’re delighted to have someone with Mike’s deep experience of US policing on the Cyacomb team to lead our mission to bring transformational digital forensics technology to law enforcement in the US and Canada.”

IHF Ltd

IHF Ltd has appointed Colin Thomson as its new Group Marketing Director.

Thomson brings 20 years’ technology and SaaS (Software as a Service) experience from a marketing career in Australia and the UK. Thomson’s role will be to plan, grow and develop the marketing functionality for IHF, with a particular focus on IHF’s suite of award-winning software tools, focussed on improving human-risk management.

Commenting on the role, Thomson said: “I am thrilled to take up this new role where I have an opportunity to shape the company’s future direction.

“It’s an exciting time to join IHF as they expand into new territories and set up an Australian office, grow their client base for the software Safety Critical Task Analysis tool, TASC, as well as play a key role in launching their health monitoring wearable device, Altor, which detects fatigue, alertness, and wellbeing.”

Chief Executive Neil Clark said: “Colin has the perfect blend of skills to support IHF and we are delighted to have him on our senior leadership team.

“This appointment will help build a marketing engine for IHF as it delivers a series of projects across diverse sectors including financial, healthcare, and high-risk industries such as aviation, rail, marine, nuclear, COMAH, and oil and gas”.

Interface

Interface appointed its new Director, Amelia Whitelaw, who will take up the role in August.

Whitelaw is currently the Executive Director of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School (LBS).

Amelia brings to her leadership position success with leading academic institutions in developing, promoting and implementing multi-organisational and international collaborative programmes.

Professor Andrea Nolan, Chair of the Interface Strategic Board, said: “The Board and Team at Interface are looking forward to Amelia joining us in August.

“Her breadth of knowledge and experience in the global arena will help Interface to realise their ambition, extend their reach and impact through continuing productive partnerships between academia and businesses, communities and social innovators, to achieve economic and societal impacts at a local, regional and global level.”

Amelia said: “I am very excited to lead this successful Scottish model that demonstrates how world-leading research can be purposeful and impactful. I firmly believe that business has the potential to improve lives and livelihoods.

“This is an incredible opportunity to engage and contribute to business and Scottish academic partnerships that have the potential not only to improve livelihoods but also to impact positively environmental sustainability, health improvement, growth of local communities and international development.”

Emtelle

Emtelle has appointed highly respected and experienced business leader Paul MacLaurin as its new Chief Operating Officer.

He joins Hawick-headquartered Emtelle, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of blown fibre cable and ducted network solutions, from Wavin, a global supplier of plastic pipe systems and solutions.

MacLaurin said: “I am delighted to be joining Emtelle at a key moment and am looking forward to working with everyone at the company as it approaches the next stage of its development. Emtelle as a brand is well-known and admired throughout the world, and I hope to be able to guide the business to even greater success.”

Paul replaces Billy Rae, a respected member of Emtelle’s senior management team for more than 15 years who has served as Chief Operating Officer for the past six.

He has been with the company for nearly three decades in total and has been a significant contributor to Emtelle’s success.

He will be moving to a new role as Manufacturing Technology and Business Expansion Director, working closely with Chief Executive Officer Tony Rodgers on growing and developing Emtelle’s business over the coming years.

Rae said: “I am very much looking forward to my new role as Manufacturing Technology and Business Expansion Director, working closely with Tony to further expand the Emtelle brand around the world.

“Emtelle has put Scotland on the map in terms of delivering a cutting-edge, modern technology business in the Borders, I have had the pleasure of being part of that journey since the very beginning and I now look forward to increasing our business growth and success in the years ahead.”

Chris van der Kuyl

Scottish tech entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl was formally recognised for his contribution to technology in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020.

In 2005, van der Kuyl and his business partner Paddy Burns founded Dundee-based game developer 4J Studios, which is best known for developing Minecraft for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo games consoles. Last year, they established Chroma Ventures as an investment arm of 4J Studios, to channel flexible capital into a range of early-stage and established businesses with high-growth potential.

Chris van der Kuyl said: “It’s a huge honour to be recognised in this way and to receive the award at Windsor Castle so soon after the platinum jubilee celebrations made it a particularly special experience. I am grateful for the wisdom, patience and backing of my family, friends, and business partner Paddy, and that’s why this award is as much for them as it is for me.

“Technology has been at the centre of Dundee’s commercial and creative success for several decades now and it remains a source of fascination and inspiration for me, both personally and professionally, so I am proud to have been recognised in that field.

“Scotland has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the technology sector over the next 30 years. If we nurture talent by investing in education and skills at all ages and stages, there is a bright future for Scotland as an attractive base for the creation and growth of innovative technology businesses.”

Pufferfish

Digital display firm Pufferfish has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Elaine Van Der Berg as CEO.

With more than 25 years of driving international expansion for leading technology businesses, Elaine will focus on driving growth for Pufferfish in their focus markets, harnessing their exciting immersive display technologies.

Van Der Berg said of her role: “I am delighted to have joined the Pufferfish team at such an important time in its development. The company is well-positioned for growth in this evolving market as demand rises for immersive display experiences that change the way we interact.

“With a long list of satisfied customers including Microsoft, Google, Ericsson, NASA, BBC, Dubai Expo and the Edinburgh Science Festival, it’s clear to see why the business is regarded as a global leader in its field.”

In addition, Alastair Orr Ewing has been appointed as Interim Head of Operations. Alistair previously acted as interim CEO for Pufferfish prior to Elaine’s appointment.

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Strathclyde Executive Education & Development

Strathclyde Executive Education & Development (SEED) has announced the appointment of Les Bayne as Visiting Professor in Digital Transformation and Innovation.

Prof Bayne has been an influential and progressive advocate for using innovation to drive growth, a passion that stemmed from his lead role in creating Accenture’s multi million-dollar flagship innovation centre in London.

Bayne is now fully focused on helping companies grow and innovate both with Strathclyde Business School and via his new venture Reckster – where he partners with CEOs and entrepreneurs who want to rapidly grow their business and are willing to challenge their preconceptions to achieve their full potential.

Alongside Reckster,, Les is Chair of The Data Lab (TDL), one of the leading Innovation Centres in the UK. TDL has enabled over 400 projects, created 750 jobs and supported 850 studentships. In his role as Chair, he supports the senior leadership team to create strong partnerships across industry, academia and the public sector. His objective is to take TDL to the next level and create the world’s most impactful data community.

He will help SEED to design and deliver programmes to support organisation achieve growth through Digital Transformation and Innovation Strategies

Scottish Health Innovations Limited

Scottish Health Innovations Limited (SHIL) has made two strategic hires as the organisation continues to bolster its team.

Leigh Mair has been appointed as Innovation Manager for North Scotland and the Scottish Islands, while Uma Shanmugam takes up the position of Regulatory Manager.

Mair will be involved at an upcoming hackathon in partnership with NHS Western Isles, Ulster University and the IT4Anxiety EU Interreg NWE project, taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of June in Elgin.

Shanmugam joins the organisation with 17 years’ experience in regulatory submissions such as the 510k pathway – part of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliance – Pre-Market approval (PMA) for US device submissions, CE/UKCA technical files, and compiling design dossiers for CE/UKCA submissions.

Both appointments will further support SHIL to carry out its specialised work identifying and developing new ideas to help solve problems and address unmet needs in health and social care.

Commenting on the role, Mair said: “I am thrilled to join an ambitious and forward-thinking organisation in SHIL and I hope to utilise my 20 years’ experience working for blue chip pharmaceutical and medical device companies such as Sanofi, Roche and Johnson and Johnson in my new position.”

Shanmugam commented: “I look forward to sharing my knowledge with our clients to help bring their innovations to life.

“I am keen to continue my career with an organisation that reflects my ideals and continues to make such a positive impact in healthcare.”

Proteus

Proteus announced the appointment of Craig Fenton as Chief Operating Officer as well as four new additions to the software team at its Edinburgh office. Further expansion is planned in the coming months.

Fenton joins Proteus as Chief Operating Officer after 30 years in the tech sector. Over the years he has gained wide-ranging experience of service management, business IT consulting, ICT programme management and digital transformation.

Kirsty Munro, a highly experienced developer, will be responsible for simplifying and automating the processes that underpin development of Proteus’ high performing, scalable software solutions. She joins Proteus from global insurance company, Cigna.

Graeme Watt will take responsibility for digital product design and UX as Lead Product Designer. He joins from Tesco Bank having previously worked with Sharktower as one of the early members of the team.

Software engineers, Rose Hissink & Stephen Bradley complete the new line up. Rose, another former Sharktower team member, joins from Unity Technologies, a leading global platform for creating 3D content. Stephen joins from Edinburgh startup TVSquared where he was a full stack developer. In their new roles both will be responsible for delivering new features and enhancements across the Proteus product stack.

Craig Mackay, CEO of Proteus said: “It’s an exciting time for us all at Proteus. This year is one of scalable growth and proposition development, enabling us to power the wave of change and help organisations become sustainable in change.

“Data, AI and software is central to that proposition, so we are always looking to attract the brightest and best in tech talent. By investing in these excellent new team members we are well placed to strengthen our capabilities, and offer truly innovative solutions and services to our clients.”

Places for People Group

John Bruce was recently appointed as the new Group Director of Cyber and Information Security at Places for People Group.

Bruce will be responsible for the Group Cyber and Information Security Strategy, establishing and maintaining the group’s information security programme ensuring all of Places for Peoples’ assets are adequately protected across the digital ecosystem in which they operate.

He was most recently Principal Security Consultant at Bridwell where he led a multi-disciplined security consulting team and supported clients develop enterprise security strategies and implement large security transformation programmes, reducing risk and improving cyber resilience even as attack surfaces continue to grow.

Commenting on his new role, Bruce said: “I am delighted to be joining the Group. At Places for People, we have a responsibility to ensure our products and services make a positive impact on people, places and the planet. Creating social value for customers and communities is at the heart of our approach.

“Ensuring security and information management is central to everything we do as a business, and I am excited to join the organisation at a period where Digital Enablement and Smart Home Technology is gaining real traction across the housing sector.

“The adoption of this technology brings great opportunity for the business and security is at the core of enabling this in a secure and safe way for both our customers and partners. I am super excited to join the team and make a difference to the communities we serve.”

KPMG UK

KPMG UK has announced the promotions of a trio of directors in its Scottish offices across key growth areas for the business.

Steven Murdoch has been promoted to director within KPMG’s Deal Advisory Tax team in Glasgow. Daniel Crighton is promoted to director within KPMG’s Audit practice.

Wiqas Qaiser will take up the role of director in the FS Audit team and is based in Edinburgh. Qaiser works in the financial services and asset management space and looks after asset managers, and various investment products such as open and closed ended funds, private equity funds, and pension funds.

Commenting on the news, James Kergon, Scotland senior partner at KPMG in the UK, said: “These promotions show the strength and depth of our senior team across the firm in Scotland, and I’m delighted to see Daniel, Steven and Wiqas take this important next step in their careers with KPMG.

“It’s crucial for us to continually develop talent to ensure our clients have access to the brightest and best people in the market as we focus on being the fastest growing professional services firm in the UK. Congratulations to all three on this great achievement.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Cloud Cover IT

Glasgow-based digital transformation firm Cloud Cover IT has announced that it will create a further 20 roles across Scotland throughout 2022 following record growth.

Founder and Managing Director Lance Gauld outlined the growth plan which will see an increase of almost 50% in staff at the Scottish IT firm.

The company has expansion plans for both its Managed IT and Digital Transformation services. Additionally, it recently attained ISO27001 accreditation to further strengthen their service offerings.

Gauld commented: “This is such an exciting time for our sector and for Cloud Cover IT specifically.

“Our focus on the whole Digital Journey for our clients, the amazing growth we have experienced, and our focus on Digital Information security made ISO27001 a natural next step for us and our clients.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Frog Systems

Frog Systems has appointed former FanDuel and Sharktower CFO Brendan Waters as its first Finance Director.

He joins Frog Systems as the company prepares for the next stage of its growth journey and seeks to break down the stigma and taboos surrounding mental health and wellbeing in society.

He will work for Frog Systems as Finance Director while continuing in his advisory roles to several other high-growth technology businesses.

Waters said: “There is huge potential for growth for Frog Systems through the increased demand for wellbeing solutions, particularly to support employees.

“The economic cost of poor mental and physical health is increasing and the team have created a product that meets the expectations of this fast-growing market. I am very excited to be working with the great people at Frog Systems to help them prepare for the next phase in the company’s growth.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Zumo

Edinburgh-based Zumo has appointed Clark Povey as its new operations director.

Povey will also be responsible for ensuring that Zumo’s operations are run smoothly, built for continued growth, and deliver best-in-class customer support.

One of his first tasks will be to work with the Head of Compliance to implement a new customer onboarding solution, establishing a new onboarding team to support customers as crypto moves to the mainstream.

Commenting on his role, Povey said: “My motivation is transformation and innovation. I believe there are three key pillars underpinning excellent operations: delivering exceptional customer service, which creates the moments that matter; creating a powerful workforce and investing in people so they bring their best to work; and delivering a world-class application.

“I’m not just digital-first, I’m also operations-first – every operation has a different output, a touchpoint that we can learn from and make improvements immediately.

“These are the moments that matter – the differentiators that others don’t deliver. And delivering these moments is particularly relevant to crypto, with education and high levels of customer interaction crucial to supporting the continued growth of the sector.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

AutoRek

Glasgow-based RegTech startup AutoRek has unveiled Andrew Elmore as its new Chief Technology Officer.

In his role at AutoRek, Elmore will oversee all technology activities, from product definition and implementation through to the operation of AutoRek’s cloud reconciliation service.

Alongside this, Elmore will support AutoRek as the company scales, ensuring to retain the quality and reliability of the firm’s services while increasing delivery pace & capacity.

Commenting on the announcement, Elmore said: “I am very excited to join AutoRek as part of the next stage of their exciting growth.

“AutoRek’s broad product functionality, market-leading matching engine, domain expertise and cloud platform are dramatically reducing the time and cost for clients to improve their Straight Through Processing (STP) and operational efficiency.”

Elmore added: “Combined with a relentless focus on customer success, I believe AutoRek will continue to be the best choice for traditional and next-gen financial institutions alike.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

OneBanks Hub

Scottish fintech OneBanks Hub made two new leadership appointments in June.

Joining the board as non-executive director is Louise Smith, current chair of Innovate Finance. She will join in August by Marianne ‘Mara’ Breen-Hart, who will become chief operating officer.

Breen-Hart joins from PwC, where she was responsible for strategy and execution while serving as chief of staff in the UK risk business.

Breen-Hart will be working alongside founder and chief executive Duncan Cockburn, chief technology officer Andy Wilmot and recently appointed head of people Tracey MacLennan, as part of a strengthened management team.

Jonathan Hughes, chair of OneBanks Hub, said: “I am tremendously excited to welcome Louise and Mara to OneBanks Hub at this crucial time.

“Their experience in the digital transformation of financial services will be invaluable as we prepare to take a significant role in the provision of everyday banking services in the UK.”

Cockburn added: “As we grow and mature, we need to have a first-class board and management team, and bringing Louise and Mara on board will ensure that we have what we need to make the difference we know we can make.

“Their backgrounds in technology, innovation and delivery will prove invaluable as we enter the next exciting stage of our development.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Encompass

Scotland-based Encompass appointed a new global sales leadership team to power its growth last month.

Bob DeLaney is joining as Head of Sales, UK and Ireland. Prior to this new role he occupied senior positions at Pega, Alacra and LexisNexis, among others.

Phillip Sertel will focus on the European market, bringing with him over 25 years of experience in the industry acquired at Oracle and FICO, where he was Vice President & Managing Director for Continental Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Some internal changes were also announced with Ed Lloyd becoming VP of Enterprise Sales, David Williams will continue to lead regional business, while Howard Dilworth heads up the North America sales arm, which has quickly expanded since Encompass entered the US market in late 2021.

Steve Hadaway, Chief Revenue Officer, Encompass, said: “I am delighted to appoint two highly experienced and respected figures in Bob and Phillip to crucial roles, further strengthening an already impressive regional leadership team.

“We have built a platform that truly makes a difference, helping banks fight financial crime, ensure compliance and deliver enhanced customer experience, and, with these seasoned professionals driving our teams forward, I know we will continue to go from strength to strength.

“This is undoubtedly a pivotal time in our journey, and we look forward to working to develop and further our offering for customers in the months ahead.”

Partnerships

Commsworld and Neos Networks

Neos Networks has chosen Commsworld to deliver new dark fibre connectivity that gives the company 100% direct access to the Pulsant data centre in South Gyle, Edinburgh.

Edinburgh-headquartered Commsworld built and completed the contract in just three weeks, providing a direct route to main data halls.

This provides Neos Networks with complete resilience diversity, as well as a scaling advantage to any clients, boosting the smooth running of its operations throughout Scotland’s capital.

The delivery provides Neos Networks with extra reach for its own end-to-end dark fibre network, and also marks a continuation of its relationship with Commsworld.

Steve Wood, Group Sales Director for Commsworld, said: “This contract delivery for Neos Networks further strengthens the relationship between the two companies, and shows that Commsworld now has the capability to deliver core connectivity to a Tier 1 telecoms operator such as Neos Networks, cementing our status in the carrier space.

“As Commsworld expands its fibre footprint, we see further opportunities, giving us the capability to sign long-term contracts to the benefit of both organisations. Neos Networks’ assistance in the provision of connectivity to the likes of the Open Championship was a fantastic example of the work that can be delivered when we work together.”

Sarah Mills, CRO of Neos Networks, said: “We have been working in partnership with Commsworld for a number of years and are pleased at how the relationship has developed over this time, and some of the fantastic projects we’ve delivered together.

“More recently, they’ve been crucial in helping us better connect Edinburgh via the Pulsant data centre, delivering the services in record time and with the resilience and diversity required.”

Skyscanner and Pawprint

Skyscanner has announced a partnership with Edinburgh-based Pawprint that will see the global travel firm strengthen its commitment to tackling climate change.

Through the partnership, Skyscanner’s 1,000+ global employees have been invited to use the Pawprint app, which helps users measure, understand, and reduce their carbon footprints at home and at work.

Pawprint founder Christian Arno said: “Skyscanner’s global success has already put Scotland on the tech map cementing Edinburgh’s reputation for business innovation.

“Following this new partnership, we are really optimistic that having an innovator as respected as Skyscanner using Pawprint and taking a proactive stance in tackling climate change will drive change and create real impact in the travel sector.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

The Scotland 5G Centre

The Scotland 5G Centre has announced the winners of its first Innovation Challenge focussing on ‘Shaping Digital Health & Social Care’.

The three winning SMEs will now benefit from an intensive acceleration programme and access to a private 5G network to test and prepare their business ideas to be market ready.

The three successful companies all offer connectivity solutions to address real challenges in the sector – improving digital access to healthcare services, supporting care at home and sharing health information safely.

The first winner was Care Reality, which provides essential clinical skills training using a new end-user virtual reality platform.

Next up is DDM Health, which offers home monitoring and precision chronic disease management.

Finally, Safehouse uses digital technology applications to support early intervention and diagnosis, while also allowing people to receive quality care in their homes

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

PDMS and McAlpine

PDMS secured a significant new five-year contract with plumbing products manufacturer McAlpine to help update its existing core ERP system and other key processes to benefit from new digital technologies.

Hardware and platform considerations meant the IT team at McAlpine had to decide whether to replace the ERP system with a completely new solution or to gradually migrate its heritage system into new digital interfaces.

After reviewing the options, McAlpine decided to continue working with PDMS to migrate and enhance its ERP system which manages product & engineering data, orders, stock and financials.

Under the new contract, the PDMS team will deliver this migration using an agile approach to project delivery. Upgrading the existing platforms to benefit from new digital capabilities and a better user experience as part of an incremental project roadmap, means less disruption to McAlpine’s day to day operations

In addition, the business will be able to quickly benefit from new functionality as it is rolled out.

Chris Gledhill, managing director of PDMS, commented: “We are delighted that our long association with McAlpine and the dedication of our team in Glasgow is reflected in this engagement

“We will be building on the inherent value of the existing systems and data whilst ensuring that McAlpine have the digital capabilities to build on their market leading position.”

DirectID and Shieldpay

Scottish global credit and risk specialists DirectID will provide its account verification system to boost the Shieldpay payments engine.

Working in partnership, DirectID’s connect widget and Shieldpay’s payment engine will allow customers to transfer funds online with digital escrow and trust services.

The combined service will bring provide easy identity verification during transfers, boosting the experience for Shieldpay customers without sacrificing security.

Commenting on the deal, Clare McCaffery, Chief Commercial Officer, DirectID said: “Verifying that the bank account details provided match those on file is one of the most proven and effective use-cases for Open Banking.

“I’m delighted Shieldpay have chosen DirectID to safely verify account ownership for digital escrow and trust services. We’re delighted to launch and look forward to working with Shieldpay on a variety of use cases in the future.”

James Stubbs, Financial Crime Systems, SPG, added: “We’re excited and intrigued by the possibilities of what DirectID and Shieldpay can bring to the table for our customers.

“Blending frictionless account verification in a customers’ own banking environment with safer online payment solutions for marketplaces will only help us on our mission to facilitate a new era of trust online.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Check Point Software and Dundee & Angus College

Cybersecurity solutions provider Check Point Software has partnered with Dundee & Angus College (D&A) to help tackle the nation’s cybersecurity skills shortage.

As part of the collaboration, D&A college will host a new cyber lab creating a more immersive learning environment. The collaboration with Check Point SecureAcademy is the first of its kind in Scotland and the largest in the UK.

The partnership will boost cybersecurity skills by providing students with the most up-to-date syllabus, which is especially important in cybersecurity where the threat landscape, and the technology, are constantly evolving.

The partnership will also see the incorporation of professionally led, interactive activities such as hackathons. At the end of the learning, students will gain a globally recognised certification putting them in an advantageous position when they enter the job market.

James Oliver, Head of Curriculum and Quality for Computing at Dundee & Angus College, said: “Our partnership with Check Point is very much aligned with our college-wide mission to become the ‘employability college’.

“We pride ourselves on offering students a stimulating and engaging experience that will thoroughly prepare them for the careers they aspire to have after their time with us ends. One of the things we love about SecureAcademy is that courses keep up with the fast-paced changes in the industry.

“We’re thrilled to be a Check Point SecureAcademy partner, and both our students and staff stand to benefit so much from the knowledge and guidance of this industry leader.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

TSB and FinTech Scotland

Retail bank TSB has announced the launch of a TSB Lab in Edinburgh in partnership with FinTech Scotland.

Small and medium enterprises specialising in fintech will collaborate to address relevant customer challenges.

TSB Lab is now open for applications from fintech SMEs with ideas on how they could help TSB tackle three key challenges.

These include supporting SMEs with the running and growth of their business, helping customers deal with the challenge of the cost-of-living crisis and technology solutions to improve SME and customer engagement on sustainability and climate change.

Customer Banking Director Mark Curran said: “Customer demand for digital services is soaring, so by partnering with cutting-edge fintechs we can be even more innovative in delivering for our customers.

“Scotland is home to more than 200 fintechs, and, with access to world class talent from Scottish universities, this is an excellent opportunity for TSB to bolster its position in the fintech landscape and provide even more Money Confidence to our customers.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Burness Paull and StructureFlow

Burness Paull is seeking to drive the firm’s innovation agenda forward with the adoption of StructureFlow technology.

Signing a three-year partnership, Burness Paull is embedding StructureFlow across the firm to utilise visualisation far more effectively, significantly enhancing the client experience.

Commenting on the news, Walter Clark, Corporate M&A Partner and a founder member of the firm’s Transformation and Innovation Group, said: “What I’ve liked about StructureFlow from the start is that it’s legal tech which is genuinely solving a problem.

“It’s a night and day difference in terms of what we used to do, versus what we can do now. Clients absolutely love the diagrammatic presentation of complex information, which is brilliant.

“What’s also vitally important is that it makes our lawyers’ lives easier – that’s a critical factor when we’re assessing something new.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

BR-DGE and Trust Payments

BR-DGE has partnered with Trust Payments to provide its merchants access to Trust Payments’ suite of Converged Commerce™ offerings.

The new partnership will enable BR-DGE customers to access Trust Payments’ technology, including an all-in-one payments platform, award-winning risk management tools, Anti-Money Launder (AML) and fraud detection features.

Brian Coburn, CEO at BR-DGE, says: “We are pleased to be joining forces with Trust Payments to offer their technology to our growing list of merchants.

“Through this partnership, BR-DGE will offer a larger range of payment tools to merchants, empowering them and their customers with reliable, seamless payment tools.

“This is our latest major partnership as we look to scale our offering with both payments providers and merchants.”

Daniel Holden, CEO at Trust Payments, says: “Our partnership with BR-DGE will open up enormous possibilities for merchants. Our technology will drive better choice and flexibility to tailor and layer e-commerce offerings to remain competitive and grow fulfilling our vision for Converged Commerce.

“We are delighted to work together with BR-DGE to help them expand their offering and we look forward to what the future holds as we create payment experiences that customers want.”

Moves

SBRC

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) has secured a place at Abertay University’s newly launched Abertay cyberQuarter in Dundee.

An increased presence in the city will boost opportunities for the organisation to engage with businesses from Tayside as it hosts workshops and meetings, as well as provide a space for its 20-part-time ethical hackers based out of Abertay University to work and collaborate.

Commenting on the move, Jude McCorry, CEO of the SBRC, said: “Abertay has long held an excellent reputation in the cyber industry. This week’s launch of the brand new cyberQuarter at Abertay University will extend this, and we have no doubt that it will be a positive space where academia and industry can unite to tackle cyber threats.

“Becoming a founding member of Abertay cyberQuarter was important for us given Dundee is already home to our brilliant team of ethical hackers who work assiduously alongside their studies to support organisations across Scotland in becoming more cyber aware. I can’t wait to see the centre live up to its potential.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

The Data Lab

The Data Lab has joined a consortium of 11 other organisations from across the UK to contribute to the creation of a £53.8m innovation hub designed to benefit the UK manufacturing sector.

The Smart Manufacturing Data Innovation Hub (SMDIH) will be the largest consortium that the Data Lab has been a part of in its seven-year history.

As part of the hub, the Data Lab will lead data science efforts, which will include helping organisations gain access to data scientists to receive assistance, as well as extending the reach for participating firms to work with the UK’s platforms, facilities and systems, and championing data skills through knowledge exchange workshops and online learning content.

The hub will empower manufacturing firms to capture and better utilise their data, helping them to increase productivity, growth, and sustainability. The wider partnership across the consortium brings together skillsets from academia, enterprise agencies and industry to advocate data best practice.

Brian Hills, CEO, The Data Lab, said: “Being part of such a significant project which will drive change within a highly technical sector, all while working alongside academic and industry specialists, marks a milestone moment for The Data Lab.

“While Scotland has benefitted from our experience and services, inspiring others in the UK to adopt our unique approach to building and growing data science and AI skills which will create real change for a sector is momentous.

“Scottish manufacturers and others in the Scottish innovation ecosystem will also benefit from the hub as we will engage with them to drive collaboration and access to the innovation fund with a specific focus on SMEs. This will include CENSIS, the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland (NMIS) and manufacturing sector teams at Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Abertay cyberQuarter

A new £18 million hub for cybersecurity research has opened in Abertay University’s Annie Lamont Building.

In addition to a physical space for collaboration and experimentation between industry and academia, the Abertay cyberQuarter has a secure cloud-computing infrastructure that will be used for specialist online teaching and provision of R&D and knowledge exchange activities.

Abertay University Principal, Professor Liz Bacon said: “Today is a truly landmark moment for Abertay University as we create a new home for Scotland’s cybersecurity community, around which the sector can be supported to experiment, develop and thrive.”

The £18m hub has been jointly funded by the University and the UK Government (£5.7m) and Scottish Government (£6m) through the Tay Cities Region Deal, providing a new model for supporting the rapidly growing cyber sector in a facility that’s the first of its kind in the country.

Creating new solutions to local, national and international cybersecurity challenges will be among the goals of Abertay cyberQuarter, which also aims to bring inclusive economic growth to the area by supporting the expansion of existing companies and helping new ones to succeed.

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

DataVita

Multi-cloud services provider DataVita has announced plans to open a new Glasgow data centre at 177 Bothwell Street.

The data centre represents £6 million of investment from the company and will be DataVita’s second facility, adding to its acquisition of the Fortis data centre in Lanarkshire in 2021.

Located within Glasgow’s largest single office building, the 150-rack capacity facility will be Scotland’s first ‘metro’ data centre. It will support occupiers along with the wider business community in the city’s International Financial Services District (IFSD).

DataVita said that its new data centre will support the tech, financial services, and fintech sectors, along with city centre projects such as the roll-out of 5G and internet of things (IoT) networks.

The new data centre is expected to be operational by the third quarter 2022.

DataVita managing director Danny Quinn said: “The installation of our new metro data centre at 177 Bothwell Street is a large part of our plan for growth.

“Having the data centre in the heart of the city will not only support the capabilities of 177 Bothwell Street, but will support the growing demand from telecoms, IoT, and smart city technologies providers for quality data centre services in the heart of Glasgow city centre.

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

TravelPerk

TravelPerk has announced the opening of its new office in Edinburgh this week, making the city its third hub in the UK alongside London and Birmingham.

10 people are already working in Scotland but with the opening of the new hub, the company is aiming to add hundreds of jobs to the city over the coming years, beginning with an additional 30 employees before the end of 2022.

The TravelPerk Edinburgh hub will be focused on developing a centre for software engineering as the company continues to establish itself as a major Scottish tech hub.

Having a base in Scotland’s capital makes sense for any major travel platform as Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest airport, with over 14 million passengers coming through each year.

Vicki Williams, UK Country Manager at TravelPerk, said: “The pandemic has changed travel patterns and Edinburgh has benefited from that.

“Opening a hub in the city was the obvious decision to fuel TravelPerk’s hypergrowth trajectory, and further showcases our clear commitment and belief in the city as a key business travel hub in the UK. Our data backs this up, showing a strong travel recovery in Edinburgh compared with other European capitals.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Awards

The GRILL team

A next-generation AI assistant created by students from the University of Glasgow has won an international competition.

The GRILL team from the School of Computing Science took first place in Amazon’s Alexa Prize TaskBot Challenge, beating out nine leading research teams worldwide.

In May last year, the GRILL team was selected as one of ten entrants to participate in the challenge, receiving a research grant of $250,000 (£176,500) to support 12 months of work. They also received four Amazon Alexa devices, free access to Amazon Web Services, and support from members of the Amazon Alexa team.

Success required the teams to address many complex AI challenges, from knowledge representation and inference, and common-sense and causal reasoning, to language understanding and generation, requiring the fusion of multiple AI techniques.

The team, consisting of PhD students Sophie Fischer, Carlos Gemmell, Iain Mackie, Paul Owoicho and Federico Rossetto, won a cash prize of $500,000 (£414,000).

Gemmell, GRILLBot’s project leader, added: “Ultimately, the goal of taskbots is one shared by the research vision from our research lab: to enable people to understand the world and make people’s lives better.”

The team said: “We find it exciting because realising the vision requires fundamental advances in core research areas of machine intelligence. Ultimately, the goal of taskbots is one shared by the research vision from our research lab, to enable people to understand the world and make people’s lives better.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

Converge Inside Innovation

Female-led businesses saw success at the Converge Inside Innovation pitching event, held on the 23rd of June.

The occasion saw 49 Scottish university startups and spinouts participate in a pitching competition at Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios.

Business leaders were given the opportunity to share their innovative ideas with a room packed full of the country’s top investors and business leaders.

The semi-finalists from three challenge categories – Converge, Net Zero, and Create Change – had 60 seconds each to secure the votes of the 100+ strong audience.

Winning ‘Best Pitch’ in the Converge Challenge was Jodie Sinclair from Theo Health, a healthtech startup originating out of the University of Dundee.

Kaia Waxenberg won in the Net Zero category with her carbon footprint measuring tool, Agrecalc, which was spun-out from from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

In the Create Change category, the winner was Alexandra McKenna from Sioda, an eco-conscious social enterprise emerging from the University of Stirling.

Commenting on the results, Claudia Cavalluzzo, executive director at Converge, added: “The innovation coming out of Scotland’s universities is astounding. Each idea presented last night has the potential to change lives and benefit millions of people.

“To turn an idea like that into a tangible commercial business takes determination, drive, and tons of passion – and the Converge cohort delivered that, in spades.

“I’d like to congratulate everyone who took part in the speed pitching – it is no easy task to summarise your passion project in less than a minute. Our three triumphant pitchers are in pole position to do well at our flagship awards ceremony later this year when they will compete with the rest of this year’s cohort for the main cash prize.”

Want to find out more? Read the full article here.

AutoRek

Fintech firm AutoRek has been recognised at the Systems in the City Financial Technology Awards 2022 in both the ‘Best CASS Solution’ and ‘Best Wealth Management Solution’ categories.

The company also achieved the accolade ‘Best CASS Solution’ for the third consecutive year.

Lyn Canavan, Head of Marketing at AutoRek, commented: “We are delighted to have won this prestigious award and to be recognised again as a provider of the ‘Best CASS Solution’ by the Systems in the City Financial Technology Awards judging panel.

“We have developed our CASS solution with our clients over the years to fine tune it into the best CASS solution. The recognition is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the AutoRek team behind the scenes.”

Organised by Goodacre, a specialist business and technology consultancy, the awards are an endorsement for suppliers of services and systems to the regulated financial services sector.