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

This month saw a steady mix of high-profile appointments, industry expansions, and awards.

Top Scottish firms made key appointments, while both the private and public sector saw expansions in hubs and offerings.

All that and more coming up.

Appointments

BCS Consultancy appoints Steve Sutherland as Head of Digital, AI & Data Strategy

BCS Consultancy, the global data centre consultancy, has today announced the appointment of Steve Sutherland as its first Head of Digital, AI and Data Strategy, reinforcing the company’s commitment to using technology to deliver smarter, faster and more valuable outcomes for clients.

The role comes at a pivotal moment for the data centre industry. As AI drives unprecedented demand for digital infrastructure, projects are becoming larger, more complex and increasingly constrained by power availability. While AI is reshaping the infrastructure being built, it is also changing how that infrastructure should be planned, delivered and managed.

Recognising this shift, BCS is investing in a dedicated digital, AI and data strategy to move project delivery towards more connected, data-driven ways of working, improving decision-making, automating routine processes and giving clients deeper insight across the full lifecycle of their projects.

Clarus Networks Group appoints Stuart Castell as Chief Revenue Officer

Clarus Networks Group has appointed Stuart Castell as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) as the business accelerates its global growth strategy and strengthens its position in enterprise connectivity and low Earth orbit (LEO) technology.

Stuart returned to Clarus earlier this year as Commercial Director, having previously worked with the business and built much of his career in satellite communications and technology.

During his career, Stuart has held several C-suite positions and has also founded, owned and operated his own successful satellite communications business. That combination of executive leadership, sector expertise and first-hand experience of building and running a business brings an important perspective as Clarus enters its next stage of growth.

Jen Modi joins Barrier Networks as Regional Sales Director

Barrier Networks, a specialist provider of managed cyber security services for enterprises and critical national infrastructure organisations, today announced that Jen Modi has joined its team as Regional Sales Director.

In her role, Jen will be based in London and will work to bring more of Barrier’s managed security services to organisations across the UK.
As advanced AI continues to amplify and accelerate threat activity, organisations are increasingly looking to partner with experts to deliver round-the-clock security operations across their environments without burdening their own internal resources.

“I’m delighted to be joining Barrier Networks at such an exciting stage in its growth. The cyber security challenges facing organisations are becoming more complex, particularly as they manage growing volumes of data, expanding supply chains and an evolving AI-powered threat landscape”, said Jen Modi, regional sales director at Barrier Networks.

Expansions

2i opens new delivery centre in Hyderabad

2i, the UK’s largest quality engineering partner, has opened a new delivery centre in Hyderabad, India’s fastest growing IT hub for AI and engineering talent.

The new centre expands 2i’s delivery capability as the business continues to grow and respond to increasing demand from enterprise clients, particularly around AI assurance. The Hyderabad team will work alongside colleagues in the UK as one integrated delivery organisation, bringing additional quality engineering and AI expertise to client programmes.

Dave Kelly, CEO of 2i, said: “Opening our Hyderabad delivery centre is an important milestone in 2i’s growth journey and an investment in the capability we can offer our clients.

Digital Xtra Launches New Network of AI Hubs

Digital Xtra, the charity dedicated to increasing the provision of extracurricular computing activities for young people in Scotland, is to develop a national network of community coding and AI hubs.

Over the past 10 years, the charity – backed by the Scottish Government and industry – has supported 210 grassroots activities by awarding over £1.1 million via its annual grants programme.

These initiatives engaged over 60,000 young people across the country while laying a foundation for ongoing engagement about computing and technology. That figure is now set to rise considerably under the charity’s new ‘Code Xtra’ strategy.

Read more here.

Awards

Edinburgh-based Accountability achieves ‘triple crown’ of accolades

Accountability, an Edinburgh-based financial services and accounting business, is celebrating a trilogy of national accolades: being named a Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026, achieving B Corp certification, and becoming one of the first organisations in the UK to be accredited as a flexible workspace.

Since it was established in 2012 by Rosie Berridge, Accountability has set itself apart from competitors by putting people first and focusing on doing business in the right way.

An accounting service with a difference, Accountability has supported over 130 businesses across the UK to grow through its bespoke professional expertise and financial services.

With an 83% annual client retention rate, and 87% of new clients coming through existing client referrals, Accountability’s approach to business is resonating with the industry.

Scottish startup Neve Learning recognised by Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards

Glasgow-based learning technology startup Neve Learning has been recognised as a Highly Commended business in the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26, recognising the company’s vision to transform workplace learning through accessibility-first design and artificial intelligence.

Angela Prentner-Smith, Founder and CEO of Neve Learning, has been recognised as a Highly Commended applicant in the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26 for the team’s vision to develop the Neve Learning Personalisation Engine, an AI-powered innovation designed to transform workplace learning through accessibility and personalisation.

Angela was named among just 39 Highly Commended applicants, selected from a record 1,590 applications in the tenth anniversary year of Innovate UK’s flagship Women in Innovation programme. The programme celebrates women founders developing innovative businesses with the potential to deliver significant economic and social impact, while providing mentoring, networking, business support and development opportunities to help accelerate future growth.