Skyscanner co-founder Gareth Williams to mentor intern as part of prestigious scholarship programme

“Future leaders need to be nurtured if we are to build a successful economy that can support the Scotland we all want to see.”

One of the founders of Skyscanner, the high-flying tech unicorn founded in Edinburgh in 2003, is to take a paid intern under his wing as part of a flagship scholarship scheme.

Gareth Williams, co-founder and former chief executive of the travel search site that was acquired by Chinese giant Ctrip Group in 2016 in a deal valued at £1.4 billion, will host and mentor an intern this year as part of Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Saltire Scholars programme. The scheme is currently recruiting organisations to host additional scholars this summer with the deadline for taking part being the end of April.

The Saltire Scholars initiative matches organisations around the world with pre-vetted undergraduate students. Successful candidates are asked to deliver impactful projects of commercial significance during a summer internship. The prestigious programme has helped launch the careers of almost 2,000 people since 2007.

Gareth Williams is the co-founder and former chief executive of Skyscanner, the Edinburgh travel search site that was acquired by Chinese giant Ctrip Group in 2016. Picture: Chris Watt/Visual Media

Williams will take the lucky intern under his wing for a ten-week internship, where they will work directly with him on an artificial intelligence (AI) data project. It is being billed as an opportunity for Williams - who has gone on to invest and back a number of ventures - to benefit from the “latest skills and fresh perspectives” of an undergraduate, while imparting his decades of leadership experience.

He said: “Future leaders need to be nurtured if we are to build a successful economy that can support the Scotland we all want to see. I was impressed by the level of work that goes into uncovering these high potential young people and I know I can get useful work done whilst supporting their journey. I urge other business leaders to consider hosting an intern through the programme. The companies that participated in previous years are coming back offering even more placements. That’s a clear sign to me that this programme works.”

Entrepreneurial Scotland is seeking new organisations to join its scholarship scheme as hosts this summer. Businesses and entrepreneurial leaders in Scotland have the opportunity to host interns for up to 12 weeks, where they will deliver a project of their choice. Entrepreneurial Scotland has a vetted candidate pool of more than 650 interns who hail from all degree backgrounds and subject areas including business management, marketing, life sciences, computer science and engineering.

The charitable organisation’s chief executive, Sean McGrath, said: “We’re determined to ensure that the nation’s best entrepreneurial talent is discovered and given the opportunity to thrive. We’re excited that this year’s programme is set to be our biggest yet, with over 650 student interns ready and waiting to enter businesses this summer. Not only are we the largest programme of our kind in Europe, but unique opportunities like this to work directly with experienced entrepreneurs like Gareth truly sets us apart.”

Williams is the latest high-profile figure to get involved in one of Scotland’s biggest-ever personal development initiatives for young and ambitious future leaders. Network Rail and Sydney Airport are among the brands already confirmed to welcome interns this summer.

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