Why top tech body ScotlandIS is searching for fresh board talent

Scotland’s digital trade body is on the hunt for two new board members as the sector looks to capitalise on its stellar growth rate.

ScotlandIS has 12 board members, but said there was an opportunity for two new faces to join the leadership team. The appointments will be for three years and they are designed to add additional expertise and experience to the membership and cluster management organisation.

A report released in 2019 valued the Scottish digital technologies economy at almost £5 billion, though many industry experts believe that this has risen considerably since then, with a recent study estimating the value of the country’s tech sector at more than £16bn.

Dermot Murray, chair of ScotlandIS, the membership and cluster management organisation for Scotland’s digital technologies industry.

ScotlandIS said the new board members would help “craft the strategic direction of the organisation for the short, medium and long term” as it looks to meet its growth targets, both in terms of member numbers and overall impact. “There will be a clear focus on maximising the positive impact for members, as well as driving policy discussions at the highest level,” the group noted.

Candidates for the two board roles must be a senior leader in their own business, have experience in PR and marketing or represent a scale-up organisation, and be part of an organisation that is a ScotlandIS member.

Dermot Murray, chairman of ScotlandIS, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of ScotlandIS as we look to further increase the positive impact we have on the sector as a whole. At a time of great change, both in terms of our nation’s politics and the increased adoption of technologies like AI, it’s more important than ever for Scotland to have a strong technology industry capable of competing on a global stage.

“We have proactively identified specific areas where we think we are currently missing particular knowledge, and this is what’s driving our current recruitment. Scotland is particularly well placed to take advantage of the rapid growth in industries like space and cyber security and it’s vital that ScotlandIS plays a leading role in effectively positioning our tech sector to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.”