Alison is a recognised  digital leader in Scotland with a wealth of experience of many ground-breaking digital programmes across the public sector.  She has worked with many organisations across the Justice sector including Disclosure Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Courts and Crown Office.  Her experience also includes a 2.5 year secondment as Head of the Digital Transformation Division of the SG Digital Directorate, during which she was involved in the Digital Justice DESC programme.

Alison is a former Chair of ScotlandIS and now works as a digital transformation strategist working with public and private sector to drive digitally enabled change. 

In order to continue the advancement towards digitization, Scotland perhaps needs to develop a roadmap for the integration of digital trust, identity and wallets, and in how data is shared across the public sector, especially in areas of health and social care. This, as much as possible, should be focused on the citizen, and aim to integrate with other evolving systems around the world, and respect privacy. Along with this, the evolution of new methods such as with homomorphic encryption could provide the public sector with the opportunity to better understand the demographics of the population, while supporting privacy-aware machine learning.

William (Bill) J Buchanan OBE FRSE  is a Professor of Applied Cryptography in the School of Computing, Edinburgh and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. He is a Fellow of the BCS and a Principal Fellow of the HEA. Bill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to cybersecurity, and,  in 2024, he was appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE).  His social media tagline reflects his strong belief in changing the world for the better: “A Serial Innovator. An Old World Breaker. A New World Creator.” Bill also has a strong belief in the power of education and in supporting innovation from every angle and currently leads the Blockpass ID Lab and the Centre for Cybersecurity, IoT and Cyberphysical.   Bill works in the areas of cryptography, blockchain, trust and digital identity. He has one of the most extensive cryptography sites in the World (asecuritysite.com), and is involved in many areas of novel research and teaching.  He has published over 30 academic books and over 450 academic research papers. Along with this, Bill’s work has led to many areas of impact, including a number of highly successful spin-out companies (including Zonefox, Symphonic Software and Cyan Forensics), along with awards for excellence in knowledge transfer and for teaching. He recently received an ”Outstanding Contribution to Knowledge Exchange” award and was included in the FutureScot “50 Scottish Tech People Who Are Changing The World”, along with being a regular keynote speaker at a range of conferences. Bill’s true academic passion is building, analysing and breaking cryptographic methods. 

Kim McAllister is a freelance journalist and event host, as well as a communications consultant for Connect. She has presented seven series of Clever About Cash on BBC Radio Scotland as well as contributing to other radio shows across the network. She writes business features for the Herald and has been published in many major newspaper titles. She spends a lot of her time producing podcasts for clients across the UK and is a trustee of The Yard, a charity for children and young people with disabilities. 

In 1999, Mr Lubi started working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was an Economic Adviser at the Estonian Embassy in London 2002-2006. After that, he worked as a Director of the General Affairs Division in the EU Department. In August 2009, Mr Lubi took up the position of Economic Adviser at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, DC. In 2011, he was seconded to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications in Estonia. In 2013, Mr Lubi took up office in New Delhi as the first residing Estonian Ambassador to India. After 3 years, he served as a Vice Minister for Economic Development in Estonia. Since 2021, Mr Lubi has been the Ambassador of Estonia to the United Kingdom. 

Hayden Edwards is the Director of the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) for BT Business, with accountability for all aspects of BT performance including service, delivery, contract performance, service evolution and innovation. Before this, he led Business Development in Scotland for BT, including go to market strategy and leading strategic major business deals, across Health, Government, Emergency services, Local Councils and Universities.

Hayden has been at BT since 2009 and has worked in a variety of roles covering Major Deal Architecture, Programme Delivery, Contract Management, IT transformation and as Chief Technology Officer for Local Government. Having worked in public sector for over 20 years, he has developed significant insight into the challenges of transforming citizen experiences using technology and communication solutions.  A creative and innovative thinker, he enjoys bringing practical thinking to customer challenges, and firmly believes in not just doing the same things differently – but doing different things.

Hayden is a Community Councillor for his local Ward in East Lothian, taking a particular interest in digital inclusion and how technology can support education and place based transformation. An undergraduate and recent Masters graduate from the University of Aberdeen Business School, he now lives in Aberlady with his wife and two children. Oustide of work, he is a lifelong rugby fan, having played and refereed at all levels of the game.  Any other spare time is spent on his home golf course at Craigielaw.

Geoff Huggins is Director for Digital at the Scottish Government.  Previously he was Director of the NHS Education Scotland Digital Service working to create the NHS National Digital Platform.  From 2013 to 2018 he was Director for Health and Social Care Integration and from 2017 to 2018 also Director for Digital Health and Social Care.  Prior to that he was Head of Mental Health for nine years.  From 1991 to 1998 he worked for the Northern Ireland Office working on security and political development.  He holds degrees in law and criminology from Queen’s University, Belfast.  He is a non-executive director of Cornerstone, Penumbra and the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership.  He runs a little, takes photographs and watches films.  

Alan Lees is Scotland Director for BT Business, with responsibility for all Corporate and Public

Sector business in Scotland, which includes health, national and local government, emergency

services, local councils and universities. His remit is to implement a new strategic direction to

increase local focus nationwide., which also includes strategic oversight of BT’s delivery of the

Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN).

Alan joined BT in 2001 from NTL. Alan has worked in a variety of General Manager and

Director positions at BT, developing a unique insight into customer challenges and how

technology and communication solutions can enable economic growth and prosperity for

places in Scotland. Alan also passionately supports SME growth in Scotland and is an advocate

for many support services provided by BT, including Skills for Tomorrow training and Barefoot

Computing in primary schools.

Alan is also an advisory board member of Glasgow Warriors. He was born in

Glasgow and studied Economics & Law at the University of Strathclyde. He now lives in

Bishopton with his wife and two children and outside of work he is passionate about

supporting rugby at all levels in Scotland.

With over a decade of expertise in IT and telecommunications, Jennifer leads as a Regional Innovation Lead for Vodafone Business UK, spanning Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Northern England. From her roots as a Management Accountant, she evolved through roles in Financial Operations, Contract & Commercial Management, and Sales Strategy. Known for transforming complex data into actionable insights, Jennifer excels at making numbers tell a story across all levels. Driven, impactful, and openly authentic, she’s made a mark with her results-focused approach throughout her career.
With a deep passion for innovation, Jennifer is committed to transforming communities through technology. In her role at Vodafone Business UK, she leverages Vodafone Analytics to unlock data-driven insights that empower businesses and enhance connectivity across regions. Her work not only drives strategic decisions but also fosters inclusive, tech-enabled growth that benefits entire communities. Jennifer’s dedication to using technology for positive change and her knack for making complex data accessible make her a powerful advocate for community-centered digital transformation.

Mark Mair is an experienced professional in the IT industry, working as a Public Sector Account Executive at Boomi. With over a decade of experience in enterprise sales, account management, and technical consultation, Mark specializes in creating tailored solutions for the unique needs of the public sector, including education and local authorities. He is known for his unwavering commitment to client success and his ability to deeply understand their business objectives, which forms the cornerstone of his approach. In addition to his role at Boomi, Mark is a passionate advocate for empowering organizations through innovative technology solutions. He shares valuable insights and strategies for driving success in the ever-evolving landscape of IT and public sector engagement. Mark’s passion, expertise, and dedication shine through, driving meaningful change in the IT sector.

Paula Olin is a Home services leader with 27 years of experience working in the Social and Healthcare sector. She has a Masters degree in Administrative Sciences (Social and Healthcare Management) and is currently working for a Welfare area in Finland. She is interested in technology and how it could be an everyday part of clients living at home. 

Ronan leads Version 1’s team of digital strategists and enterprise architects, helping customers accelerate business transformation through digital, data and cloud investments. With extensive knowledge across a wide range of industries and technology domains, Ronan has led major technology solution developments and modernisation programmes for many of Version 1’s customers across public and private sectors. An innovative and strategic thinker, he has presented on technology and digital development topics at many conferences. He brings deep insight into the transformation that digital technology brings to organisations, considering business outcomes and the digital systems that support them, enabling new ways of working and innovation in service delivery.

After joining Content Guru in 2009, Richard has led the Product Team for the last 7 years, shaping the future of cutting-edge software solutions that impact millions of users. Leading cross-functional teams, Richard is responsible for turning bold ideas into reality, driving growth, creativity, and game-changing products in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. 

John Pease is the Cloud Security Team Lead for SentinelOne across EMEA. John joined SentinelOne 5 years ago, as a Solutions engineer supporting the UKI business. He then transitioned into a Cloud Security SE role, where he is responsible for helping enterprises across EMEA with their Cloud Security challenges, in particular public sector and financial services organisations.   

John has over 26 years experience in the IT sector, with 20 of those years specialising in security. In his current role, John helps enterprises to operationalise security strategies, allowing them to manage risk and understand the business requirement to access data securely across all platforms. 

Nia is an experienced leader of digital transformation who has helped the Scottish public sector deliver services that are more efficient to run and meet the raised expectations of today’s customers. She now helps organisations transition to working in the cloud.
Before that Nia spent 19 years working in both the Welsh and English public sector delivering policy improvements, community development, digital connectivity and business transformation.

Ewan Ferguson is the founder and CEO of FullProxy, an award-winning Cyber Security Service Provider and Consultancy established in 2015. With over two decades of experience in running successful SME businesses, Ewan brings deep technical expertise and strategic vision to the cyber security landscape.  

Ewan has spent the last 15 years specialising in cyber security, working extensively across both public and private sectors with a range of expert partners. His technical expertise and passion has enabled him to build FullProxy into a leading security solutions provider that attracts and retains top industry talent.  

As a keen advocate for secure application delivery in both B2B and B2C environments, Ewan has guided numerous organisations through complex security transformations and fortified their posture. Under his leadership, FullProxy has established a proven track record in designing and implementing strategic security solutions that help teams effectively reduce their risk of cyber-attacks whilst meeting modern security challenges.  

Jon is an experienced professional with over twenty years of expertise in developing and delivering world-class information management and workflow solutions, both locally and globally. He joined Objective Corporation in 2010, where he works closely with developers, customers, industry experts, and Microsoft’s product teams to stay ahead of and influence the latest technical innovations and information governance trends worldwide. 

As a technical pioneer, Jon is responsible for leading the strategy and direction of Objective’s product suite, which embraces the latest cloud technologies, Microsoft365 developments, and AI/ML trends to deliver Intelligent Information Management solutions that manage risk and support business innovation in a rapidly changing world. 

Ivan McKee was appointed Minister for Public Finance in May 2024 where he supports the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. 

His career has involved a number of senior roles in manufacturing and business, managing companies in the UK as well as Poland, Finland, Croatia and Bosnia. 

Early in his career, Ivan spent two years with VSO in Bangladesh. He is currently a trustee of the charity CEI, which supports education and health projects in Bangladesh. 

Ivan has been MSP for Glasgow Provan since May 2016. He was brought up in Glasgow where he studied at the University of Strathclyde. He also studied at the University of Newcastle. 

He was previously the Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation and Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise. 

Dr Clarisse de Vries is a lecturer at the University of Glasgow. She works on the development and testing of AI for breast screening, aiming to make sure that AI in healthcare is safe and benefits everyone. Before her appointment in Glasgow, she was a Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, where she contributed her data science expertise to the evaluation of an AI breast screening tool called MIA. Her work has been published in scientific journals and noted by popular news outlets, including the BBC. Last April, she also received the Rising Star Award at the 2024 UK Advancing Healthcare Awards, recognising her contributions to this emerging field. 

With nearly 40 years of experience in technology and innovation, Dave is a global leader and advisor. As Chief of Software Engineering at Zühlke, Dave guides organisations through the challenges and opportunities of new technology driven markets.   

Specialising in the combined use of technologies such as Cybersecurity, AI/ML, distributed ledgers, Mixed Reality, Cloud and Devices, Dave offers technical consulting worldwide, facilitating the adoption of lean enterprise and continuous delivery principles.  

Actively engaged in prestigious networks, including the World Economic Forum and the Forbes Technology Council, Dave provides insights on emerging technologies’ impact and governance, particularly in AI, security and blockchain. Passionate about practical implementation, Dave remains hands-on – coding, designing, and building architectures while trialling products and prototypes.  

AI in the Public Sector: Bring the future forward
Founder of Storm ID and Lenus Health with over 20 years of experience in driving digital transformation across a range of industry sectors. Paul was an early proponent of using machine learning to develop predictive analytics, resulting in a spin-out of the Lenus business from Storm in 2020 to bring a highly innovative AI-based solution to the health sector to support the diagnosis and management of people with long-term health conditions. 

Join us for an insightful talk on unlocking the true potential of your organization’s data! Discover how Essential Shared Data Assets can enhance decision-making and service delivery, while overcoming challenge

Dinesh Kumar Subramani is a Senior Solutions Architect based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He specialises in artificial intelligence and machine learning and is member of technical field community within Amazon. Dinesh works closely with UK Central Government customers to solve their problems using AWS services. Outside of work, Dinesh enjoys spending quality time with his family, playing chess, and exploring a diverse range of music.” 

Ann-Marie was appointed by NHS 24 as Chief Information Officer in April 2017 leads the Information, Communication and Technology directorate. 

Ann-Marie has over twenty years of IT experience and has held a number of senior roles across the public and private sectors including Chief Information Officer for National Trust for Scotland, Chief Information Officer for Care Visions Group, Head of Technology for Glasgow City Council and Compliance and Data Warehousing Manager for National Australia Group Europe.  Prior to this Ann-Marie held a number of technology based positions after graduating with a B.Eng in Software Engineering.  This was a significant change in having started her career as a State Enrolled Nurse. 

Paul is currently the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Finance responsible for the delivery of Digital, Security and Finance Shared Services across the Northern Ireland Civil Service. 

He is the Senior Responsible Owner for the Integr8 Programme, which will transform how Finance, HR and Payroll services are delivered across Central Government, enabled through the introduction of a new integrated, cloud-based technology solution. 

Paul is a Fellow Chartered and Certified Accountant and is a graduate of the Major Projects Leadership Academy and the Orchestrating Major Projects programme at the Saïd Business School at Oxford University.   

Mika Apell, Chief Internationalization Officer and co-founder of Evondos, brings over 15 years of experience in health technology and automated medication management. Committed to enhancing the quality and safety of home healthcare for clients and caregivers, Mika has been pivotal to Evondos‘ growth and innovation. With his background supported by a master’s degree in digital technology and additional business education, he is well-equipped to lead Evondos‘ expansion into international markets. Currently, Mika is leading the go-to-market efforts in the UK, having Scotland one of the key target regions. 

Eilidh McLaughlin is the Deputy Director for Digital Ethics, Inclusion and Assurance and is head of the Digital Citizen Division.  The Division is within the Digital Directorate and covers the Connecting Scotland programme and the Ethical Digital Nation team.  It also comprises Information Management and Assurance teams, thus considering digital citizenry from an internal and external perspective. This role combines Eilidh’s previous experience in corporate governance, equalities and information management.  The ethos of the Division is to make sure that No One is Left Behind and to ensure that digital work is done in an ethical, inclusive way.  

Ross Leader is the Head of Engagement Management at Influential Software. With extensive experience across the Financial Services, Professional Services, Utilities, and Public sectors, Ross has a deep understanding of how to navigate complex organisational landscapes and is dedicated to fostering collaboration and leveraging automation. His expertise lies in leading Agile software development teams to drive innovation through bespoke development and integration, with a focus on the best outcomes for clients.

Moira Mackenzie is Deputy Chief Executive at Scotland’s Innovation Centre for Digital Health and Care (DHI). DHI is hosted by the University of Strathclyde in an exciting collaboration with Glasgow School of Art. DHI’s recently published 10 year strategy sets out how it will achieve its mission to “transform great ideas into real solutions”. DHI inspires, enables and combines world-leading expertise with service, business and technical innovation to design and develop person-centred digital innovations which positively impact society. Moira’s extensive cross-sectoral expertise includes previous senior roles within the Scottish Government, NHS and Local Government. 

Neil joined Sopra Steria in May 2024 to lead the UK Data & AI Practice. His role is to partner with Sopra Steria’s customers to deliver efficient, ethical Data & AI solutions and services, as industry and government transform their organisations through the adoption of AI. 

Neil has worked in a variety of industries and roles during his career, always with a focus on generating business value from technology. Prior to Sopra Steria, he spent 4 years as Futures Director at Roke leading a technology & AI business, he spent 11 years at Siemens Rail in a variety of leadership roles including Business Development, Strategy, Transformation and IT, and has led technology transformation programmes at the BBC.  

Neil has a Business Economics degree from Cardiff University. 

Jamie brings a wealth of experience from over two decades in technology delivery, technology leadership, and innovative digital solutions.

A significant portion of his career has been dedicated to supporting governments in their digital transformation journeys, on both UK and international platforms.

Currently steering business development in Scotland for Leidos, Jamie plays a pivotal role in advancing technological solutions tailored for the Scottish Public Sector. His extensive career has seen him at the nexus of both prominent global IT entities and a dynamic Scottish scale-up, offering a depth of perspective based on extensive experience in the digital realm.

In a notable stint with a leading IT consultancy, Jamie was instrumental in driving digital transformation programmes for the Scottish Government. His expertise was crucial in overseeing application development projects and in architecting transformative service strategies.

Earlier in his journey, Jamie championed several government digital initiatives, from pioneering elections solutions to laying down foundational ICT architecture frameworks.

As he engages with government and industry peers, Jamie consistently brings a synthesis of deep experience and forward-thinking insights, contributing richly to discussions on digital transformation in Scotland and beyond.

Kim is an SDN Accredited Master Trainer who utilises her passion for inclusive and accessible design in her role as an Educator at the Service Design Academy in Dundee. Kim has worked with clients including the Scottish Government, Manchester City Council, and Education Scotland. She is also an author for the SDN TouchPoint journal and co-author of “Transforming Higher Education using Human-Centred Design,” advocating for the power of service design across sectors.  

Robert Cawston is the Director of Digital and Service Transformation at the National Library of Scotland. He is passionate about the ways digital content and services can connect people to culture and heritage. He has previously led digital programmes and strategy for a range of public institutions, including National Museums Scotland, the Royal Institution, BAFTA and Chatham House.

Mags Moore has been working in the problem-solving IT industry for 34 years, supporting government outcomes and public services. With a keen focus on technical and commercial innovation, and her heart firmly in Scotland, Mags has helped to make public services better for citizens and employees right across the UK.  

Mags is currently the Business Development Director for Sopra Steria’s UK Government and Transport business. Her experience in central, local government, healthcare and transport has helped to define citizen-led solutions, underpinned by the pragmatic application of digital innovation. The tech building blocks of this innovation are based on AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce and ServiceNow. With of course AI, data, cyber and ethics at the core.    

Her passion for leadership had led to her mentoring people from a wide variety of backgrounds. She is currently part of the Sopra Steria and Prince’s Trust partnership supporting young people into work. 

Isaac Smith is Deputy Director Digital Components and Infrastructure within the Digital Directorate of the Scottish Government.  Previously he was Deputy Director for Cloud and Digital Services, Deputy Director of Product, Delivery and Capability (interim) at the Department of Health and Social Care where he provided leadership to the DDaT profession. Prior to this he was Head of Technology at NHSX working to create sustainable digital transformation in health and care. Since 2014 he has specialised in Digital with a focus on technology and user centred design within the Department of Health and Social Care, the Home Office, and the Department of Work and Pensions. He holds degrees in Law and History from The University of Dundee. 

Seeking to define what digital transformation means from an organisational perspective, using real world stories and practical examples

Hugh Wallace is Chief Information Officer at Research Data Scotland (RDS), an organisation that helps researchers find and make use of data that can improve the lives of people in Scotland.

Prior to RDS, Hugh led a high-profile programme to deliver a common payments platform in Scottish Government and support digital service development within Scotland’s Social Security agency. His previous roles include leading the digital teams at Oxfam and National Museums Scotland, as well as heading up the design function in a digital agency.

Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen is a Partner at Netcompany, working with governments across Europe to drive digital strategies and transformation. He joined Netcompany in 2023 as the Group lead for digital government, overseeing key initiatives, including the large-scale EU EUDI-Wallet project. Before joining Netcompany, Thomas gained extensive international experience in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, he served as CEO of KOMBIT, Inc. for 14 years, leading the procurement, development and implementation of efficient, integrated, and user-friendly IT solutions for Denmark’s state and local governments. Drawing on his technical and business expertise, he played a pivotal role in modernizing critical case management and self-service systems, while ensuring the implementation of new digital infrastructure across all Danish municipalities. A strong advocate for digitalization and a connected public sector, Thomas brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors to his approach to digital transformation. He is an active member of expert boards and facilitates several networks focused on digital development and transformation. 

Kjersti has over two decades of experience of leading digital transformation within the Public Sector. She’s an expert in Lean Six Sigma for service and office environments.

Kjersti has worked with many organisations across the Scottish Public Sector and has delivered and supported a wide range of initiatives from complex transformations to using intelligent automation to deliver streamlined operating models and drive more efficient services.

Nicola Cooper is the Technology and Digital Innovation Lead at Scottish Care, the representative body for Scotland’s independent social care sector. Recognised for her leadership in social care innovation, she works with partners across care, health, academia, and industry in Scotland and beyond. Nicola has been a driving force behind award-winning initiatives, bringing extensive expertise in designing and implementing technology for aged care. Passionate about shaping an ethical, human-led future for social care, she is committed to creating the conditions for sustainable and meaningful change. 

Is your data match fit?. Understanding your data assets and getting them in good order to start transforming services

One of David’s focus areas has been on data quality to support initiatives such as child poverty as part of cross public-sector working between Scottish local authorities, the Improvement Service and Scottish Government.

David is the Data Programme Manager at Argyll and Bute Council, and has overall responsibility for steering the local authority’s data programme. The aim of the programme is to make it easier for the council’s services to more effectively use data for service design and delivery, through implementation of the council’s data strategy and action plan.  Prior to joining the council in 2017 David was an ICT and project manager in various roles in the private sector, with effective use of data always running as the core thread through twenty-five years’ experience of delivering organisational change in complex environments.  

Andy Sinclair has over 15 years of experience delivering complex technical solutions, driving innovation and leading successful teams. As CTO of Brightsolid, Andy is responsible for shaping and overseeing the company’s technology and product strategy, developing innovative solutions that address our customers’ diverse and dynamic needs. Andy leads Brightsolid’s team of cloud, cyber security, network and solution engineers, ensuring that the company leverages the latest technological innovations to deliver desirable value to our market.