As DDI’s Head of Delivery, John is responsible for co-ordinating the delivery of a range of DDI initiatives that enable all of our citizens to benefit from the data revolution. The role involves enacting diverse collaborations that are consistently successful whilst providing enriching experiences for all those who participate. 

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.  

Myra Hunt has spent the last 25 years leading large scale digital and data transformation programmes.  As CEO (job share) of the Centre for Digital Public Services, she is driving the development of devolved services in Wales to deliver the national digital strategy. She has led global programmes for both the BBC and British Council, moving these from traditional analogue businesses into multimedia digital organisations, in both multilingual and commercial services. She served as Chief Digital Officer at Defra from 2017 to 2021, supporting Brexit farming and environmental service changes.  She has also worked as a NED in the NHS and university sector. She is a qualified IPA major projects reviewer.  

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.

Vision to Reality: Our Path Towards Smart Places and Digital Manufacturing

Julia McMurdie leads digital infrastructure investment as the Digital Renewal Manager at North Ayrshire Council. She oversees the Ayrshire 5G Innovation Region, advancing 5G and wireless technologies to drive regional growth. Collaborating with partners like the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, Ayrshire College, University of the West of Scotland and the Scotland 5G Centre, she works to position Ayrshire at the forefront of digital innovation and business growth. As the local authority lead for the Regional Digital Economy workstream, Julia engages with the telecom industry to influence and shape investment to deliver optimal results.  

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. 

David is a seasoned IT security professional with over 20 years of experience in the field. He has been working at Fortinet, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, for over eight years, and is currently the Sales Manager, Public Sector Scotland. In this role, he oversees and supports the sales team in supporting Fortinet’s customers and helping mitigate business risks. He is also responsible for developing and maintaining strong relationships with key customers and partners in the region. 

David’s core competencies include network security, firewalls, VPN, and FortiGuard threat intelligence, as well as Fortinet products and certifications. He has designed and implemented security solutions for a variety of enterprise applications and systems across different sectors, such as Financial, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, and Oil/Gas. As well as this, David has conducted security assessments and penetration testing, managed security incidents and threats, and trained and mentored security team members. 

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. 

Iain Pilbeam-Cornfield is a seasoned Digital Infrastructure Manager at Aberdeen City Council, bringing over 14 years of experience in the digital sector across both public and private settings. He leads large-scale digital transformation projects aimed at improving local outcomes and driving cost savings through competitive procurement and innovative technology solutions. With expertise in cloud, data centre, and on-site infrastructure, Iain successfully delivers multi-million-pound projects that focus on business outcomes, ensuring the best possible solutions to meet organisational goals and end-user needs. 

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.  

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. 

As the most senior civil servant in Scotland and head of the civil service supporting the Scottish Government, the Permanent Secretary is the principal policy adviser to the First Minister and Secretary to the Scottish Cabinet.

JP leads the Scottish Government civil service to deliver the full range of devolved powers and duties set out in the Scotland Act. As the principal accountable officer for the Scottish Government, JP is personally responsible to the Scottish Parliament for the exercise of his responsibilities. This includes the management of the Scottish Government’s £59 billion budget and the economic, efficient and effective use of all related resources.

Leading more than 7,000 civil servants who work for the Scottish Government in Scotland, London and around the world, JP supports the development, implementation and communication of government policies. This work is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Code, upholding its four core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Married with two children, JP was born in the Channel Islands and lives in Scotland. JP is committed to building a world-class, values-led civil service which excels in serving the public.

Clinical Director, North East of Scotland Breast Screening Programme

Consultant Radiologist, NHS Grampian

Vice Chair, RCR British Society of Breast Radiology

National Innovation Fellow, Chief Scientists Office

Dr Gerald Lip is the Clinical Director for breast screening in the North East of Scotland and the Principal Investigator of the GEMINI prospective evaluation of mammography artificial intelligence supported by the NHS National Strategy for AI in Health and Social Care.  He has recently completed a 4-year retrospective research project in the same topic with the Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Diagnostics in Scotland.

Dr Lip has recently been awarded a two-year Innovation Fellowship by the Chief Scientists Office of Scotland to lead innovation adoption in the NHS. Dr Lip is the vice chair of the British Society of Breast Radiology and sits on the UK Royal College of Radiology Informatics committee, on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Doctoral Training for Biomedical AI in Edinburgh University and is a scientific advisor to the National Covid Chest Imaging Database.

Dr Lip is active in research, education and training publishing on work with radiology trainees in AI, opinions on the member of the public and professional colleagues on AI and also sits on the British Institute of Radiology AI special interest group leading on education.

A graduate of Trinity College Medicine, along with his medical degree he also qualified with an Msc. in Health Informatics and completed his radiology training in Aberdeen. He is an honorary senior clinical lecturer in the University of Aberdeen. Dr Lip has published and spoken on topics nationally and internationally such as patient engagement, innovation in breast imaging techniques, quality assurance and safety and monitoring in AI.

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.   

Sarah Forbes is a Digital Economy Specialist at Scottish Enterprise specialising in delivering economic growth and productivity through the delivery of a diverse range of digital projects.  

With over 12 years’ experience leading people, projects and change in the Retail sector, Sarah pivoted into digital tech 2 years ago and focuses on scaling Scotland’s tech sector through enabling collaborative opportunities to connect demand with supply across Scotland’s industry verticals.   

She currently leads on a number of regional, national and European digital projects with a specialist focus in Blockchain and Digital Trust and has been a key driver behind the development of the recently established Scottish Blockchain & Digital Trust Taskforce as well as representing SE on other national digital groups.  

As a Senior Vice President at Nortal, a leading global government consulting and digital services powerhouse, Andres is responsible for growth, innovation and leadership in public sector industry. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Andres began his career in Estonia as a digital government expert. Since then, he has been responsible for many high-impact large-scale government transformation programs and reforms globally, as well as produced thought leadership and developed practices to make governments digital and deliver better services to its citizen. 

Jonathan is the Chief of Staff and Chief of Global Affairs at Recorded Future, where he is responsible for the company’s key strategic relationships across the 5 Eyes, and with Nation State partners worldwide.  Previously he founded Epsilon Advisory Partners, a strategy and advisory firm, and CyLon Ventures, Europe’s leading early-stage investor in cyber and national security technologies. Jonathan also co-hosts GAINS, a Summit exploring the impact of AI on National Security.From 1998-2012 Jonathan was a senior British Diplomat, serving as an advisor to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, specialising in national security issues, technology and innovation. 

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. 

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.

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. 

Jacqueline is the Head of Service for the National Clinical Safety Assurance Service within NHS Scotland. She reports directly to the CCIO of NHS National Services Scotland within the National Clinical Informatics Service for Scotland. She is an experienced Clinical Safety Engineer (Officer), working with various health IT across NHS Scotland. Jacqueline leads and helped to develop a multidisciplinary team of experienced Clinical Safety Officers and Clinical Safety Engineers who work collaboratively to complete Clinical Safety Cases to the Scottish Approach, aligning with ISO 14971. She also leads the Quality Team who complete Medical Device Regulation Clinics and lead on Compliance of Medical Devices, specifically focusing on Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and ISO 13485. She is a nurse by background, formerly working as an Emergency Nurse in the United States. She has masters degrees in Nursing and Business Administration. 

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. 

Bill Ward, Head of Broadcasting at the Scottish Parliament, has led technological advancements in parliamentary proceedings since the COVID-19 pandemic. With a strong background in operations and project management in national and international broadcast and cultural organisations, Bill has been instrumental in modernising the Parliament’s broadcast digital infrastructure and capabilities. 

AI-Native Network

Andrew leads Juniper Networks’ efforts in the Scottish public sector, bringing over five years of public sector experience and a decade in transformational IT, digital, workforce, and cyber initiatives. He is passionate about empowering organisational transformation, with a strong interest in emerging technologies. Currently, he is focused on introducing AI Native Networking to the Scottish public sector, enabling innovative, future-ready solutions that drive impactful change. 

Alex is the Head of Fraud and Cyber with the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland and heads up the centre’s newly formed charity, the Cyber and Fraud Hub which provides advice, support and guidance to victims of online crime. 

Prior to commencing his current role in April 2024, Alex completed 30 years’ service with both Grampian Police and Police Scotland, retiring in March 2024 as Detective Superintendent, Head of Cyber Investigations and Digital Forensics, a role he held for 3 years.  He was also the national lead for crimes of Kidnap and Extortion and is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, graduating from Quantico, Virginia in March 2020 as part of class #279. 

A Series of Difficult Consequences: Helping Scotland navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape

Alan Gray is the Head of National Cyber Security and Resilience for The Scottish Government. A Security leader with over 15 years of experience within government, professional and public sector organisations, Alan has managed a wide range of security activities from strategic capability development to operational response. Previously as Chief Information Security Officer for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with responsibility for the cyber security of all core technologies and services both at home and across posts and embassies worldwide, he was also a member of the Government Security Board as representative for the CISO community across government. Drawing on past experience in National Security, academia, central government and the private sector, Alan has joined the Scottish Government to drive the consolidation and expansion of Scotland’s cyber security and cyber resilience activities, and to lead the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre (SC3). 

Amy Walker graduated from Heriot-Watt University with Honours in the First Class in Management with Business Law (MA) and spent her formative career in the private sector. She has been working within NHSScotland for the past 11 years, at both national and board level, in facilitation and project management roles. She is presently working within the Innovation Team in NHS Forth Valley; which focuses on driving whole system transformation and disruptive innovation through the identification of priority innovation challenges and opportunities, ensuring continued support to the acceleration of digital services and innovation to improve outcomes and experiences.   

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.  

This session will raise awareness of the UK Governments DSbD cyber security initiative and provide a narrative for why current computers are not secure and how DSbD is a step change towards a safer future

As Innovation Lead for the Digital Security by Design Programme within InnovateUK, UKRI, Nuala is accountable for driving the market development of the challenge and working in partnership with Government, Industry and Academia to gather the real industry benefits to create demand and onboard advocates for this transformational technology. Nuala presently manages the DSbD Technology Access Programme and is delivering the UK and International Engagement Strategy. Nuala has spent over 25 years promoting education/industry integration across the private, public and 3rd sector and has demonstrated expertise in Innovation Consultancy, Funding, Programme Management, Enterprise Development and Strategic Partnership Engagement. Nuala is a STEM and EDI ambassador and is an avid supporter of Women in Tech. 

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. 

Robbie has been Head of the Digital Connectivity Division in the Scottish Government since 2018, leading the delivery of a number of flagship infrastructure projects that are enhancing Scotland’s digital infrastructure and extending access to connectivity. Robbie has worked in several roles across Scottish Government – previously managing European Structural Funds programmes and helping to set up SPRUCE, the first investment fund specifically established to support urban development and regeneration activity in Scotland.

Tom is the Chief Data Officer at the Scottish Government, with extensive hands-on experience working across Data Science, Data Analysis, Data Architecture, Software Development and Data Engineering. With his wealth of experience working in various UK government departments, he has spent several years developing and improving organisations’ use of data to inform policy and operational decisions.

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. 

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.  

Steph has a diverse background ranging from astrophysics to genomics in academia and film & TV to dance in the arts and the third sector. A project and programme management professional, she loves to develop and build collaborations across organisations to help people with their data/AI journey. 

 Steph led on Data Lab’s efforts in support of the Scottish Government in developing Scotland’s AI Strategy and she’s now leading on the delivery of the strategy’s vision for Scotland to be a leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI. She is also Co-Founder of Diverse AI (a not-for-profit working to increase diversity in AI) and was recognised as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics in 2023, one of the Top 10 Women in Tech in Scotland in 2023 and she was recently awarded the 2024 DataIQ Award for Data & AI for Good Champion.

Katie Murrie is the Lead Educator at the Service Design Academy in Dundee and the first SDN Accredited Master Trainer in Scotland. She played a key role in developing the Professional Development Award in Service Design and serves on the SDN accreditation committee. A co-founder of EduJam, Katie has worked with clients including the Scottish Government, Department of Health and Social Care, and Education Scotland. She is also an author and guest editor for TouchPoint journal and co-author of “Transforming Higher Education using Human-Centred Design,” advocating for the power of service design across sectors. 

Sarah is Programme Director for broadband initiatives at the Scottish Government. She leads the team delivering the £600m Reaching 100% programme, which is one of the most ambitious digital infrastructure programmes in Europe, taking faster broadband to some of the hardest-to-reach communities in Scotland.  

Sarah also leads the team playing a key role in delivering Project Gigabit in Scotland. The UK Government funded scheme, which is being managed by the devolved administration in Scotland, will help extend access to gigabit capable broadband, building upon the successful rollout of R100. 

With a commercial background in fibre and mobile deployment, Sarah promotes an inclusive and holistic environment on the regional boards and working groups that she sits on. She’s an advocate of collaboration and brings a unique mix of skills, experience, and knowledge to her work with a keen eye on delivering improved outcomes for the public sector and the citizens of Scotland. 

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.

Alisdair is recognised by his peers as one of Scotland’s prominent professional advisers amongst Scotland’s technology, digital and engineering sectors. Alisdair leads the development of Glasgow City Innovation District – Scotland’s leading Innovation District and is the founder of Framewire, Scotland’s first advisory practice focused on developing Scotland’s Digital and Tech Ecosystem.

Alisdair dedicates his time to supporting founders create, develop, invest, and scale their tech, digital or deep tech business and through Glasgow City Innovation District, is guiding the development of Glasgow’s Tech Sector as Scotland’s leading Innovation Hub.

Alisdair led the creation of the first tech week for a Scottish City – Glasgow Tech Week and is the co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Turing Festival (now Turing Fest). At the inaugural Scottish Tech Startup Awards, Alisdair was awarded Scotland’s first Tech Ecosystem award where his peers independently recognised his expertise and commitment to developing Scotland’s Tech Ecosystem. Alisdair has also been awarded the Principal’s Special Award for his outstanding contribution to the success of the University of Strathclyde and was a Barclays Entrepreneur of the Year finalist for Scotland. Alisdair is an Independent board advisor to Barclays Eagle Labs and is a strategic advisor to Amiqus and VeryConnect and member of Johnston Carmichael’s Tech Advisory Board.  

Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen is the former CEO of KOMBIT, Inc. He spent the last 13 years overseeing the procurement and development of efficient, coherent, and user-friendly IT-solutions for both the state and local government in Denmark. Drawing on his technical and business background, Thomas led the company through the immense task of replacing and modernising a monopolised critical case management and self-service systems portfolio as well as ensuring new critical infrastructure for the local Danish government.  

Thomas is a strong advocate of digitalisation and coherent digital development of the public sector. He applies his extensive experience from the private sector to his approach to digital transformation in the public sector. Thomas is a frequent member on expert boards and facilitates several networks on the subject of digital development and transformation.  

Thomas joined Netcompany in 2023 as International Market Development Partner. Thomas is Group responsible for our Digital Government vertical and leads the EU – Wallet project. 

From the public to the private sectors and back again, Scott has worked in information and cyber security for the past 20 years. Having held CISO positions in the private sector, he joined NHS Scotland NSS in the throes of the Coronavirus pandemic and as Head of Information and Cyber Security leads the mission to deliver a world class cyber security operations capability for Scotland’s Health Sector. He is excited by the opportunities that new technologies and ways of working bring to society and an advocate of cohesive security strategies presented in everyday language that’s understood by users and decision makers alike. 

Dan is a leader in Zuhlke’s Data and AI practice and has extensive experience working across a diverse range of sectors including government, transport, telecoms and manufacturing. As a skilled engineer and strategic advisor, Dan effectively connects the needs of leadership with the technical expertise of teams to successfully drive data transformation initiatives for organisations. He brings a unique combination of strategic thinking and deep knowledge of data and engineering to his consulting work.

Yasmin Sulaiman is SVP of Ecosystems at CodeBase. CodeBase helps people build better startups, and since 2022 have run the Scottish Government’s Techscaler platform. Yasmin started her career in journalism, becoming Editor-in-Chief at Scottish arts publication The List, and then joined Creative Edinburgh as Executive Director, where she worked with and advocated for the capital’s creative community. Since joining CodeBase, Yasmin has worked with hundreds of founders to help bridge the gap between the creative and tech sectors. Yasmin is also a Trustee at the Edinburgh International Festival. 

Jude McCorry is CEO of the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland. She has over 20 years’ experience in the Technology sector and started her career with Dell computers in Ireland, she joined the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland in April 2020 from The Data Lab where she was Director of Business Development working with industry and academia to maximise the value of data for Scotland.
She is one of the founders of the Unicef Data Hub for Children, and always ensures there is a social aspect to everything she does in order to benefit the people of Scotland or further afield. Jude is a board member of Parkinson’s Scotland and the Policy Board at SCDI.

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 creative leadership, Nicola collaborates across health, housing, telecare, academia, and industry, driving transformative projects to enhance services for citizen. With deep expertise in technology design and implementation for aged care and dementia, she shapes digital innovation across the social care system, fostering conditions for impactful 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.

Mike Crockart is the Service Owner of the Scottish Government’s ScotAccount, a safe and secure way for people to prove who they are and that they are eligible for a public service or benefit online. Mike has a wide experience encompassing many roles across the private and public sectors from police officer to programmer to politician. Before his move to Scottish Government, he was Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West and served on the Scottish Affairs and the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committees in Westminster. Prior to that he spent 12 years with Standard Life as a developer, project manager and latterly Service Support Manager for Standard Life’s Healthcare systems.