Mark Logan has stepped down as chief entrepreneurial adviser to the Scottish Government – saying he’s increasingly being targeted by ‘draining’ political attacks.
The former Skyscanner executive – who took up the role four-and-a-half years ago during Covid – is to step aside from the part-time role, following recent criticism over his salary.
Logan – the author of the foundational Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, which paved the way for the national Techscaler support programme for startups – said it had been a “privilege” to witness efforts to support Scotland’s burgeoning digital economy.
He said in a LinkedIn post: “We’ve made progress in these and other areas despite operating in a challenging financial environment. People outside Scotland are increasingly noticing this progress, and our start-ups will benefit from their interest. It’s down to all of our combined efforts, and I’ve enjoyed being part of that.
“But I’ve decided that four and a half years is long enough for me in this role, and that it is time for a change. And although I am not in a political role, I am increasingly becoming a target for some in the right-wing of Scottish politics and their supporting publications, which, just as intended, has become draining.”
Logan came under fire from government opposition benches last week after it emerged that he had been paid £263,863 between July 2022 and July this year for a position that is not full-time.
He made no mention of the salary in his update, but referred to the achievements since the STER report was written in 2020. They included Techscaler, the Ecosystem Fund, the Pathways initiative to improve the gender balance in entrepreneurship, the Pathways Fund, the Entrepreneurial Campus initiative, Computing Science in schools improvements including the formation of Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS), and the Deeptech Supercluster initiative, which launched this week.
Logan went on to thank the First Minister John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes for their support during his time in the role, and for their understanding concerning his decision.
Whilst withdrawing from the role, Logan said he would continue to play a part in helping to develop Scotland’s economic potential – “just in a less formal capacity”.
He said he will now be taking a short break but will continue with his teaching responsibilities in the School of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow.
Tributes to Logan were left in the comments following his post.
Liz Lloyd, former chief of staff to Nicola Sturgeon, said: “It was an absolute privilege in government to benefit from your contribution and now (on the outside) to see it delivering in the real world. Your advice was invaluable.”
Stephen Ingledew OBE, chair of FinTech Scotland, said: “Thank you Mark for your valuable leadership, engagement and support in driving forward the innovation opportunities with the entrepreneurial community, hugely appreciated.”
Gregor Irwin, director general, economy, Scottish Government, said: “This is a huge loss for the Scottish Government and for everyone who cares about entrepreneurialism and innovation in our country.
“Mark has been incredibly impactful. He has brought passion, insight, and a relentless focus on delivery to the role. The progress he describes is not just impressive, but enviable, and it provides us with a strong platform to build on. A big thanks to you Mark and I hope we can continue to benefit from your wisdom.”
