Scotland’s digital technologies industry trade body has made five new appointments to its board – to address the skills gap and improve diversity.
ScotlandIS has brought in expertise from business and academia as it seeks to boost the talent pipeline and broaden the tech sector’s appeal.
Anne Widopp, CEO of VR Hive has been appointed to represent the Scottish start-up community and tech businesses outside of the Scottish central belt. Anne is particularly keen to see skills developed and high-quality tech jobs created across the whole of Scotland.
Sharon Hamilton, managing director at Edge Testing Solutions, has been appointed as a representative of SMEs, bringing over 25 years’ experience in IT to the board. She is eager to help address the digital skills gap and also improve diversity and inclusion in IT.
To represent large businesses, ScotlandIS has appointed Laura Casci, head of delivery at BJSS. She also views skills and future talent as a key priority for the organisation.
The board also welcomes Professor Gordon Morrison, head of computing department at Glasgow Caledonian University, representing academia and further informing ScotlandIS’ work to address the skills gap and improve diversity in the industry.
And Grace Galloway, head of finance at 2i Testing, has also been appointed to provide financial oversight and help continue to drive ScotlandIS forward.
Alison McLaughlin, chair of ScotlandIS, said: “We are delighted to welcome this group of individuals to our board. Their ambitions reflect the priorities of our members, with the skills gap and talent pool being a core issue, as well as access to funding to enable growth and support to scale businesses, to name a few. These members bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge, and ScotlandIS and our members only serve to benefit from the guidance, ambition and diverse range of skills they will provide.”