New chair of ScotlandIS appointed

Alison McLaughlin has been appointed as the new chair of tech sector body ScotlandIS.

McLaughlin recently joined Edinburgh-based digital solutions company Exception as their sales director.

Before that she was head of digital transformation at the Scottish Government.

McLaughlin also worked for digital services company Sopra Steria for 16 years, including as regional director for Scotland and Ireland. 

Commenting on her appointment, McLaughlin said: “Scotland has an enviable reputation as a centre of collaborative growth in the tech sector.

“I am delighted to be the new chair of ScotlandIS, which represents Scotland’s burgeoning tech scene.

“ScotlandIS has a small professional team, which has made a big difference.

“The organisation has always been excellent at representing the breadth of industry views and has been instrumental in creating new tech clusters.

“We’ve a wide agenda and it is important that we build on our reputation sustainably.

“We need to consolidate that role and continue to work in close partnership with the Scottish Government to meet the needs of our members and the sector as a whole.

“Looking ahead, the tech sector has a huge role to play in the economic and social recovery from the pandemic and there is no doubt that government and climate technology are going to be of growing importance.

“The COP26 conference in Glasgow will undoubtedly highlight the work that Scotland’s climate tech community is doing to deliver net zero.

“We need to continue to work with the government to use Scottish innovation to enhance public services and operational resilience.

“I look forward to an exciting year ahead as the new chair of ScotlandIS.”