Tech Scotland Advocates brings together some of the most respected and influential figures from Scotland’s technology sector to form a distinguished board of advisors. Chaired by Tech Scotland Advocates founder, Garry Bernstein, the board convenes regularly to set the themes, priorities and activity programme for the community.
BRIAN BAGLOW - Commercial Director CodeClan
A 20 year veteran of the global interactive media and video games industries, who has worked with some of the world's leading digital technology companies - and run several of his own. An executive, leader, creator, designer, ambassador, advocate, speaker, supporter, lecturer, writer, communicator and expert on the rapidly evolving interactive, digital and creative industries.
JOHN McLAREN-STEWART - Founder and NED Venture Risks Group
An insurance broking industry entrepreneur having founded and sold several businesses. His company Venture Risks Group maintains a heavy involvement in the tech and biotech sectors under the strapline of ‘Protecting the ambitions of entrepreneurs and business leaders’. They operate from several locations across the UK.
John works with many innovative tech companies and organisations throughout the UK, USA and worldwide on all issues relating to insurance and risk. He uses his extensive network of clients and connections to create introductions that become mutually beneficial.
He is a non-executive Director at Heroes Drinks Ltd, a director at Saorsa Group (a developer of Vegan based hotels) and a member of the Guild of Entrepreneurs. He was formerly a SME Adviser to the Department of Trade & Industry, Vice Chair of the London Chamber of Commerce Cyber Security Committee, a member of the CBI Enterprise Council and a board member at the British Insurance Brokers Association.
JANICE CUNINGHAM - Entrepreneur Development Manager & Women in Business Ambassador Royal Bank of Scotland
A member of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s award winning Entrepreneurship team, she supports entrepreneurs to Start, Scale and Succeed through the Bank’s Entrepreneur Accelerator proposition.
Janice has over 30 years of experience working alongside successful SME’s across sectors and at all stages, in the UK and internationally. Her passion, drive an expertise offers entrepreneurs in new and established businesses the best possible support to understand their challenges and maximise their potential. Janice is continually looking to upskill and identify new ways to provide that wrap around support. To relax Janice enjoys running, walking, reading, good simple food & wine, time with kids and grandkids, and love exploring new destinations with her husband.
JOHN McKINLAY – Partner and Head of Intellectual Property & Technology Practice DLA Piper
His role at DLA Piper involves advising a wide range of organisations on the legal and commercial issues arising from the use of new technology. John is also the current Convener of the Scottish Law Society's Technology Law and Practice Committee, which looks at the implications of technology on the practice of law and the future of the profession.
MICHAEL MOONEY – Smart Cities Advisor Fujitsu
Has worked in the IT sector for 30 years, for global companies like Fujitsu, Ford and Motorola, America’s SAIC and a Scottish university start-up. He is a board member of Scotland’s Mobility as a Service Alliance, and a Fujitsu Smart Cities Advisor. In the last few years he’s been involved in projects in Egypt, Finland, Japan and throughout Europe.
Michael is a Glasgow boy, now living in Edinburgh, and is enthusiastic about Scotland’s place in a century of Big Data, AI and Robotics.
LYNSEY CAMPBELL – Executive Director J. P. Morgan
An Executive Director in J.P. Morgan’s Global Technology practice. Lynsey joined the financial services firm in 2006 and now leads the Technology for Social Good, Diversity and Inclusion strategy at the bank. In addition to her role in global technology, Lynsey is a full time working Mum to identical twin girls. She leads as a role model for JP Morgan globally, and on a national scale, is Chair of Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT) which aims to celebrate, champion, and invest in trailblazing women in the technology industry.
ROSS METHVEN - Co-Founder & Practice Lead 11:FS
Leads a high growth, award winning, challenger consultancy. Ross has worked in financial services for 15 years, delivering research and innovation projects for a wide range of clients around the world. He splits his time between Leith, London and Dar es Salaam.
KIRSTY MacKENZIE - CEO iMultiply
Kirsty Mackenzie hails from Edinburgh and grew up amidst her family’s retail and insurance businesses. Having graduated from Edinburgh University with Degree in Business, she spent the early part of her career in the recruitment industry, working for an international FTSE 250 company.
Seeing a gap in the market for a next-generation finance-focused recruitment agency, Kirsty created iMultiply. Since founding in 2012, iMultiply has grown significantly and now has a team of 20 located within in offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast. With plans for continued expansion. Kirsty puts a strong focus on the importance of company culture and people development and has plains to continue to grow the business, whilst remaining a niche specialist within finance and accountancy.
Additionally, Kirsty has considerable experience as a Non-Executive Director and is currently the Chair of retail specialists; Hi-Fi Corner. She enjoys sharing her business experiences and learnings at public speaking engagements and regularly contributes to BBC Radio Scotland’s discussions on business and employment.
A past winner of WeDo’s Young Entrepreneur Award, Kirsty has also been a finalist in the following awards; BQ’s Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce’s Best Performing Business, Business Women Scotland’s Best SME.
DAVID MILLAR – Director Technology Accelerator at the Oil & Gas Technology Centre
Engages with entrepreneurs, SMEs, academics and the oil and gas industry to stimulate and accelerate technology innovation. David brings over 15 years experience across start-ups, operators and service companies such as ABB, Shell, BP, ENI and Wood, developing and delivering organisational learning, improvement and technology innovation programmes with great success. Driven by his passion to make a difference for technology entrepreneurs, the industry and the North-East, his leadership of the Technology Accelerator brings new and exciting dimensions to the Energy Sector ecosystem offering. David designed and launched the TechX programme in December 2017 which is already attracting international attention. In 2019 it attracted nearly 200 applications from 35 countries. He has also connected across the Energy Sector ecosystem in the North East and grown its offering considerably in the last 2 years with the addition of the unique TechX accelerator and 2 new incubator facilities called TechX Plus as follow on support for the TechX graduates and other technology focused companies looking to get to market fast.
AMY BURNETT - Growth Manager KPMG
Responsible for leading and delivering KPMG's Growth strategy across Scotland. The UK wide team focuses on supporting fast growing high performing entrepreneurs and businesses to scale and achieve their ambitions. In Scotland we work with Clockwise and the OGTC to develop and support a vibrant entrepreneurial eco-system, providing access to insights, expertise, networks, guidance and support to the businesses. KPMG is the top advisor to Scale Ups in the UK, and is active in supporting tech enabled businesses. Amy has experience running start up accelerators, and supporting businesses to grow through internationalisation.
JORDAN MAGUIRE - Director Gizmo Packaging
An inventor who is expert in creating, productising and licencing intellectual property, focusing on international patents. Through his extensive IP portfolio, he works with licensee’s across Europe and the USA to maximise the commercial success of these new technologies.
Jordan was recognised by Guinness World Records as the youngest person in the world to walk to the geographic North Pole at the age of 14. He continues to adventure, most recently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in late 2018 in support of the charity Finding Your Feet.
YVONNE DUNN – Partner and Head of Financial Services Technology Practice Pinsent Masons
Specialises in advising on non-contentious technology matters, including outsourcing, systems development and integration, e-commerce and IT procurement. Yvonne also leads our FinTech practice and advises on complex projects which combine technology and the regulatory environment in which our financial services clients operate.
She leads several of our TMT and outsourcing relationships with major banking and insurance clients and regularly speaks and writes on TMT and outsourcing issues specific to the financial services sector.
NEIL MACKENZIE - FCIPS
A director-level strategic procurement advisor with over 30 years’ experience, in both the Public and Private Sectors, and has a consultancy and line management background. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, has held director-level posts at Atos, Capgemini and Tarmac and has a client list that has most recently included Police Scotland and Sport England.
OLIVIA GAMBELIN – Founder Ethical Intelligence
Born in the Bay Area, Olivia learned to speak fluent Silicon Valley techie and how to cultivate entrepreneurial dreams far before the time came to enter the workforce. However, despite such a strong connection to tech, she quickly discovered a love of Philosophy during her studies at Baylor University, which resulted in the very eccentric combination of Philosophy, Entrepreneurship, and Italian as an undergraduate degree. In search of the perfect marriage between her dual interests of Technology and Philosophy, she has moved to Europe and co-founded the Beneficial AI Society (BAIS), establishing it as an official society of the University of Edinburgh. Olivia has incorporated Ethical Intelligence, a commercial spinout from BAIS, which is now supporting corporations in their efforts to produce ethical products and services.