New faces in ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ Leadership team

Mary Thomson will join ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ as Director of Skills and Lifelong Learning, together with Ian Grinbergs as Chief Digital and Information Officer.
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New senior appointments in skills and lifelong learning, digital transformation and commercialisation will support key strategic initiatives at ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥.
Mary Thomson will join ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ as Director of Skills and Lifelong Learning next month, while Ian Grinbergs takes up his position as Chief Digital and Information Officer in February.
Meanwhile, Andrew Lacey’s interim position as Director of Commercialisation has now been made permanent.
Mary has 30 years of rural sector experience, ranging from seasonal agricultural and conservation work in rural Scotland through to veterinary and educational leadership in the UK and overseas.
Currently Rural Skills Curriculum and Learning Manager at Borders College, Mary will work with colleagues across ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ to align and grow the organisation’s impact in reskilling and upskilling in the natural economy, supported and guided by the Scottish Government’s Future Skills Action Plan.
She said: “It is an absolute privilege to take on a leadership role with ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ at this time when there is a need for society to focus on green recovery, net-zero nation, natural capital, human wellbeing and sustainable food production.â€
Ian worked as a farmer in rural North Yorkshire before heading to Australia and a career change to IT. After implementing and supporting technology within some of the largest mining companies in the world, he progressed to senior strategic roles including Chief Architect for Rio Tinto and Chief Technology Officer for the Downer Group.
He will join ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, with the goal of transforming it into a digital-first organisation.
He said: “I am very excited to be joining ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ at a time when there is such a focus on the rural economy and a reliance on ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ to play our part in ensuring it is managed in a sustainable way.Ìý
“I believe development and adoption of new technology across ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥â€™s areas of focus will significantly contribute to solving the big challenges our current and future generations are facing.â€Ìý
Andrew Lacey joined ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ in October 2017 as Head of SAC Consulting. He became interim Director of Commercialisation at ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ earlier this year and, following a rigorous interview process, this position has now been made permanent.
He said: “We are in a period when ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ and SAC Consulting have never been more relevant or had the chance to prove our value to society. I am excited to be a part of that."
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥, said: “I am delighted to welcome three new members of ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥â€™s Executive Leadership Team to support our key strategic objectives. Mary, Ian and AndrewÌý will be great assets to ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ as we continue our journey to become anÌý enterprise university at the heart of the natural economy.â€
Posted by ¶¶ÒõÖ±²¥ on 08/12/2021