Scottish Land & Estates strengthens policy team
SCOTTISH Land & Estates is to strengthen its policy team ahead of the fallout from Brexit and the implementation of the Land Reform Act.
Both are expected to dominate the rural agenda over the next five years. In response, Scottish Land & Estates policy will be co-ordinated across two new portfolios: land use & environment, and business, property & communities.
The land use and environment portfolio – which will encapsulate strategic land use issues, primary industries such as farming and forestry, natural resource management, wildlife management, conservation, protected areas and biodiversity – will be overseen by Anne Gray, who becomes become senior policy officer.
Katy Dickson, who has been with the organisation since 2014, becomes senior policy officer overseeing the business, property & communities portfolio. That portfolio will lead on housing, planning, renewables, energy efficiency, business diversification, heritage, broadband, tourism, skills/education and community engagement and development.
Sarah-Jane Laing, Scottish Land & Estates’ director of policy & parliamentary affairs, retains overall responsibility for the policy unit and will continue to lead on specific areas including land reform, agricultural holdings, community engagement, skills development, education and local government.
Sofant signals intent with CEO appointment
SMART antenna designer Sofant Technologies, has appointed David Wither as its chief executive officer on the back of being awarded £1.5 million of European funding.
Mr Wither comes to the company with two decades of experience in radio technology firms. He will play a major role in developing and implementing a strategic business plan to take Sofant’s technology to market, including forming a number of strategic partnerships.
The steerable antenna technology developed by Edinburgh-based Sofant has the potential to double the battery life of mobile devices and greatly reduce energy usage in wireless networks.
Mr Wither said: “The technology developed by the team at Sofant is currently leading the field, and there are many potential applications and possibilities when it is taken to market.
“A central part of my job now is to find the right market for us, develop a series of strategic partnerships, make sure we can scale up the manufacturing process to meet demand and ensure the product is ready for the future market in two to three years.”
BTO grows advocacy team
BTO Solicitors has seen the number of solicitor advocates in its ‘ADVantage’ service team grow to 17, after two of its associates, Mark McCluskie and Stephen Waclawski, passed their civil solicitor advocate exams.
Based in the firm’s Glasgow office and working within the insurance team, Mr McCluskie specialises in insurance and commercial dispute resolution.
His focus is predominantly on litigation arising from damage to property and providing insurance policy coverage advice. Mark’s recent work has involved flooding, fires, construction works, defective products and escapes of water, oil and gas.
Mr Waclawski is an associate within BTO’s insurance team and focuses on motor claims, employer’s liability, public liability and occupier’s liability, but he also has experience of dealing with occupational illness, product liability, dental and clinical negligence claims. He has significant experience in both Court of Session and the Sheriff Court.
Alan Borthwick, chairman of BTO Solicitors, said: “This announcement is further testament to the quality of the service we provide at BTO for our clients and we are extremely proud to say we have one of Scotland’s largest and strongest in-house advocacy teams.
“Mark and Stephen’s admissions are fantastic accomplishments and add to the firm’s offering in a significant way.”
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