Visit Scotland | Alba

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This directorate is responsible for the delivery of IT and digital services, cyber security, technology solutions and systems across the organisation.

This includes the internal solutions focussed on supporting the organisation to operate efficiently, as well as the digital delivery of web and outward facing systems enhancing the organisation's digital presence and ensuring the smooth operation of digital assets.

We work as one team, collaborating closely across all functions to support the organisation’s strategic objectives.

The directorate  is at the core of delivering our digital first strategy which is dedicated to ensuring that Scotland's visitor economy thrives through the implementation of world-class, digitally enabled products, services, and innovations.

In this article:

Chief Technology Officer - Mike Slack

Mike, formerly Head of IT, now leads the Technology Office, unifying IT and Digital teams to drive innovation and efficiency.

Since joining in 2008, he’s applied over 35 years of senior IT leadership experience across public and private sectors, including IT services and manufacturing. He holds an MSc in Business Management from Warwick University and multiple professional accreditations.

Mike has been instrumental in leading our digital transformation, replacing legacy systems with cloud-based platforms that enhance collaboration, mobility, and security.

He has also worked extensively with Scottish public sector partners, supporting major business change initiatives, and also serves as a Trustee on the BTB Pensions Scheme Board. 

  

Mike Slack

Departments within this directorate

Our Technology Office consists of the following two departments.

Digital Delivery

Led by Head of Department, Allan Henderson, this department consists of the following specialist technical teams:

  • User Experience (UX)
  • Solutions Architecture
  • Project and Programme Management
  • Web Operations
  • Test and Quality Assurance
  • Digital Product Ownership

Together, these teams cover the complete software development lifecycle. They work in cross-functional Agile teams within the Scrum methodology.

This department delivers a portfolio of strategic digital programmes across VisitScotland. This includes the flagship websites visitscotland.com, the Business Support Hub, and VisitScotland.org.

The organisation’s digital assets are informed and guided by user research, stakeholder feedback, and analysis of data analytics.

Digital Delivery focuses on providing reliable and robust platforms to support our organisational objectives. 

Information Technology

The IT team delivers secure, reliable, and innovative technology services to drive efficiency and continuous improvement across the organisation.

This includes:

  • service delivery and user support
  • cyber security
  • business solutions development and support
  • infrastructure and environment management
  • asset lifecycle management

In addition, the IT team plays a strategic role by ensuring technology aligns with organisational objectives, managing systems, networks, and data with a strong focus on security and enabling digital transformation.

Through modern collaboration tools, AI, automation, and cloud solutions, the team fosters innovation and enhances operational performance. 

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