Careers

Ian joined The Scotland 5G Centre team in June 2021 as Head of Business Development and his role includes developing new partnerships, key strategic alliances and opportunities in order to support advancement of 5G in Scotland.

Ian has significant experience in business development gained in the public, private and academic sectors.  In addition to successfully developing new business and growing sales, he has led major bids, managed strategic partnerships, and developed, implemented and managed new projects.

He joins the Centre from the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Innovations, where he headed a team focussed on engaging with Industry to deliver innovation; he introduced a range of initiatives to drive collaboration and increase impact, such as the University’s AIMday program and its new strategic partnering program.

Prior to joining Edinburgh Innovations, Ian was responsible for delivering technology transfer/implementation from MoD to UK Industry in Scotland, working with a diverse range of UK companies at a senior level.

Neil joined The Scotland 5G team in September 2022 as a Programme Manager.

Neil began his career by joining the Army straight after leaving secondary school, serving in a variety of countries around the world. Upon leaving the military, Neil went into the security industry for 10 years, managing large corporate contracts for clients throughout Scotland.

Following on from that, Neil then went into the world of project management, working for a large change management & business relocations consultancy (fun fact: Neil managed the relocation of staff, departments, laboratories etc. into the new Technology & Innovation Centre, the building that S5GC is based in!).

Neil then went onto other roles within programme management, based within the University of Strathclyde, The Data Lab – Innovation Centre and then the Digital Curation Centre, based at the University of Edinburgh.

In his spare time, Neil also holds a position as a Volunteer at Who Dares Cares, a charity who support our Armed Forces, Emergency Services and Veterans, including their Families and Dependents, who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Alan joined The Scotland 5G Centre team as a Project Coordinator in August 2022.

Alan is a Chartered IT Professional, PRINCE2, MSP and  TOGAF practitioner with over 40 years’ leadership and management experience in Information Technology, Systems Analysis and Design, Project and Programme Management, Voice, Video and Data Communications within the NHS, MOD, public and private sectors.

Since joined the University of Strathclyde in 2019 with the Digital Health & Care innovation Centre has worked on numerous projects involving partners from across UK, Europe and USA, through his previous work with the NHS in Cumbria, Alan was instrumental in developing centralised shared IT Services to support all NHS organisations in Cumbria, development of the Cumbria Community of Interest Network and its subsequent migration to MPLS network and also introduction Enterprise Architecture methodologies.

Alan enjoys the challenge of developing new and innovative ways of working and maximising the use of new technology which will help individuals live healthier happier lives.

Luca joined The Scotland 5G Centre team in December 2021 as Project Manager.

Owning technical and commercial experience in the telecommunications industry, he is truly passionate in realizing the potential of new connectivity technologies, to create value across traditional and emerging sectors, as well as improve the lives of individuals in Scotland’s communities.

Luca holds a M.Sc. in Telecommunications Engineering, obtained at Politecnico di Milano University.

During his studies, Luca covered commercial roles for Sony Electronics, introducing the latest innovations in professional/consumer markets.

Following this, he joined Nokia Bell Labs to work on cutting-edge 5G technologies, helping in the definition of future RAN and co-authoring research publications.

Prior to S5GC, Luca worked as Technical Sales Engineer on wireless solutions with SIAE Microelettronica, driving advanced connectivity projects for UK & Ireland ISPs and Network Operators, from the technical design phase to the network implementation.

Ahmed Sabir joined The Scotland 5G Centre in July 2022 as the Business Engagement Manager for S5GConnect Aberdeen based at ONE Hub to help accelerate the adoption of the new technology and foster innovation in Scotland. A tech enthusiast, Ahmed enjoys the role immensely and aims to help his clients understand the technology and incorporate it into their business strategy.

Ahmed has spent most of his career delivering high-tech, high-risk projects in remote and challenging conditions. From the Sahara Desert to the arctic North, leading teams across cultures and through language barriers was his biggest challenge and greatest reward at the same time.

After working/living/studying in over 30 countries, Ahmed chose to settle down in Aberdeen in 2014. The longest he had ever lived in one place.

Ahmed switched from his hands-on engineering career to business support in 2016, when he enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Aberdeen and started to work in business consulting. Since then, Ahmed has helped launch many Aberdeen-based start-ups and helped many more existing businesses grow and expand.

Ahmed volunteers as a STEM ambassador and sometimes with “Street Friends”, a local charity working with homeless people or Shelter Scotland.

Andy joined The Scotland 5G Centre team in May 2021 as Business Engagement Manager for the S5GConnect Dumfries Hub based at the Crichton Central, a new digitally enabled collaborative centre for learning and rural innovation at the Crichton Estate in Dumfries, serving the south of Scotland.

Andy’s key role is fostering innovation and collaboration by bringing together partners across the Private, Public and Third Sectors, creating a pipeline of projects that will promote 5G and its relevant application to organisations through the S5GConnect Hub.

Previously Andy has held Chief Executive Officer roles for a chain of residential nursing homes, and an Age UK Brand partner, prior to those as a Head of Service at Loreburn Housing Association where he worked with partners to introduce ARMED, a wearable digital health falls prevention device, into sheltered housing and therefore brings a wealth of Health and Social Care experience to the Hub role. In addition, Andy has worked across Dumfries and Galloway in a business development role for a US multinational serving sectors including the Agrifood sector.

Tom joined The Scotland 5G Centre team in May 2021 as Business Engagement Manager for the S5GConnect Forth Valley Hub bringing a deep understanding of business engagement across a broad range of industrial sectors as well as a thorough understanding of the public service.

Tom has spent many years delivering advice to UK businesses looking to enter overseas territories or expand their footprint in existing markets on behalf of both national & regional governments as well as for the Scottish Government. He is also a seasoned inward investment practitioner helping to build billion-dollar investment pipelines for national governments at home and overseas whilst also supporting the delivery of headline projects, such as the SAIC investment from China into the Longbridge car plant in Birmingham.

After returning from his last overseas appointment in the Middle East in 2017, Tom established his own consultancy company working with local companies looking to internationalise.