Opportunity North East appoints Scottish Enterprise executive to leading digital role

Private sector economic development body Opportunity North East (ONE) has announced a senior appointment to its executive team in Aberdeen as it continues to develop and deliver transformational projects to diversify and strengthen the region’s economy.

Current sector director for Energy at Scottish Enterprise Maggie McGinlay will join ONE in the new role of Senior Development Director and Deputy Chief Executive, reporting to chief executive Jennifer Craw.

The appointment comes in a year in which ONE will invest more than £3.5 million to facilitate an economic renaissance across Aberdeen and the north east by supporting growth across its priority industry sectors. It is also aiming to secure more than £3.2 million of match funding from partners.

Announcing the appointment, ONE said Ms McGinlay, who will take up her new role in the autumn, will support the development and implementation of an ambitious programme of activity with a lead focus on the newly created ONE Digital sector activity and major projects.

She brings more than 20 years of economic development experience having previously held the role of director of food and drink for Scottish Enterprise and a founder member of the Board of Scotland Food and Drink. A graduate of Robert Gordon University, she spent her early career in London working with British Gas and then the Consumer’s Association before returning to Aberdeen to start her career in economic development. Maggie has extensive networks across Scotland with the business community and public agencies.

Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of ONE, said: “Maggie will be a great asset to the team as we continue to develop the scale and ambition of ONE’s activity. She is well known and respected in the region and her valuable insights will help to shape our actions and outcomes across our priority sectors.”

Jennifer Craw, chief executive of ONE, said: “Maggie brings a wealth of industry and economic development experience to her new role with ONE, including extensive knowledge of two of our key sectors in oil and gas and food and drink. She will now play a key role in the development and delivery of major projects that will catalyse growth to achieve the region’s shared long-term goal of a balanced and resilient economic base. Our industry-led sector boards and the executive team look forward to working with her.”

Ms McGinlay herself added: “My time at Scottish Enterprise has afforded me the opportunity to work across many industries with a host of talented people. I now look forward to focussing on the dynamic regional economic development agenda for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to which Scottish Enterprise is a key partner. The private sector leadership that ONE has through its board members drawn from the business community is a significant strength and I am excited to be joining ONE’s work to secure the long-term economic prospects for North East Scotland.”

ONE was established at the end of 2015 as the private sectorâs response to the challenge of ensuring that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire benefit from a broad and resilient economic base in the medium to long term, which provides high quality employment and opportunities for its people and communities. It is private sector led and funded with a £29 million funding commitment over five years from the Wood Foundation. ONE’s goals are to lead the development and delivery of the region’s vision and strategy for economic renaissance; grow the food, drink and agriculture sector; build the life sciences sector; maximise the oil and gas opportunity; evolve tourism to exploit new business and leisure opportunities; and develop the digital economy.