Skyscanner finance chief moves to growing Edinburgh tech startup

Edinburgh-based Administrate, an EdTech SaaS solution for training providers and corporations, has appointed Derek Gardner as CFO.

The former head of finance at travel search site Skyscanner, which is also based in the Scottish Capital, joins the team at one of the country’s fastest-growing tech companies as it enters its next phase of growth.

A highly experienced and qualified accountant, Mr. Gardner has also served as finance director of Giles Insurance Brokers Limited and as corporate development director of The Miller Group, having joined the Research and Business Development Center in April 2001 to open an office in Scotland.

He also boasts venture capital experience following eight years with Bridgepoint Capital Limited split between Scotland and the North of England and helped establish the Scottish office of of the company in 1989 and subsequently made director with responsibility for the North of England.

He also served as compliance and HR director of Royal Bank Development Capital.

Administrate also announced that the appointment of chief product officer, Troy Michels, who was previously the CTO at healthcare technology firm Sentry Data Systems.

Administrate said that its recruitment drive is set to continue with the firm, having recently opened its first international office in Bozeman, Montana, on the hunt to expand its technical team as it looks to add a number of engineering roles.

North America is the company’s fastest growing market and the US-based team will help better serve an expanding client base in the region, the firm, which sells its software to large organisations that struggle to define, manage, report on and sustain employee engagement through training, said.

John Peebles, CEO of Administrate, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Derek and Troy to our team and excited to learn from their experience. Like our headquarters in Edinburgh, Bozeman is characterised by a first class university, beautiful surroundings, an outstanding talent pool and a quality of life that is a great fit with the ethos of our business.”