"It is the knowledge and professionalism of all our people that truly makes Scotland Excel a leading Centre of Procurement Expertise."
Irene McCulloch
Head of Professional Services,
Scotland Excel
Executive team
Our executive team, Dorothy Cowie, Hugh Carr and Irene McCulloch, are responsible for leading and developing Scotland Excel to ensure that the strategic objectives, visions and values of the organisation are met.
Dorothy Cowie, Director
Dorothy Cowie is responsible for leading Scotland Excel, managing the performance of the organisation and providing strategic direction to ensure that the organisation meets its customers' needs. She works closely with stakeholders to maximise the benefits of collaborative procurement and to champion procurement reform across the local government sector.
Dorothy has extensive experience of driving public sector procurement strategy at a senior level. She was the Director of Authorities Buying Consortium (ABC) - an organisation that provided procurement services to 12 West of Scotland councils - and led the project team that established Scotland Excel as the Centre of Procurement Expertise for local government. Prior to joining the public sector, Dorothy was the UK Procurement Director for Scottish Power.
Dorothy is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and holds degrees from both Strathclyde and Heriot Watt Universities.
Hugh Carr, Head of Strategic Procurement
Hugh is responsible for providing leadership to Scotland Excel's strategic procurement teams and for ensuring that the organisation delivers best value collaborative contracts to its customers.
His role involves all aspects of contract development including working with members and suppliers to maximise the potential of existing contracts. In addition, Hugh works closely with stakeholders to ensure that their strategic priorities are incorporated into future development plans, and that the needs of our sector are represented within cross-sectoral procurement opportunities.
Hugh has extensive experience of supply chain and outsourcing management. He spent 12 years at the electronics company Compaq, and has held senior roles at Accenture, Network Rail and Babcock International. Prior to joining Scotland Excel, Hugh was responsible for supply chain and commercial management at Scottish Water Solutions.
Hugh holds an MBA from Strathclyde University and a BSc in Industrial Chemistry from Paisley College. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf.
Irene McCulloch, Head of Professional Services
Irene McCulloch is responsible for managing the business activities which support the delivery of the organisation's remit including policy development, performance reporting, IT services, human resources, finance and communications.
Irene is also involved in one of the key areas of Scotland Excel's remit - procurement reform. This includes the Procurement Improvement Programme, learning and development initiatives, and developing and promoting sustainable procurement. Working closely with stakeholders and partner organisations, her goal is to ensure that best practice in procurement is shared at all levels.
Irene has more than 25 years' management experience within the local authority sector, having previously worked in a variety of roles within Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire Councils. She has an MBA from Glasgow Caledonian University, and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
Outside of Scotland Excel, Irene enjoys keeping fit, motor biking and spending time with her family.