The James Hutton Institute is delighted to announce that Colin Smith has been appointed campus operations manager, as from 2nd June.
Mr Smith will be responsible for the development of the Hutton’s campuses at Invergowrie and Aberdeen, as well as its three working farms. He will work closely with campus partners, partner organisations and stakeholders as the Hutton continues to develop and utilise its built environment.
He is a highly experienced operational leader with expertise across a range of sectors including higher education, energy, oil and gas, aviation and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) manufacturing.
Commenting on his appointment he said: “I am deeply passionate about continuous improvement and am excited to bring my extensive experience to The James Hutton Institute. I strongly advocate for employ wellbeing and development and I look forward to getting to know my new colleagues and collaborating with them to bring out the best in our team.”
Most recently Mr Smith has led a diverse multi-disciplinary operational team at Heriot-Watt University with a focus on estate maintenance, hospitality, events, energy and sustainability, innovation, capital projects and net zero initiatives.
He began his career with the Michelin Tyre Company in Dundee where he qualified as a multi-skilled electrical technician. He went on to earn a BSc in Engineering from Abertay University and has since held senior leadership roles at prominent organisations such as SSE, City of Edinburgh Council, Vion Foods, McVitie’s and BAA.
He contributed as a member of the project steering group to the Association of University Directors of Estates’ report, “Neurodiversity: Design and Management Guide for Higher Education Environments".
Professor Colin Campbell, chief executive of The James Hutton Institute, said: “Colin’s extensive experience in managing campus operations fits very well with the needs and plans for our open science campuses, unique research farms and cutting-edge science capabilities. I look forward to welcoming him to the Hutton.”