Jo has recently been appointed as VisitScotland’s new regional director for Aberdeen City & Shire, and is looking forward to working with regional partners to showcase the area as a great place to visit and invest in.
Jo said: “Tourism provides an international shop window for the North-east, creating 16,400 jobs and generating over £351million for the region’s economy. Support for this area is vital to continue to build on this economic success and showcase what an inspiring place it is to visit and invest in.
“My role is to work collaboratively with the local authorities, destination organisations and other stakeholders to maximise the visitor economy and build on the successful development of tourism in Aberdeen City & Shire. It’s a really exciting time for tourism in Scotland, and I’m delighted to be working with our partners to help bring more visitors to the North-east, and ensure they enjoy the best possible experience while they are here.”
As 2016 is Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, Jo believes it is a fantastic time for Aberdeen City & Shire to promote its creative industries, both old and new. She added:
“Our Pictish and medieval architecture is first-class, we have award-winning design featured in the Granite City and along the Banffshire coast, and countless businesses throughout the region creating high quality Scottish products.”
With the launch of the new VisitScotland Spirit of Scotland campaign, Jo is also looking forward to hearing about, and helping to create, more #ScotSpirit stories across Aberdeen City and Shire.
After graduating with an MA (Hons) in History & International Relations from the University of Aberdeen, Jo pursued a career in the third sector with children’s charities JDRF and CLIC Sargent. More recently as senior corporate partnerships manager with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, she has led a national team to develop corporate partnerships with major UK businesses.
Seven years in the third sector has seen her working on national campaigns, securing corporate sponsorships, and organising high-profile charity events in partnership with the oil and gas industry. She has worked with communities throughout the UK and Ireland to fund key assets and deliver awareness and engagement programmes.
Jo is from Angus originally and has lived in Aberdeenshire for 13 years. She is now based in Inverbervie, where she enjoys making the most of the outdoor activities on offer with her husband Nick and their sons Daniel and Jake.