The Scottish Government announced that two new volunteer trade and investment envoys, based in California, have been appointed to promote Scotland’s business interests to American markets.
Suneil Mishra and Andy MacMillan will join Scotland’s global team of envoys who help to identify opportunities in new international markets.
They will also support export interests more generally through trade-related visits and events, such as Tartan Week and Startup Grind, which brings together entrepreneurs from around the world.
The Scottish Government said Suneil Mishra is president of Mishra Consulting LLC and has worked in new and emerging technologies for over 25 years as an investor, consultant and entrepreneur.
It said Andy Macmillan is an experienced tech and enterprise software company executive.
The new appointments follow the recent announcement of the first US trade and investment envoy Stephen Leonard, and two London-based capital investment envoys, Garry Bernstein and Paul Taylor.
The Scottish Government said the US is Scotland’s top international export market, accounting for 17% of total exports, and remains Scotland’s number one inward investor.
It said there are 660 United States-owned companies in Scotland, employing 112,740 people with a turnover of £31 billion.
Trade Minister Ivan McKee said: “Our growth export plan A Trading Nation committed to expanding the volunteer Envoy network to up to 12, and it’s great to have Suneil and Andy on board, taking our numbers up to 11.
“The network has already had great success in opening doors, and identifying strategic opportunities to support our export, capital investment and Foreign Direct Investment efforts.
“Our USA-based Envoys can provide further insights, intelligence, introductions and advocacy focused on building trade, as well as inward and capital investor relations, with a particular focus on high growth markets in technology.
“One of the key ambitions in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation is to harness trade to support our wider economic, social and environmental aims, by opening new markets and building a fairer and more equal society.”
Mishra said: “Andy and I are excited to raise the profile of Scotland in the most technologically advanced and largest economy in the world.
“We will not only be promoting Scotland as a source for innovative solutions in this competitive market but also as a destination for expanding the global footprint of US companies.”