Brightsolid, the Scottish data center subsidiary of publisher DC Thomson, has announced that it will have a new CEO from January 2018.

Elaine Van Der Berg joins the company to replace Richard Higgs, who resigned in June.

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Van Der Berg was previously MD for Capita, heading the business simulation and transformation group G2G3. Before that, she was director of business operations for Australian telco Optus, and worked in a number of positions at Dell.

Ellis Watson, chairman of brightsolid, said: “Elaine will help us to build on the productivity, efficiency and dynamism of brightsolid. Our bright and solid team is on a mission to surpass expectations and it’s a genuine pleasure to have strengthened the team for the next exciting phase with the appointment of such an experienced leader.”

The company has been operating without a permanent CEO since Higgs’ resignation. At the time, he cited the distance from his family and his upcoming marriage as reasons for leaving, after a seven year tenure at the company.

He said: “I have to say that a commute of 437 miles is a tad unusual from my normal office location of London, getting married this coming September also means it is probably time to work a little closer to home for some of the time at least. I will enjoy the summer advising the start-ups that I work with and working on a plan to support the further development of cross border development of business – there is no doubt that Scotland is the near-shore location of choice, it should be on many more agendas down south and it will be soon.

“It has been a privilege to work with such a fine and committed team for whom technical innovation and personal service are both a mission and second nature. To our shareholder, DC Thomson a huge thanks for backing and investing in the decision to build a world class data center in Aberdeen as the Oil price crashed to $36 and for having the desire to make a difference in our society – a subject dear to everyone at brightsolid.”