CreateFuture names former Skyscanner CFO as chief financial officer

Digital consultancy CreateFuture (formerly known as xDesign), with offices in Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds and London, has appointed Colin McLellan as its chief financial officer to spearhead financial strategy and support its ambitious growth plans.

Colin, who played a key role in Skyscanner’s expansion from 200 to 1,500 employees and its 2016 acquisition, brings extensive experience in scaling global organisations.

At CreateFuture, he will focus on optimising financial operations, leveraging data for strategic decision-making, and driving the company’s vision as a leader in digital transformation and AI enablement.

Colin said: “The culture at CreateFuture immediately resonated with me – supportive, professional, and collaborative.

“I’m particularly excited about the opportunities in the public sector, where CreateFuture is well-placed to deliver meaningful digital transformation and operational improvements.

“For me, it’s not just about scaling the business but about creating a great place to work and enabling clients to achieve their growth goals. As organisations grow, the challenge is balancing structure with agility to ensure continued innovation and efficiency.

“At Skyscanner, we focused on empowering teams with clear accountability, the right tools, and alignment with the company’s vision. I aim to bring that same approach to CreateFuture, ensuring we maintain our agility and entrepreneurial mindset while delivering exceptional value.”

Colin succeeds Scott Robertson, who is retiring after helping CreateFuture grow from a team of 40 to over 500 employees since 2020.

Euan Andrews, CreateFuture founder and chief executive officer, added: “Scott’s dedication and leadership as CFO were pivotal in navigating the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic and managing the rapid growth CreateFuture has experienced since.

“We are grateful for his contributions and wish him all the best in his third retirement. We are equally excited to welcome Colin, whose wealth of experience in scaling organisations and driving financial strategy makes him an outstanding addition to our leadership team.

“Colin’s track record at Skyscanner - and beyond - demonstrates his ability to align financial operations with ambitious growth goals.

“There, he played a key role in putting bold strategies in place and delivering hyperscale growth, helping the company to secure its acquisition for £1.4bn in 2016 and achieve ‘unicorn’ status.

“Colin’s insight and leadership will be instrumental as we expand into new sectors and support our clients, helping them to create tomorrow, together, today.”

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