Alumni are powerful and relatable role models who can enhance employability and build student confidence by sharing industry insights, mentoring, and advising on career possibilities. We are hugely grateful to alumni who volunteer their time and engage with us to inspire students and enable them to take meaningful steps toward achieving their future goals.
Stimulating success through professional perspectives
Edinburgh Napier’s MSc Creative Advertising programme has an exceptional employment record for its graduates and is considered one of the most successful in the UK for aspiring creatives. “Alumni engagement plays a huge role in this success,” explains programme leader George Shepherd.
For example, Alan Mclardy graduated from the MSc programme over 10 years ago and is Deputy Creative Director at Bright Signals, The Marketing Society Scotland Agency of the Year 2025. “Alan came with his co-deputy Jamie McKay, and together they talked to students about their careers and some of the work at the agency,” George explains.
Alumnus, Debbie Morgan, is Head of Art and a Senior Creative at Leith, a leading a brand consultancy and creative agency. “Debbie ran an outstanding review session for our students,” comments George. “She brought her Creative Partner, Neil Mackinnon, also a graduate from our course, and four other members of her team, and they provided an invaluable learning experience feeding back on students’ portfolios.”
Alumnus, Brianna Price, graduated in 2023, and is currently a Brand Writer at the Landor agency in London. “Landor are world-leading brand experts,” adds George. “Brianna gave the students feedback on their campaigns and shared some hugely valuable insights on how to land that all important first job in the industry.”
Supporting Scotland's flagship student-led cyber security conference
Edinburgh Napier University has been a leading hub for cyber security research and teaching for over a decade. We have built a broad network spanning the industry and created a thriving community of cyber security professionals and students.
Our cyber security student society, ENUSEC, hosts a range of events each year including Le Tour du Hack, which has grown to become Scotland’s flagship student-led cyber security conference. “We’ve worked with many companies over the last 15 years,” comments Associate Professor Rich Macfarlane. “Recently BugCrowd sponsored Le Tour du Hack, as well as running events for our students, while Quorum Cyber and SecureWorks are long established supporters. We’re hugely indebted to them for helping us create a vibrant academic programme and opportunities for students to network with and learn from industry.”
“I’ve always believed that strong industry and academic collaboration is how you build a lasting cyber security ecosystem,” comments Federico Charosky, CEO of Quorum Cyber. “Edinburgh Napier has been a leader in that space for many years, and we’re proud to support its excellent students.”
“Working with Rich and the team allows us to inform, and suggest, relevant course content based on our understanding of the security landscape informed by observations on thousands of real-world cyberattacks,” adds Don Smith from SecureWorks. “Collaborating with Edinburgh Napier has provided us with a pipeline of talent, as well as an insight into the latest in academic research.”
Le Tour du Hack features talks from both industry and students, hands-on workshops, and an all-day Capture The Flag (CTF) event. “It boasts hundreds of attendees,” explains Scott Downie, vice president of ENUSEC. “It’s two days of community building and meeting likeminded cyber security fanatics. We really value the support from our sponsors, and the amazing talks from industry speakers. They make the event possible and raise the bar in terms of the quality of the conference’s talks and the authenticity of our CTF event.”