Business leaders Brian McBride, Tim Allan and Polly Purvis, together with academic Professor Gbenga Ibikunle, have been elected fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Fellows are elected to Scotland’s national academy for their exceptional achievements and acumen in science, mathematics, business, and the arts.

Brian McBride is currently chairman of Trainline and lead non-executive director on the board of the Ministry of Defence. His former roles include president of the CBI, chief executive of Amazon UK, managing director of T-Mobile UK, chairman of ASOS, and non-executive director of Celtic Football Club.

He has also served as a non-executive director on the board of the BBC, a member of the Huawei advisory board, as well as senior adviser to Lazard’s global financial advisory business, and Scottish Equity Partners.

He said: “As an international business leader, I have travelled and lived far and wide, but the importance and depth of Scotland’s educational, cultural, scientific, and commercial heritage has stayed with me throughout my life.

Entrepreneur and chair of the V&A Dundee, Tim Allan, owned Unicorn Property Group, which has invested in the regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront over the last decade.

He is a past president of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and sits on the board of investment syndicate Archangels, Eden Mill gin distillery and Motor Fuels Group.,

He said: “The RSE is an extraordinary organisation, almost 250 years old, dedicated to the expansion of learning and knowledge in our country. 

“In a post truth age, when the expert opinions and insights of the most learned is subsumed by a welter of lies and relativism, it is important that robust institutions stand for evidence-based policy and decision making.”

Polly Purvis has been made a Fellow for her contributions to the Scottish technology sector, for which she won a lifetime achievement award at the Scottish Women in Technology Awards in 2018. She is currently the chair of business startup hub Converge. She was instrumental in setting up CodeClan, the digital academy in Edinburgh.

Research by Professor Gbenga Ibikunle of the University of Edinburgh Business School has covered financial economics and financial markets, investigating issues related to energy and environmental market trading. His reports have featured in the financial press and for the Financial Conduct Authority and parliament.

The Duke of Edinburgh has been made a Royal Honorary Fellow of the RSE, joining the Society’s patron King Charles III, The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal.

President of the RSE, Professor Sir John Ball, said: “It is my sincere pleasure to welcome each of our new Fellows – from the worlds of academia, public service, business, and the arts – to Scotland’s National Academy. 

“They represent excellence in their fields and will reinforce our ability to tackle the challenges that Scotland, and indeed the wider world, faces now and in the future.”