Barry McCulloch

What does a typical day look like for you?

As the eyes and ears of the Bank in Scotland, no two days are the same.

Because the range of access to finance issues I cover are so wide and varied, I could be presenting in the morning at a workshop for business advisers to raise the profile of the Bank – and then running intelligence gathering meetings with angel investors in the afternoon.

What is typical about my working week is the Bank’s culture – it’s open, collaborative, and friendly. It’s one of the few places I have worked where the people are genuinely trying to live the organisation’s values.

How did you land your current role?

Prior to joining the Bank in April 2022, I worked in a variety of policy roles in Scotland across the public, private and third sectors.

At the Federation of Small Businesses, I led the FSB’s policy work in Scotland and managed key relationships within the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, and the wider business support ecosystem.

Before FSB, I was a freelance consultant for think tanks and economic development organisations.

During this time, I co-founded an employability start-up, AAI employability, to tackle the graduate unemployment crisis in 2009-10.

By 2021, I was ready for a new challenge. Like many people, the Covid-19 pandemic led me to re-evaluate my career.

I wanted to do something different, something more practical, and when I saw the opportunity to work for the Bank, I jumped at it.

What advice would you give to someone considering the bank?

What are you waiting for? It’s a great place to work.

From the top down, the people are very friendly, and the work is meaningful.

There’s also a good balance between working hard and delivering the Bank’s mission, whilst having time to reflect, recharge, and refocus.

Why did you decide to join the Bank?

The opportunity to work for the Bank was a no-brainer.

I had witnessed the Bank raise its profile substantially during 2020 and 2021 and seen first-hand the transformational impact Covid loans had on many small business owners in Scotland.

The chance to work at the Bank and continue helping smaller businesses to maintain and grow their business was one I couldn’t say no to.

How have you found working from home?

During the first two years of the pandemic, it was a legal requirement to work from home in Scotland.

There was no choice. Today, that’s not the case.

For the first time in my career, I have chosen to work remotely in a team that is almost entirely remote itself – and for an organisation that enables a multitude of work patterns.

In the short time I’ve been working here, I’ve found working remotely to be easy and straightforward.

I have the IT set up I need – laptop, monitor, smartphone etc – to access systems and apps to stay connected and work collaboratively.

What do you do when you’re not at work?

As a dad of two young children, working for an employer that enables staff to strike the right work-life balance is important – and the Bank manages to do this with ease.

For instance, once a week myself and colleagues are encouraged to take an extra hour away from the desk – in addition to our lunch break.

Outside of work, I can usually be found running after my kids in parks, forests, and other toddler-friendly locations!