CIPFA Public Finance Live Scotland returned to Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on 3 September with the dinner and awards held on 2 September.
Public Finance Live Scotland 2025
Date: 3 September 2025
Location: Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Public Finance Live Scotland 2025 was packed with keynote speakers, plenaries, panel debate and workshops such as:
- Adapting to Fiscal Challenges
Future-Proofing Scotland's Public Services
This session will explore how public organisations can address growing challenges in fiscal sustainability which can disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of society. - AI in Action: Unlocking Public Sector Value in Scotland
Join this panel of experts to explore how AI is already unlocking value in UK public services and how you can get started, even with limited resources. From ethical considerations to real-world case studies and practical tools, this session is designed to demystify AI, inspire innovation, and equip you with actionable next steps. - The View From Holyrood
The Editor of Scotland’s foremost public and political magazine provides a personal perspective of the upcoming elections, Scotland’s finances how we manage them and the relationship our politicians have with public money.
This one-day event brought together leading public figures, public sector innovators, finance professionals, commentators, analysts and other sector experts, as well as CIPFA’s public sector-focused commercial partners.
The 2025 conference and CIPFA Scotland Awards and Dinner was hosted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Find out more about the Public Finance Live Scotland 2025
Related links
Public Finance Live Scotland 2024
Featured speakers
Owen Mapley, Chief Executive, CIPFA
Owen was appointed as CEO of CIPFA in July 2024. Previously he spent five years as Chief Executive of Hertfordshire County Council and three as the council’s Executive Director of Resources and s151/Chief Finance Officer.
Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Following the 2021 election, Shona was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, and in March 2023, she became the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance.
Alyson Stafford, Director of the Exchequer, Scottish Government
Alyson advises the Scottish Ministers and Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government, with an annual budget of £50bn. She is chair of the Infrastructure Investment Board, developing the National Infrastructure Mission for Scotland.