IoD Scotland Autumn 2021

The official membership 

magazine for the Institute 

of Directors in Scotland 

iod.com/scotland 

Direction 

Autumn 2021 

IoD Global Conference: 

Full report 

Avoiding burnout – 

the vital signs 

Prestwick and 

the space race 

We can have a 

tech-led future 

Digital entrepreneur Professor Mark Logan 

outlines an exciting vision for digital 

Scotland – but the tragedy of climate 

change has to be tackled, too

A time to build 

forward better 

The IoD Global 

Conference’s central 

theme gave business 

leaders plenty 

to consider as they look 

to re-build the economy 

post-Covid, says 

Aidan O’Carroll, 

IoD Scotland Chair 

As we move into 

Autumn it is always 

a time to reflect on 

what we need to 

do over the coming 

seasons and to take 

stock of where we 

are and where we are 

going. 

As we learn to live with Covid and, 

hopefully, businesses across Scotland 

can start to plan ahead, there are a 

number of pressing matters to address. 

While we are in the centre of a 

perfect storm of shortages in resources, 

materials, increasing prices and 

challenges coming out of our Brexit 

transition, we should not lose sight of 

one of the most important issues that all 

of us need to address - the Climate Crisis 

- and how we are going to respond in the 

coming weeks, months and years ahead. 

This was the central theme in our 

first Global Conference hosted by 

IoD in Scotland, where our theme of 

Connecting the World, tackling our 

Global Challenges together, brought 

some leading figures together to focus 

on our response to climate change and 

how we must all accelerate our thinking 

and actions. 

It was humbling to listen to some 

key speakers describe just how climate 

change has affected the lives of all in 

ways we could not have envisaged just a 

few years ago. David Miliband called for 

an end to “happy talk” and for concerted 

action to be taken. 

It may sound like one of our biggest 

challenges, but it is also one of the 

greatest opportunities for all that the 

IoD stands for to shine a light on the 

positive things we must do. Great 

leadership and great governance will 

be at the heart of the changes we are 

making, and in turn this will lead to some 

of the best innovators to come to the 

forefront of organisations to help create 

the collaborative environment that will 

tackle these challenges head-on. 

In Scotland, we have some of the 

brightest talent ready to be deployed 

with fresh ideas and determination to 

succeed. As leaders, we need to create 

that space and support, in particular, the 

younger workforce who are determined 

to hold us to account for what we do 

next. 

This is something to be truly welcomed 

and as we drive greater transparency in 

all that we are doing we can, as one of 

our contributors at the Conference put it, 

“build forward better”. 

• Conference coverage from page 28 

Cover photograph: Professor Mark Logan discusses Scotland’s digital future and the need for action on climate change in our 

leadership interview. See page 12. Photo by Iain McLean – photomclean@googlemail.com 

IoD Scotland 

Address: 12 Queen Street, 

Edinburgh EH2 1JE 

T: 0131 557 5488 

For email enquiries: 

iod.scotland@iod.com 

W: www.iod.com 

IoD Scotland National Director: 

Louise Macdonald 

E: louise.macdonald@iod.com 

Senior Branch Manager: 

Natasha Ure 

T: 0131 460 7681 

E: natasha.ure@iod.com 

Branch Manager: 

Patricia Huth 

T: 0131 557 5488 

Patricia.Huth@iod.com 

Direction 

Direction is the official membership magazine of 

Institute of Directors Scotland and is published by: 

Chamber Media Services, 4 Hilton Road, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 3AG 

Advertising sales: Colin Regan 

T: 07871 444922 / 01942 537959 

E: colinregan001@yahoo.co.uk 

Production: Rob Beswick 

T: 0161 426 7957 / 07964 375216 

E: rob@chambermediaservices.co.uk 

Editorial: Kirsten Paul 

Please send press releases or editorial for consideration for future issues of 

Direction to Kirsten 

E: kirsten@clarkcommunications.co.uk 

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material contained within this 

magazine, neither IoD Scotland nor Chamber Media Services can accept any responsibility for 

omissions or inaccuracies in its editorial or advertising content. The views expressed in this 

publication are not necessarily those of the IoD. The carriage of advertisements or editorials in 

this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. 


iod.com 

03

News: IoD Scotland comment 

Net Zero: the time for talk is over 

A stunning IoD Conference has whet the appetite to transform the 

way businesses operate – and reminded us that time for action is short, 

says Louise Macdonald, National Director, IoD Scotland 

Net Zero…ESG… 

SDG…No Planet B – 

there is no shortage 

of acronym-laden 

hooks to hang 

strategic intent around 

sustainability on. In 

all these, though, the 

message is clear – it’s time for everyone 

to move beyond the slide deck and into 

decisive, measurable and urgent action. 

This was one of the biggest takeaways 

for me at our recent virtual global 

conference. We heard from a spectacular 

host of speakers and panellists, all of 

whom are focusing on how they can 

address the climate crisis, as well as their 

roles in the race to Net Zero. Put simply, 

the time for talk is over. 

It can be hard to think as far as 2030 

when we’re still building back from the 

pandemic; but the future isn’t fixed, 

it’s made – and it’s great directors and 

boards that can be the difference. 

The benefits to business of pursuing 

a Net Zero agenda are well rehearsed. 

There are still economic-theory 

skirmishes and fundamental political 

choices to be made around the how, but 

there are few directors sitting around 

any boardroom table who would deny 

both the imperative and the opportunity. 

We can’t deny that there will be tough 

choices to be made, and brave, bold 

and visionary leadership will be key 

to unlocking a positive future. Board 

members and directors don’t need to be 

experts in heating grid technology or the 

latest innovations in vertical farming and 

biodiversity, but they do need to take 

personal and professional responsibility 

in knowing which questions to ask 

and what information they need from 

their executive teams to make the best 

decisions possible. 

With COP26 and its legacy on the 

horizon, we, as directors, must focus 

on gaining a deeper understanding 

around how creating sustainable 

businesses will support our economic 

future. The boardroom buzz is around a 

deeper understanding of shared values 

and purpose with stakeholders and 

shareholders; planet as well as profit, 

staff, communities, customers and the 

supply chain united. It is a purposedriven 

mindset that redefines success 

from being the best in the world to being 

the best for the world. Many studies 

show that purpose-driven organisations 

outperform profit-maximisation 

businesses. Clearly, doing good is good 

business. 

It’s possible to be honest about where 

we all are now, without compromising 

on our determination to get where we 

need to. Collaboration, learning across 

the boundaries of sectors, will help us 

to realise the ambitions and benefits of 

the ‘wellbeing economy’ to deliver social 

justice on a healthy planet. As business 

leaders, it’s up to us to raise our game 

on asking the fundamental questions 

needed to shift from theory to action. 

The good news is that’s what innovative 

and solution-focused businesses in 

communities across Scotland do every 

day…because there really is no Planet B. 

For a full report on the IoD Global Conference, see from page 28 

Retailers call for 

NYD closure plan 

to be rejected 

Retailers are urging the Scottish 

Government to reject proposals to 

close large shops on New Year’s Day. 

Retail owners and staff are being 

consulted after the Usdaw submitted a 

petition to the Scottish Parliament 

calling for the change. 

The trade union argues that shop 

workers “deserve a decent break over 

New Year” after keeping the nation fed 

and delivering essential services. 

Currently, the Christmas Day and 

New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Act 

2007 only bans large shops from 

opening on Christmas Day. 

However, companies and 

organisations including the Scottish 

Retail Consortium, CBI Scotland and 

the Scottish Tourism Alliance have 

written to Public Finance Minister Tom 

Arthur, asking him to reject the 

request for a change. 

New schools programme is piloting 

connections for change in Scotland 

A recent Social 

Mobility Commission 

report found that 

for too many young 

people, their start in life still limits their 

future. Access to social capital such as 

relatable role models can change this. 

That’s why UK charity, Future First, has 

expanded with a ground-breaking pilot 

in two Scottish schools. 

Using a proven formula developed 

elsewhere in the UK, a Scottish pilot 

started in September. Gracemount 

High and Tynecastle High Schools 

in Edinburgh will connect current 

students with former pupils, opening 

their eyes to a world of opportunities 

and the pathways to get there. The 

aim is to see every state school pupil in 

Scotland supported by a thriving alumni 

To register to join the national alumni pool, 

visit www.futurefirst.org.uk. 

community. These two schools will join 

a network of 400 other educational 

establishments across England and Wales. 

Directors can get involved by signing 

up as a speaker or employer partner, 

joining a sector or interest group, or 

considering something similar for 

schools local to their business or indeed, 

your own former school. 

“Each employer partnership is unique,” 

said Leon Ward, Director, Future First. 

“Some organisations provide vital 

funding or pro bono support. Some 

employers provide virtual or face-toface 

insight days, work experience 

opportunities or encourage their staff to 

become mentors. Contact me to find out 

more about having a meaningful impact 

on young people, schools and their 

alumni up and down the country.” 

04 iod.com 

Autumn 2021

Waste weighing 

first as authority 

looks to improve 

recycling rates 

SGS’s co-founders 

Alan Gooding and 

Graham Ault 

Smart move as Mitsubishi buys 

Strathclyde spin-out 

Smarter Grid Solutions – a spin-out from 

the University of Strathclyde – has been 

acquired by Mitsubishi Electric Power 

Products. The company has been hailed 

as one of Scotland’s brightest stars in 

the fight against climate change by its 

long-term investors. 

Since launch, the energy software 

company’s products have reduced 

carbon dioxide emissions by two million 

tonnes, the equivalent of taking 165,000 

combustion engine vehicles off the road. 

The company creates systems that 

allow solar panels, wind turbines, and 

other renewable energy devices to 

be connected to existing electricity 

distribution networks, keeping down 

the cost of expensive grid upgrades and 

managing on-site energy and carbon 

footprints. 

Following the closure of its sale, 

SGS will be able to further scale-up 

its contribution to tackling the climate 

emergency by helping more grid 

operators across the globe to connect 

more renewables to their networks and 

energy developers to add more clean 

energy assets to their fleets. 

Graham Ault, co-founder and 

executive vice president at SGS, said: 

“The support we’ve received from our 

investors and the wider Scottish and 

UK business community over more than 

a decade has been humbling and very 

much appreciated. 

“We’ve taken research findings from 

inside a university and transformed 

them into a real-world application 

that’s allowing more renewable energy 

devices to be connected to electricity 

grids across the UK, Europe, and North 

America, with our first system in Asia in 

the middle of delivery right now. 

“Now, with the backing of Mitsubishi 

Electric, we’ll be able to take our 

work to the next level, expanding our 

operations to serve more customers 

in more countries and ultimately be 

an important contributor to the clean 

energy transition.” 

Hampden & Co reports double digit growth 

Hampden & Co has reported year-onyear 

double-digit growth in income, 

deposits and lending. 

In the six months to 30 June, income 

at the Edinburgh-based private bank 

was up 24 per cent to £6 million on the 

corresponding period last year. Deposits 

rose 42 per cent to £603m, and lending 

grew 53 per cent to £381m. 

CEO Graeme Hartop said: “We have 

also been able to grow and strengthen 

our relationships with other advisers. The 

addition of our new retirement mortgage 

service has proved very popular with 

advisers and their clients as they seek 

effective solutions to managing finances 

in later life. This has been reflected in our 

performance in the first half.” 

A new recycling waste weighing 

programme is set to launch in North 

Lanarkshire next month. 

In what is believed to be the first of 

its kind in Scotland for a local authority, 

it uses Radio Frequency Identification 

(RFID) technology provided by funding 

from Zero Waste Scotland. 

Household waste and recycling 

collections bins will be fitted with RFID 

tags that will capture individual bin 

weights, with data collected informing 

the local authority’s policies on waste 

management. 

It also aims to increase recycling 

rates across the council area as figures 

published by the Scottish Environment 

Protection Agency found that North 

Lanarkshire residents recycled just 

around 40 per cent of their household 

waste in 2019. North Lanarkshire 

Council is committed to raising that 

figure to 70 per cent by 2025. 

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive Officer 

of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The 

primary focus is to gather data to 

determine which campaigns and 

interventions work best to reduce 

residual waste and increase the volume 

and efficiency of local recycling.” 

Conference shorts 

“Sustainability is a 

team game. Don’t try 

to compete on it; look 

to share best practice. 

You can compete on 

lots of areas - don’t 

make saving the planet 

one of them...” 

IoD Global Conference report, 

from page 28 


iod.com 

05

News 

Clark launches tech PR boutique 

PR, digital and design agency Clark 

has launched Clark.tech – the first 

technology-focused PR boutique in 

Scotland. 

Headed up by Associate Director, 

Kirsten Paul, the specialist offering 

follows the rapid strategic growth 

of the agency’s technology client 

portfolio which has gone from strength 

to strength since Kirsten joined the 

agency three years ago from a global 

tech background. It has been further 

shaped by Chairman and tech investor 

Paul Atkinson, who joined the board in 

January 2020. 

Lesley Brydon, founder and managing 

director of Clark, said: “Since Clark 

launched in 2012, the technology scene 

in Scotland has erupted. The country is 

now home to organisations which can 

compete against the best of the best, 

whether based in the Silicon Roundabout 

or Silicon Valley. 

“Kirsten has brought a unique level of 

experience to the team that simply does 

not exist in Scotland right now, and this 

has already delivered incredible benefits 

for our client base. 

“We don’t see the Scottish tech sector 

slowing any time soon, so now is the 

right time to further demonstrate our 

technology expertise and commitment 

to the sector by launching Clark.tech, 

Launching the 

Clark.tech PR 

boutique are, frmo 

left, Kirsten Paul, 

Paul Atkinson, 

Clark founder 

Lesley Brydon and 

deputy managing 

director, Angela 

Hughes 

which will form a significant strand of 

our growth strategy this year.” 

In 2021 alone, the agency has added 

six new technology clients to its portfolio 

including Cloudsoft, Cyan, Dunedin IT, 

FarrPoint and Forrit. 

Other Clark.tech clients inclulde 

Par Equity and the Scottish Business 

Resilience Centre. 

More on Clark.tech at clarkcommunications.co.uk 

Scottish Friendly 

boosts its NXDs 

with appointments 

Scottish Friendly has appointed 

Mark Laidlaw and Stephen McGee 

as non-executive directors, bringing 

more than 40 years’ worth of 

industry experience across pensions, 

investments and protection with them. 

Laidlaw is currently corporate 

strategy director at LV=, while McGee 

is chief financial officer at Aegon 

UK, where he is responsible for the 

leadership of the finance function and, 

as a board member, also contributes 

to the wider strategy and performance 

of the company. 

Scottish Friendly’s chairman David 

Huntley said: “The vast experience 

they bring with them will serve to 

strengthen the technical capability of 

our current board and complement 

our existing team of non-executive 

directors.” 


“We’ve got to think ‘outside the 

bottle’ – and COP26 delegates have 

got to leave their egos at the 

door” 

Amee Ritchie, S’weat. See pg 35 

£62m food and farming project 

hailed as ‘transformational’ 

A new state-of-the-art science, farm and 

field facilities on the outskirts of Dundee 

will seek to find the answers to the 

global climate challenges facing the 

agricultural and food sectors. 

The pledges were made at the 

breaking-ground ceremony for the 

construction of the £62 million 

International Barley Hub (IBH) and the 

Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) 

at the James Hutton Institute’s campus. 

The buildings, funded through the Tay 

Cities Region Deal, are scheduled to be 

completed in early 2024. 

The Scottish Government’s Rural 

Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon said the 

work that would be undertaken at 

Invergowrie would perfectly 

complement the government’s ambitions 

for a more sustainable agricultural 

sector. “The IBH and the APGC will put 

Scotland at the forefront of where we 

want to be,” she said. 

“Some of the crops we grow will face 

challenges through climate change, 

whether that’s pests or diseases, and it is 

critical to Scotland that we can futureproof 

them as much as possible.” 

The IBH is the culmination of a long 

campaign by JHI which was backed by 

maltsters, distillers and farmers, and the 

institute’s leading scientists were also 

optimistic for the potential of the new 

facilities. 

The hub’s chair, Professor James 

Brosnan said: “The IBH complements the 

existing spirit of collaboration in the 

barley supply chain and will provide the 

answers to our shared climate challenges 

through applied scientific excellence.” 

Pictured above breaking ground at the new hub are Mairi Gougeon MSP, 

Prof Colin Campbell and Iain Stewart MP 

06 iod.com 


Bombardier’s flying as demand 

for its private jets soars 

Bombardier Inc has raised its full-year 

estimates for revenue and aircraft 

deliveries, helped by higher business jet 

traffic and demand for planes. 

The plane maker also said it would use 

less free cash in 2021 than previously 

expected, after beating analysts’ 

estimates for quarterly revenues on 

higher deliveries and demand for 

aftermarket services. 

According to FlightAware data, 

business jet flights were up 23 per cent 

in the week beginning 21st July over 

Plans are being considered to create a 

more integrated public transport system 

in Edinburgh that will see “efficiencies” 

across the current operators. 

A recent report to the council has 

outlined greater alignment of the 

businesses running the buses and 

trams which will result in easier ticket 

purchasing, more integrated routes, 

better collaboration and less competition 

between companies. 

The council says the changes 

“wouldn’t result in any immediate 

adjustments for passengers or front-line 

staff”, though any longer-term impact 

has not been disclosed. 

The plan proposes reconstituting 

the Lothian Buses legal entity to allow 

the management of all council-owned 

public transport modes in the city, while 

retaining the brands and operational 

services of each of the transport 

companies. 

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, transport 

and environment convener, said: “The 

reform of our Transport ALEOs offers 

the chance to significantly enhance and 

2019 levels in the US, the largest market 

for corporate aviation. 

Business jet revenue for the three 

months ending June 30 jumped 50 per 

cent to $1.5 billion, compared with the 

$1.3 billion that analysts were expecting, 

according to Refinitiv. 

But Montreal-based Bombardier 

posted an adjusted net loss of $137 

million, or six cents per share, for the 

second quarter, compared with a loss of 

$248 million, or 11 cents, in the previous 

year. 

More integration planned for 

capital’s buses and trams 

streamline our public transport offering 

to the benefit of the public. 

“These changes would result in 

integrated ticketing and routing and 

the opportunity to expand into new 

transport modes, amongst other 

improvements. 

“Of course, we know how important 

the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams 

brands are to the people of Edinburgh, 

demonstrated by their consistently high 

customer satisfaction ratings, and we’ve 

no plans to change that. 

“Any restructuring behind-the-scenes 

will only lead to a better experience on 

the services we all know and love.” 

Essence of Harris 

lands family 

business award 

Essence of Harris has been awarded 

the National Community title at the 

2021 Family Business of the Year 

Awards, an annual award ceremony 

that aims to put the UK’s family 

business sector on the map. 

Speaking to The Press & Journal 

recently, Jamie spoke of how family 

was the sole reason that he began the 

business six years ago. 

“At the beginning, it was just about 

creating a business that could support 

our own family,” he says. “It’s grown 

through time into a global business – 

we now have a workforce of 26 and 

are selling globally to places like China 

and America. 

“We recently won awards in a New 

York trade show (NY NOW) for being 

one of the best emerging brands in 

the US. 

“We’ve come a long way from being 

a window cleaner eight years ago to 

now, across my three businesses, the 

largest employers in Harris.” 

Other Scottish family 

business winners at the awards 

ceremony included food producers 

Macsween of Edinburgh (The People’s 

Choice Award) and Arbikie Distillery, 

Arbroath (Scottish Regional Award). 

Big congrats from all of us at the 

IoD! 


“We’re in a new paradigm 

in which thinking about the 

environment is the norm... 

we have to balance profit 

with people and planet...” 

Douglas Lamont, innocent drinks, 

addressing the 

IoD Global Conference 

See pg 31 


iod.com 

07

Downtime / IoD membership services 

St James Quarter offers a welcome 

boost to Edinburgh’s retail offer 

Edinburgh’s city centre may have been 

devoid of shoppers for the past 18 

months, nevertheless, the new addition 

of the St James Quarter to the capital’s 

shopping scene – and skyline – did not 

go unnoticed. 

The huge 850,000sq ft shopping 

centre opened this summer, with many 

well-known brands taking a place in 

the £1bn retail development. Situated 

at the end of Multrees Walk, the 

doorless building provides a new luxury 

destination for those wishing to return to 

in-person shopping. 

It is this luxury that has attracted 

brands not normally seen in Scotland 

into the fold. The Scottish-first brands 

include & Other Stories, The Kooples, 

Stradivarius, Bershka, and Pull&Bear, and 

extend to more than just fashion. 

Family shopping trips will now take 

on a new level of significance with 

Edinburgh’s first Lego Store, while other 

highlights include housing Europe’s 

biggest Zara store and much-loved 

Edinburgh names such as Bross Bagels. 

Finally, you may not even dare to 

imagine Christmas at a new venture like 

this, but soon to be launched Harrods 

Beauty should provide a high-end 

answer for those last-minute gifts on 

your way home for when we do go back 

to the office. 

More high-end retail for Edinburgh, 

including some Scottish firsts such 

as & Other Stories and Stradivarius 

Hydrow: the up and coming 

way to exercise 

Luxury and peace 

on beautiful Skye 

Scotland’s beauty has been in high 

demand this summer as international 

travel remained untenable for some 

under the government restrictions. As 

many return to work, well-known beauty 

spots present an opportunity for a 

peaceful weekend away. One of these 

places includes Skye. 

After a recent refurbishment, ‘The 

Three Chimneys and The House Over- 

By’ hotel and restaurant reopened its 

doors this summer. The whitewashed 

stone building sits within the vast rugged 

coastline of Dunvegan on the Isle of 

Skye. Based on an original croft house, 

the hotel and renowned restaurant offers 

luxury and a unique escape from any of 

the busyness of city life. With only six 

suites, it proves a relaxed, cosy stay with 

the chance to take in dramatic sea views. 

Room prices start from around 

£350 per night, so unlike Scotland’s 

unpredictable weather, a stay at this 

northern retreat guarantees you 

stunning scenery, a few days of secluded 

tranquillity and the chance to dine on 

some brilliant food. 

Feel your Peloton is so passé? We have 

an exciting new brand for you: Hydrow. 

This exciting new brand produces 

rowing machines to a similar technical 

spec of the aforementioned Peloton, 

with classes and activities offering 

another way to exercise from home. 

The machine is billed as an engaging 

way to work out with its interactive live 

sessions making it feel more inclusive 

and, in theory, more likely for you to 

stick it out. 

In terms of exercise, this piece of kit 

will give you your daily dose of cardio 

and by providing movement to much 

of the body without the impact of a 

treadmill it can also be used without 

putting a strain on joints. 

The company’s rapid growth since its 

founding in 2017 has led to the brand 

seeing revenues increase 600 per cent 

every year. The alluring fitness benefits 

and strong financial performance have 

You can see what all the fuss is about at https://hydrow.com 

created quite a buzz for the brand, and 

its founder, Bruce Smith, a former elite 

US rowing coach. 

The machines are priced at over 

£2,000, with monthly subscription to 

training plans, videos and interactive 

features adding £38 a month. 

The main thing is; if you are looking to 

start an exercise routine that will stand 

the test of time, this is one to consider. 

08 iod.com 


How IoD can help you secure 

your next position 

Membership of the IoD brings with it a 

host of services to help you gain the 

most from your career. 

One of our latest innovations has seen 

us team up with Nurole to help members 

find their next board-level role or next 

board-level hire. Nurole is changing the 

way boards hire great people. Their 

tech-driven platform works better for 

organisations and candidates, with an 

85% placement rate. 

For organisations 

Nurole blends the power and reach of 

technology with a very human 

understanding, to provide best-in-class 

hiring for forward-thinking boards. 

Specially negotiated for you… 

• 5% discount for IoD members on 

board-level recruitment advertising rates 

in 2021 

Ways that Nurole helps boards: 

• Nurole works with publicly listed, 

investor-backed, private and family 

companies, start-ups and charities 

• To source, screen and hire nonexecutive 

directors, chairs, trustees and 

advisory board members 

• To bring diversity, strategic insight, 

commercial, digital and other expertise, 

new perspectives, growth, international 

expansion 

For candidates 

Providing IoD members with access to 

the latest non-executive director-level 

jobs, and empowering brilliant people to 

apply for non-executive roles that match 

their skills, passions and availability. 

Specially negotiated for you… 

• Simplified and fast track access to 

the board-level recruitment platform by 

virtue of being an IoD Member, Fellow or 

Chartered Director* 

Why candidates like Nurole: 

• Free access to the platform 

• Power to apply for interesting roles 

directly 

• Private profile prevents bombardment 

by irrelevant approaches 

• No time wasted networking for roles 

that might never happen 

Interested to see how Nurole could 

help you open the door to a career as a 

non-executive director, or broaden your 

portfolio with new exciting roles? Or are 

you an organisation looking to add 

experience and a fresh opinion to your 

boardroom level discussions? 

Take the next step now. Get in touch: 

For organisations looking for NXDs: 

T: 020 3637 1014 

E: Iod-boardsearch@nurole.com 

For candidates looking for new roles: 

T: 020 3637 1013 

E: IoD-candidate@nurole.com 

Directors’ Advice – from the IoD 

IoD Edinburgh 

branch roles 

IoD Edinburgh & Lothians Branch is 

looking for a Vice Chair and 

Ambassadors for Events, Partnership 

and Sustainability to join the memberled 

Committee. 

The Vice Chair will be a voice for 

directors in the area, working 

alongside the branch team to enable 

members to connect with each other, 

develop their personal learning and 

skills and influence decision making at 

the highest level. 

The Partnership Ambassador’s role 

will seek commercial opportunities for 

the benefit of members and the 

branch programme of events, while 

maximising stakeholder engagement. 

The Events Ambassador will lead on 

co-ordinating and promoting the 

branch-led programme of in-person 

and virtual events, working closely 

with the IoD executive team. 

The Sustainability Ambassador’s 

role is to be a champion for 

sustainability, Net Zero and ESG and to 

encourage members to sign up to and 

participate in the IoD sustainability 

hub activity, as well as to encourage 

and support the branch to run events 

of relevance to the theme of 

sustainability and governance. 

The voluntary positions have a 

three-year term and are open to 

members and non -members living or 

working in the Edinburgh & Lothians 

region. (Non-members will need to be 

a member if successful). 

To discuss the roles further please 

email our Edinburgh Chair, Julie 

Ashworth at chair.edinburgh@iod.net. 

• For an Ambassador Guide document, 

please email natasha.ure@iod.com 

No matter how well connected you are, 

sometimes you need independent and 

confidential business advice from a 

specialist. 

The Directors’ Advisory Service 

provides IoD members with just that, 

free of charge. Our expert advice 

covers issues from raising finance to 

board appointments and shareholder 

disputes. 

The service is: 

n Exclusive to IoD Full members 

n Free, independent & confidential 

advice on a vast range of issues 

n Advice is given by appointment - 

Currently all appointments are 

delivered by phone call 

n Up to four appointments per 

calendar year, 30 minutes each. 

What type of questions can they 

answer? 

Our advisors have an amazing 

breadth of knowledge. In recent 

months questions posed to them have 

included: 

n “I am starting a new business. 

Would it be better to form a limited 

company or not?” 

n “I need to raise £200k. Can you 

advise me on the different avenues 

open to me?” 

n “A member of our staff has been 

on sick leave for two months. What are 

our options?” 

n “Our company is being accused of 

trademark infringement and we would 

like to understand where we stand.” 

n “I want to expand my business and 

I’d like some advice on marketing and 

social media. How should I shape my 

marketing strategy?” 

n “I am about to accept a 

directorship and would like to know if 

the service agreement I am being 

offered may cause problems.” 

For more information, see 

https://www.iod.com/services/ 

information-and-advice/directorsadvice 


iod.com 

09

Behind the desk: Jojo Mehta 

Let’s tap into the world’s expertise 

to solve the climate crisis 

Name: Jojo Mehta 

Position: Co-Founder & Executive Director 

Company: Stop Ecocide International 

(SEI) 

Number of employees: 20 

Short overview of organisation: SEI 

is the driving force behind, and central 

communications hub for, the growing 

global movement to make ecocide an 

international crime. Its core work is 

focused on activating and developing 

global cross-sector support for this. 

Positioned at the meeting point of legal 

developments, political traction and 

public narrative, the team is uniquely 

placed to support and amplify the global 

conversation. 

“I’m driven by a deep 

moral sense that we must 

protect our planetary 

home, for our own 

children and those of all 

other species as well. 

What is the greatest recurring 

challenge you come across in your role, 

and what’s your strategy for dealing 

with it? 

Lack of familiarity with the subject. 

Making ecocide an international crime 

is an incredibly simple concept, but the 

positive impacts it implies are rarely 

understood at first pass. 

Deterring key decisions that will harm 

the planet is just the beginning. Once 

we explain, we see wonderful light bulb 

moments! That never gets old. 

Who, or what, drives you or inspires 

you? 

A deep moral sense that we must 

protect our planetary home, for our own 

children and those of all other species 

as well. And the knowledge that it’s 

possible, both through existing solutions 

and those yet to emerge. 

The imagination and expertise 

required are sitting untapped in the 

minds of pretty much everybody. All we 

need to do is set the right parameters 

and ask. 

Ecocide law is that kind of parameter. 

What is your long-term vision for the 

organisation that you lead? 

Awakening environmental 

consciousness via a global legal 

framework. 

What keeps you awake at night? 

Anyone undermining our work from 

within the team. Luckily it’s extremely 

rare, so I sleep very well. 

What makes a good leader great? 

Passion, vision, purpose, commitment, 

warmth… and the ability to convey these 

to others, both within the organisation 

and to the world. Integrity – which isn’t 

something that can be consciously 

conveyed, people just feel it. Ability to 

listen and learn from anyone – we all 

have sparks to share. 

Have you had a mentor, and what did 

they add to your development? 

Many! The best mentor relationships 

become deep friendships. Lessons have 

been valuable and sometimes painful – 

learning not to hold on to being right is 

a biggie! 

Even leaders aren’t the finished 

article. What’s next in your leadership 

development journey? 

No human being is a finished article. 

That’s what’s so exciting – what an 

extraordinary thing: to be a being of 

consciousness, passion, intelligence and 

imagination in a physical body and in a 

living breathing world. It’s a lifelong job 

of reconciliation and adventure, and for 

all we know, this is the only place in the 

galaxy where it’s happening. If that isn’t 

worth protecting I don’t know what is. 

What is the ‘next big thing’ that will 

transform your sector? 

Ecocide law (and not just our sector). 

What piece of technology do you rely 

on most? 

My laptop – Zoom and emails are 

a constant – but I try to spend some 

time in a zero-tech zone every day, 

usually with my bare feet in the grass. 

It’s essential to connect directly to the 

ground - it’s what sustains us all, in the 

most literal sense. It reminds me why I 

do what I do. 

What is your favourite social media 

platform, and what does it bring to your 

business/organisation? 

If I had to choose, Twitter and Linked- 

In are probably most useful to our work 

due to the connecting potential between 

movers and shakers in the sector. 

And I use WhatsApp all the time for 

immediacy of comms, if that counts. 

What needs fixed? 

In the world? The rules of the game 

– to prevent destruction of the natural 

living world so that we can get on with 

the serious and hugely inspirational 

business of operating in harmony with it. 

That’s what ecocide law can do. 

What leadership advice would you give 

your younger self? 

Listen more. Question your 

assumptions and trust your common 

sense... feel for the place of integrity 

inside yourself and act from there. 

There’s nothing to prove and everything 

to play for. 

• For more on Jojo Mehta and Stop 

Ecocide International see our special 

IoD Conference report, starting from 

page 28 

More on Stop Ecocide International at https://www.stopecocide.earth 

10 iod.com 


Leadership Interview: Professor Mark Logan 

Don’t let us fall 

into the tragedy 

of inaction 

Renowned tech entrepreneur Professor Mark Logan talks to IoD Scotland’s 

Rob Beswick about Scotland’s digital future, the challenge of climate 

change and why we’re trapped in a modern day ‘tragedy of the commons’ 

By nature, you would suspect Professor 

Mark Logan is something of an optimist. 

Certainly, when pressed on the 

possibilities open to Scotland’s 

flourishing digital tech sector, his vision 

is one that could have Silicon Valley’s 

giants nervously glancing over their 

collective shoulders as he maps out a 

route that could see Scotland boast ‘a 

hundred Skyscanners’. 

But turn the conversation to the fight 

against climate change, and the tone is 

more pessimistic. 

It’s easy to see why. The biggest 

smoking gun of a generation was fired 

in August with the release of the IPCC 

report on climate change, and as Mark 

points out, “the story was gone from the 

main news channels within 48 hours.” 

“We’ve just had the biggest wake-up 

call we’ve ever had on a single issue and 

within two days the media spotlight had 

moved on, like it was just one more story 

to think about, discuss and gloss over. 

We’ve got to wake up to the catastrophe 

we’re facing.” 

That wasn’t the only thing that worried 

him, either: “The lack of a coherent and 

proportionate response from governments 

around the world is terrifying. We are at 

war with our own path dependence; with 

our vested interests, our sunk costs and 

our failure to comprehend exponential 

change.” 

Our common response, he says, is 

instead to turn to technology, looking for 

easy salvation. “Technology certainly 

contains the seeds of the solution, but 

right now the tech industry is even a net 

accelerator of carbon consumption. 

We’re using new technologies to bring 

oil fields that were not previously viable 

into use; we celebrate blockchain, but its 

first major application, bitcoin, uses 

more electricity than an average 

European country. And for what? 

Financial speculation.” 

If the tech sector is going to help 

Scotland to ‘net zero’, however, you can 

bet Mark will play a key role. The former 

Chief Operating Officer of Skyscanner 

and before that VP of engineering at 

Atlantech, a Scottish software business 

sold to Cisco for $180m in 2000, and a 

founding member of big data start-up 

Sumerian, Mark is an expert in scaling 

digital businesses. His independent 

review of the Scottish tech ecosystem 

led to him being asked by the Scottish 

Government to head a post-pandemic 

tech-led recovery, with a goal of 

establishing Scotland as a world-class 

technology hub. 

And just in case he didn’t have enough 

on his plate, he is also the Professor of 

Computing Science at the University of 

Glasgow and involved in a number of 

other digital operations. 

A busy man, but with a track record of 

building world-class digital enterprises in 

a country that hitherto was not seen as a 

global player, it’s easy to see why he is in 

such demand. 

It certainly kept him busy during the 

past 18 months as the world got to grips 

with Covid-19. “I had a lot of work to do 

so the first wave of the pandemic I dealt 

with fairly well. The second wave was 

different; like many people I felt very 

uncomfortable over the winter lockdown. 

I realised I was more of a social animal 

than I had previously realised!” 

While health-wise the pandemic left 

him largely untouched, on the business 

side he saw the impact of lockdowns at 

close quarters. “To take one example, I 

do a lot of work with start-ups and many 

struggled severely, and are still 

struggling. They’ve lost markets through 

no fault of their own and it was heartbreaking; 

a really painful experience.” 

Part of the challenge was the 

uncertainty. “I like to know the path I’m 

following and my direction of travel. We 

didn’t have that in the past 18 months as 

we were never sure what would happen 

next, and when it would all end.” 

What the pandemic did do was remind 

Mark of how vulnerable we are as a 

society, and here he sees strong parallels 

with climate change. “Covid-19 showed 

us how disasters can develop 

exponentially. What looked to many like 

a smallish, localised issue became a 

global catastrophe in a matter of weeks. 

That’s what happens when the exponentials 

kick in. Covid-19 is a harbinger of what is 

happening with climate change; once the 

balance is tipped against us, we will be 

overwhelmed by the consequences. It’s 

later than we think.” 

The pandemic brought with it huge 

changes in how businesses operated, 

with the growth of working from home. 

Many were surprised by how well the 

change went, but it was second nature to 

Mark. “Perhaps people didn’t realise they 

had everything they needed to keep the 

wheels turning; the equipment and skills 

for home working were well-established. 

The only thing we had to do was break 

people’s ingrained habits and beliefs 

– that it was essential to commute to an 

12 iod.com 


“At Skyscanner we proved you 

can grow and build anything in 

Scotland if you’ve got the right 

infrastructure, the right people 

and the right support” 

office, always meeting face-to-face.” 

These were habits Skyscanner had 

broken a decade ago. “Many of our 

employees were nearing the point in 

their lives where they were thinking of 

starting families, and it was clear that 

we’d lose some of them if we didn’t 

anticipate their need to juggle family 

commitments more flexibly. It made 

sense for us to put those structures in 

place so we could give them that option, 

and signal to them well in advance that 

we wanted to support them. What’s 

good for one group often brings benefits 

to everyone. For example, it also gave us 

the chance to spread our net when 

recruiting. We didn’t have to focus just 

on Scotland, but could recruit from 

across the UK, globally too. Skyscanner’s 

model therefore became one in which 

working from home was normalised.” 

Such innovative thinking made Mark an 

obvious choice to head the Scottish 

Government’s plans for a tech-led 

recovery from the pandemic, and to say 

his goals for this are huge is an 

understatement. He has good reason to 

be bullish. “Throughout my career 

people have said ‘you can’t grow a tech 

company in Scotland.’ When I helped 

build and then sell Atlantech to Cisco for 

$180m, people said, ok, but you can’t 

grow a really big tech company in 

Scotland… then we built Skyscanner and 

sold it for $1.45bn. We proved you can 

grow and build anything in Scotland if 

you’ve got the right infrastructure, the 

right people and the right support.” 

Continued on page 14 


iod.com 

13

Leadership Interview: Professor Mark Logan 

Continued from page 13 

To prove his point, he offers a lesson 

from history. “I’m from Clydebank. At 

one point a fifth of the world’s ships 

came from its shipyards; Clydebank 

built over 30,000 ships. An entire 

infrastructure was created around the 

area to support the shipyards. New 

businesses were set up to feed through 

what was needed – parts, services, 

people – and in the end these shipyards 

came to dominate the world of shipping. 

“Think of it in today’s language: 

Clydebank was a hi-tech start-up 

ecosystem. The only difference was that 

the raw material of that ecosystem was 

iron rather than software. Why can’t we 

repeat that? 

“Scotland is a start-up nation, always 

has been. We can turn our hand to 

anything as long as we have the right 

ecosystem in place to support it.” 

Creating such a system is a mammoth 

– but achievable – goal, and one that will 

be based on education. “The tech sector 

needs a pipeline of new talent. There 

are many things you need to create the 

perfect digital ecosystem but if we are to 

make Scotland a world leader in tech, it’s 

people with the right skills that we need 

first.” 

This starts with the schools and 

colleges. Young people need coding 

skills, says Mark, but he’s concerned that 

it’s going to take a huge sea-change in 

attitude to ensure this happens. 

“I’d say that we are facing an 

educational emergency. Everything 

we have planned for the future is 

underpinned by this pipeline of talent 

from our schools and colleges. However, 

there’s a worrying trend developing: we 

have fewer computer science teachers 

than a decade ago, fewer children taking 

computer science and an even greater 

gender imbalance in the subject. 

“It’s as if we’re moving away from a 

digital future, not towards it.” 

“We have to shift mindset. If maths 

was collapsing at schools, we would 

respond appropriately and put the 

necessary resources in, as people would 

say that it’s vital children leave school 

with good maths skills. I’d say, nowadays, 

having good computer science skills was 

as critical as good maths.” 

A lack of dedicated computer science 

teachers is often put down to more 

attractive opportunities being available 

in industry, but Mark says that this is too 

simplistic a view on what is happening. 

“Why not offer teachers in other 

disciplines the computer science skills 

we need? If you have a good maths or 

science teacher, you can give them the 

skills they need to teach computing. Or 

we can market more actively to science 

and engineering undergraduates about 

computing science teaching. We don’t 

do that. Let’s behave as if solving this 

problem greatly matters.” 

Mark feels that computer science is 

often sidelined in schools. “We need to 

make the syllabus exciting and dynamic, 

so we attract the brightest students 

and the best teachers. At the moment 

we have weakened the subject to 

accommodate teaching by non-sector 

specialists. Imagine if we did that to 

maths – made it easier, so non-maths 

teachers could teach it. We just wouldn’t 

tolerate that.” 

Scotland must look outside its borders 

to see how other countries teach 

technology. “If you look at Estonia, for 

example, they’ve done this really well. 

If you think it is important, you make it 

important. Until now, we haven’t.” 

Among many ideas to improve this 

situation, he has one simple idea which 

is straight from Silicon Valley: “Silicon 

Valley flourished by creating a pool of 

shared knowledge and excellence, a 

place where people could learn from and 

teach others. Do the same with teaching. 

Set up a learning network for computer 

science teachers, dedicating some of 

them to curating and propagating best 

teaching practice across the country, 

and hold an annual conference to further 

build identify and community.” 

Creating a pathway to develop skills 

would help, too. “Computing changes 

far more quickly than every other 

subject. For a teacher graduating 13 

years ago, there was no mobile app 

development, for example. We need a 

micro-credentialised MSc and similar 

schemes for teachers to take over a 

period of time, allowing them to master 

the subject and then remain current.” 

But improving computer science 

in schools isn’t the only requirement. 

“We need more opportunities for 

older people to learn coding and other 

computing skills. There are plenty of 

talented people out there who possibly 

left school without the chance to gain 

tech skills but who would love to learn 

them now.” 

We also need to help our computing 

graduates. “Great, they’ve got the 

technological skills, but let’s help them 

gain the entrepreneurial skills they’ll need 

if they are to join or lead a start-up.” 

Access to funding is crucial too, but 

his main challenge is for Scotland “to be 

bold if it is to fulfill its vision of being a 

tech leader. We need to create space for 

start-ups in incubator units, where they 

can nurture new ideas. We need to see 

the cross-fertilisation of ideas, where 

companies are learning from each other 

via a network of tech hubs.” 

But Scotland also needs to import 

best practice. At Skyscanner, “we knew 

14 iod.com Autumn 2021

that the internet was global so there was 

no point just trying to be the best tech 

business in Scotland. We had to compete 

with the best in the world – we had to 

match Google and be world-class at 

all levels. So we have to learn from the 

world, too.” 

The thought of sharing ideas with 

potential rivals is the type of idea 

that may horrify some CEOs, yet it’s a 

concept on which the tech sector has 

long thrived. “The reason Silicon Valley 

succeeded was because it attracted 

a critical mass of talent that created 

a virtuous network within which 

businesses flourish. If you are going to 

become a digital leader you need to get 

to that tipping point where you have 

more and more successful businesses 

that in turn attract more talented people. 

“When I started out at Atlantech it 

felt like we were the only people in the 

world doing what we were doing. We 

were on our own. It’s not like that now 

in Scotland; there are so many digital 

companies out there, it’s such an exciting 

and vibrant picture. I’ve never felt so 

excited about our digital future and 

when I talk to start-ups there’s a real 

belief that they can succeed.” 

Some of that belief stems from the 

success of Skyscanner, of course. “I’d 

be delighted if people said they were 

“Climate change has us locked 

in an enormous ‘tragedy of the 

commons’. We used to talk about 

it affecting our grandchildren but 

not any more; it’s affecting us, 

right now. We must act.” 

inspired by the Skyscanner story, 

proving that a tech firm could scale-up 

and succeed in Scotland. The great thing 

about that company was so many people 

joined us, developed and grew, then 

left and set up their own businesses. I 

always said my greatest ambition was for 

100 new ‘Skyscanners’ to be born from 

Skyscanner. That’s how Silicon Valley 

started.” 

Can Scotland ’s latest tech start-ups 

scale-up in the same way? “Absolutely, 

as long as we get the ecosystem right. 

Make sure the talent is there, make sure 

we can share ideas, get the funding in… 

and anything is possible. As I said before, 

we are a start-up nation, we always have 

been. We need to remember that now.” 

There is something else Mark is keen to 

remind us: the aforementioned challenge 

of climate change. “It’s the biggest 

threat we’ve ever faced and yet we’re 

sleepwalking into a disaster,” he says 

ruefully. “It’s the modern equivalent of 

’the tragedy of the commons’ ” – [the 

situation, first suggested in 1833 by 

British economist William Forster Lloyd, 

in which individual farmers with open 

access to common land for grazing act 

in their own self-interest and, contrary 

to the common good of all users, cause 

depletion of the resource – and its 

eventual collapse - through their uncoordinated 

action, to the detriment of all]. 

“When that happens we all starve 

in the end, and that’s exactly what’s 

threatening us now. It’s hard to break out 

of our current way of acting and thinking 

as it is seductive to receive the benefits 

of our carbon consumption in the shortterm 

and to think climate change won’t 

happen or won’t affect us – it will. We 

are locked as a species in an enormous 

tragedy of the commons. We used to 

talk about it affecting our grandchildren 

but not anymore; we are passing into 

the second half of the exponential, it’s 

affecting us, right now. We must act 

right now.” 

His desire for an immediate coherent 

response explains his frustration with the 

reaction to the release of the UN IPCC 

report in August. Its conclusion was that 

climate change was ‘widespread, rapid 

and intensifying’. 

“It was terrifying,” says Mark. “It 

was unequivocal on the science and 

provided the data to measure the 

impact. Yet we got no real response 

from governments; what is the wake-up 

call we need before it is too late, if that 

report wasn’t?” 

Mark is baffled by a lack of funding 

into new technology that could offer 

answers. “We showed that concerted 

efforts could move mountains during the 

pandemic, with the search for vaccines, 

and we need a similar response now. It’s 

a moon landing project. Government 

needs to fund and direct companies to 

solve the problems.” 

He cites a number of areas where 

central intervention is a necessity. 

“Where’s the comprehensive charging 

network for electric cars we need? Why 

isn’t that infrastructure in place yet? 

“Where is the funding for research 

into nascent technology such as green 

hydrogen and scaled carbon capture? 

AI has helped us make huge bounds in 

protein folding prediction; can we use 

similar techniques for investigating the 

possibilities of fusion modelling?” 

But the lead for such work has to 

come from the state. “In the USA, 

homes contribute 27 per cent of all the 

country’s carbon emissions. But it could 

decarbonise all its homes by directing 

just one per cent of the defence budget 

to do so. What’s stopping them?” 

It’s an example of what is possible but 

“it won’t happen without a dramatic shift 

in the government’s thinking; a wartime 

urgency is required.” 

Is he optimistic of success, starting 

from the COP26 Summit? “Honestly? No. 

I’m not without hope but one thing Covid 

has taught us is that we don’t do the 

exponentials well. Problems sneak up on 

us and we don’t respond quickly enough. 

“We need resolute action, not words; 

we have to act now otherwise this is a 

war we won’t win.” 


iod.com 

15

Technical briefing: The space sector / Education and training 

Going beyond the beyond... 

Mick O’Connor, Programme Director, Prestwick Spaceport outlines recent development 

that could see Ayrshire become a global centre of the growing space industry 

The UK space 

sector has grown 

for over decade. 

Having survived 

the financial 

crisis relatively 

unscathed, it has 

been the ambition 

of respective 

governments since 2010 that the UK 

should be an important player in the 

emerging global space market. This 

aspiration is paying dividends already 

with the expansion of spacecraft 

manufacturing and space data 

businesses and establishment of 

the UK’s first ESA centre at Harwell 

in Oxfordshire. The prospect of 

establishing sovereign spaceflight 

capability has captured the public 

imagination; however, it has suffered 

most from protracted regulatory 

development. 

Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire was a 

spaceport contender from the outset 

and is excellently positioned to build a 

complete space ecosystem, anchored 

not only by the imminent potential of 

commercial spaceflight, but also beyond 

launch serving all aspects of the ‘newspace’ 

market. 

The delay in establishing UK Space 

Industry Regulation (SIR) caused 

uncertainty for companies and investors 

seeking to establish these critical 

enablers of UK space access. However, 

2021 witnessed the conclusion of the 

legislative process with the publication 

of the SIR and appointment of the 

CAA as regulator, making way for the 

conduct of space launch from UK soil 

commencing in 2022. 

A key challenge for Prestwick 

Spaceport is governance of the design, 

build and system integration process 

within this immature regulatory 

environment. Stitching together new 

regulatory requirements, a new regulator 

and new technology is not without 

its risks, therefore, good stewardship 

in the form of Governance, Risk and 

Compliance (GRC) practice is vital. 

‘RegTech’ emerged from the financial 

sector and is slowly expanding into 

adjacent areas which includes the space 

industry. 

Prestwick Spaceport has embraced 

RegTech by implementing a cloud-based 

GRC solution, IO®, to create a single 

information environment which connects 

team members, declutters data and 

provides early warning of changes to the 

threat environment. 

Prestwick was established in the 1930s 

and moved from aircraft servicing into 

aircraft manufacturing during WWII and 

remained an aerospace hub ever since. 

Companies such as Spirit AeroSystems, 

BAE Systems, Collins Aerospace and GE 

are all based at Prestwick. 

Nearby Glasgow has become a leader 

in satellite design and manufacture with 

the potential of launching Scottishbuilt 

satellites from Scottish soil, and 

discussion is ongoing with new satellite 

and launch vehicle manufacturers 

looking to locate at Prestwick. 

What enables this is £80m of funding 

via the Ayrshire Growth deal supported 

by the Scottish and UK government, 

and three local authorities. The Ayrshire 

Growth Deal will help to establish a 

broader space cluster alongside the 

well-established aviation and aerospace 

capability. 

The deal supports a new Aerospace 

and Space Applications Centre, visitors 

centre and STEM facility to inspire the 

engineers and scientists of the future. 

Educational links are in place with 

academic institutions across Scotland, 

including the University of Edinburgh, 

University of Strathclyde, University 

of the West of Scotland, and Ayrshire 

College. 

Covid severely impacted the aviation 

sector and will take time to recover. The 

growth of the new space sector across 

Scotland will help to secure Prestwick’s 

proud aerospace heritage for another 

hundred years. 

Mick is also an IoD Chartered Director 

Ambassador and Glasgow & West of 

Scotland Branch member. 

http://www.prestwickaerospace.com 

16 iod.com 


Role of qualifications in enabling 

Scotland’s workforce and economy 

Qualifications are a crucial part of an 

individuals’ learning and training. They 

give them a goal to work towards, prove 

to others what they know, and what they 

can do, and help them to distinguish 

themselves from their peers. 

How they are delivered can vary 

according to circumstances, and 

preferences, but they will always align to 

the required standard. Qualifications are 

there to help learners unlock the path 

ahead, and there is real value in that. 

The Scottish Qualifications Authority 

(SQA) has a distinct place in Scotland’s 

skills landscape. SQA qualifications 

provide a backbone to measure skills and 

people development from school, 

through college and work. 

SQA ensures that its qualifications 

meet the needs not only of employers, 

higher and further education, and the 

economy, but of those undertaking them, 

helping them to forge resilience, 

entrepreneurship, and flexibility. 

SQA offers a comprehensive portfolio 

of qualifications that respond to regional 

and national skills needs, including Higher 

Nationals, Scottish Vocational 

Qualifications, Licence to Practice and 

qualifications that form over 80% of 

Scotland’s apprenticeships. SQA also 

offers Customised Awards and Credit 

Rating services, accrediting bespoke 

qualifications for organisations looking to 

invest in their workforce or demonstrate 

quality and competence. 

SQA qualifications support the Scottish 

Government’s drive to close the 

attainment gap and are fundamental to 

economic strategy, particularly in relation 

to youth employment. 

The education and training system, 

including Higher Education Institutions, 

colleges, and employers, agree that 

qualifications must offer a standard and 

consistent way of demonstrating that 

someone has a level of competence in a 

particular subject or skill set. To 

successfully achieve a qualification, there 

must be evidence available of a learner’s 

demonstrated attainment in the skills and 

knowledge at the required national standard. 

Having an evidence-based system gives 

employers, universities, and colleges the 

reassurance they need when making 

decisions about who can be recruited, 

enter their courses, and join their training 

programmes, based on the knowledge, 

and skills, and understanding individuals 

have been able to demonstrate to that 

point. 

Consistent standards over time also 

provide flexibility for individuals to access 

immediate opportunities today, and 

different opportunities later in their career. 

SQA works with employers and training 

providers across the country, and 

together enable the delivery of the right 

skills for Scotland, for the benefit of 

individuals and employers. SQA is 

grateful for these relationships and the 

ongoing valuable input they bring to the 

development and delivery of its 

qualifications and assessments. 

This has never been more important 

than over the last 18 months. SQA has 

worked collaboratively with a wide range 

of training providers, colleges, and 

employers to develop and deliver 

assessment approaches that could be 

used under Covid-19 restrictions. This has 

ensured that learners are assessed in a 

way that is valid, reliable, practical, 

equitable, fair and allows them to gain the 

knowledge and skills they need to take 

their next steps. 

Despite the many challenges, there 

have been opportunities and innovations 

as everyone has adapted to the changing 

circumstances in order to continue 

providing services to customers and 

learners. 

A great example of SQA’s collaborative 

working is the Higher National and 

Vocational Qualifications 2021 Group 

established at the start of this year. With 

representation from all parts of further 

education and vocational training, the 

group has developed general and 

subject-specific advice and guidance to 

“SQA ensures that its qualifications 

meet the needs not only of employers, 

higher and further education, and the 

economy, but of those undertaking 

them, helping them to forge resilience, 

entrepreneurship, and flexibility...” 

support assessment for vocational 

qualifications. SQA has also worked with 

regulatory bodies to confirm the 

assessment arrangements required for 

regulated qualifications, including 

Scottish Vocational Qualifications and 

Licence to Practice qualifications. With 

Skills Development Scotland, SQA has 

ensured the continued delivery of 

Scotland’s apprenticeships. 

Following the Scottish Government 

announcement in June that SQA is to be 

replaced, SQA remains committed to 

working with its customers for the 

foreseeable future to ensure that its 

products and services meet their needs 

and ensuring that they receive excellent 

customer service. 

SQA is committed to making a positive 

contribution to Professor Ken Muir’s 

review of Scotland’s education bodies 

and the next steps that flow from his work. 

This will help secure a smooth transition 

which will support and safeguard the 

interests of learners and provide 

continuity of service to its customers. 

In the interim period, SQA will continue 

to offer high-quality, internationally 

recognised qualifications and certificates, 

which learners can have pride in, and 

which employers can have confidence in. 

More than ever, qualifications are an 

essential part of individuals’ successful 

journey from education and training into 

further study and employment, as well as 

success in life, benefitting the whole of 

Scottish society. 

More at www.sqa.org.uk 


iod.com 

17

Technical briefing: Supplier Development Programme and Ogilvie Ross LLP 

Public sector contracts are open to all 

as economy looks to bounce back 

Looking for stability during the economic recovery? Don’t overlook 

the contracts available from the public sector, says Jennifer Payne, 

Development Officer, Supplier Development Programme 

For micro, small 

and medium-sized 

businesses in 

Scotland, deciding 

which routes to take 

to market can be 

difficult – perhaps 

never more so than 

in these uncertain 

times, as we begin economic recovery 

from a global pandemic. 

In Scotland, there is an annual public 

sector spend of £12.6 billion, all of which 

is advertised through Public Contracts 

Scotland (PCS), the national public 

sector tender portal for Scotland. 

There are several myths that exist 

about public sector contracts, and 

understanding these can help businesses 

decide if tendering should be a route to 

market. 

Contrary to popular belief, contracts 

do not always go to the same suppliers. 

Transparency is required for the 

procurement of goods, services and 

works, so public sector buyers are 

required to be open, fair and honest. 

While there can be ambiguity around 

public sector contracts, it’s important to 

separate myth from reality. 

With Net Zero targets for Scotland 

looming, it is in the interest of councils 

and other public sector organisations 

to procure locally and inject innovation 

into contract and framework 

opportunities. 

The benefits to winning public sector 

contracts are many, including: 

n No debt risk as public bodies have a 

legal duty to pay SME supplier invoices 

within 30 days (10 days if there is a cash 

flow issue). 

n Stability for your business through 

potential uncertainty. Public services 

still need to be delivered, so a business 

will benefit from a relatively stable and 

durable customer base. 

n Marketing mileage from having a 

large customer like a public body. 

But with thousands of contracts and 

framework places up for grabs each year 

in every sector, many businesses may 

not know where to begin. 

The Supplier Development Programme 

(SDP) was set up in 2008 by Scottish 

local authorities as a free tender training 

service for SME businesses. It has now 

‘‘ 

Many SMEs struggle overcoming the stringent 

requirements of the PCS website, but if 

approached logically, the tender process can 

be taken forward via manageable steps.... 

More information on the Supplier Development Programme can be 

found by visiting www.sdpscotland.co.uk. 

The SDP myth-busting graphic: Public sector contracts are open to every business 

grown to become a partnership of all 32 

Scottish councils, Scottish Government 

and other public bodies that work 

together to bring free support in all 

aspects of tendering to Scottish-based 

SMEs. 

SDP helps businesses that are often 

too small to have dedicated resources to 

contemplate bidding for a public sector 

contract. Through a programme of free 

training and events, it aims to help them 

become “tender ready” and improve 

their bidding prospects. 

Many SMEs struggle with overcoming 

the stringent requirements of the 

PCS website. However, if approached 

logically, the tender process can be 

taken forward via manageable steps 

– one of SDP’s top tips is to ensure a 

business has a published Supplier Finder 

profile on PCS in the first place. 

At a time when business survival is 

a must, considering different routes 

to market is important. Public sector 

contracts can provide stability over 

the coming months and years. Since 

knowing what it takes to make a 

successful tender can be overwhelming, 

it is beneficial to understand who can be 

called on to boost the skills a business 

might not have. 

18 iod.com 


Developing teams capable of 

sustained success 

There’s a great deal the business world can learn from the sporting arena, 

says Peter Ross, associate partner with Ogilvie Ross LLP 

When I first started 

coaching in a team sports 

environment, I naively 

thought that the success 

of teams was a result of 

having talented individuals with superior 

skills. I focused my time on developing 

game-specific skills, hoping that 

improved performances would come as 

a result. 

After my first year in charge of 

that team, and having won only three 

games all season, I was forced to rethink 

my philosophy and improve my 

understanding of what facilitates team 

and individual performance. 

Seven years later and I have overseen 

my most successful coaching season yet. 

Heriot’s Cricket Club – where I fulfil the 

role of Director of Cricket – has won the 

domestic double of the Scottish Cup and 

the Eastern Premier League to become 

the best team in Scotland. Add to that: 

an unbeaten season in 2020; Scottish 

Cup Champions in 2019; National T20 

Champions in 2018; and Eastern Premier 

League Champions in 2017 – and there 

has been a sustained period of success 

over the past five years. 

Additionally, Carlton CC Women – 

where I took over as Head Coach at 

the start of this season – have won 

the domestic double in the women’s 

competitions. Players who had previously 

been underperforming more than 

doubled their output this season to put 

in match-winning contributions. This was 

mirrored in the Cricket Scotland female 

regional programme where, in my role of 

Lead Coach, I oversaw a change in the 

style and brand of play, leading to better 

individual and team performances, which 

ultimately contributed to the Scotland 

Women’s team becoming European 

Champions. 

So, what has changed? Was my initial 

belief about team success relying on the 

skill and talent of each individual, wrong? 

Not wrong, if anything just incomplete. 

Highly skilled and talented individuals 

are a definite asset to any team. 

However, my experiences over the past 

seven years have taught me that great 

teams are more than the sum of all their 

parts. Great teams understand and buy 

into a higher purpose, they are filled 

with individuals who are clear on their 

Peter calls 

the shots 

in a more 

traditional 

sports 

coaching role 

strengths and who understand the roles 

they are required to fulfil. If you get the 

right people in the right positions, with 

everyone moving forwards in the same 

direction towards a shared goal, amazing 

things can happen. 

After that first year of coaching at 

Heriot’s CC, I changed my approach. 

I still spent time developing players’ 

skill levels, and through experience was 

able to refine what skills we needed 

to achieve success. However, I started 

to put considerably more effort into 

developing people and creating a 

sustainable environment for success. 

I now spend more of my “coaching” 

time working on player-management, 

helping individuals to understand 

themselves and trying to develop 

positive relationships where the players 

start to see how they fit in to the big 

‘‘ 

If you get the right 

people in the right 

positions, with everyone 

moving forwards in the 

same direction towards 

a shared goal, amazing 

things can happen. 

picture. We spent deliberate time at 

Heriot’s talking about what we were 

trying to achieve and were prepared to 

have open and honest conversations 

about whether what we were doing was 

helping us move towards our ambitions. 

Not all the discussions were easy but 

being able to have difficult conversations 

in a constructive fashion is an essential 

trait of high-performing teams. 

Positively negotiating challenge 

also creates an environment of trust. If 

people feel valued and supported, and 

they know that they have the backing of 

the team even if they make a mistake, 

they are more likely to take risks, take 

responsibility, and perform when they 

need to. Ultimately, this creates a group 

of leaders who are prepared to take 

initiative in key moments. 

While my experience has come in a 

sporting context, most of these concepts 

about developing successful teams can 

be applied across the board in other 

domains. Investing time and energy 

to develop and put the team first can 

ultimately lead to consistently great 

outcomes and a future of sustained 

success. 

Peter Ross is an award-winning 

international sports coach and 

associate partner with Ogilvie Ross LLP 

For more information see 

www.ogilvieross.co.uk 


iod.com 

19

Technical briefing: Tech matters 

Beating 

burnout: 

Why it’s vital you 

take time out 

Arthritis & repetitive strain 

From spending so much time 

on laptop/phone 

Bloating 

Due to digestive problems 

caused by stress 

Overweight 

Has a high risk of diabetes 

and heart disease due to not 

prioritising health and diet 

Headaches 

Caused by stress, 

excessive screen time 

and intense pressure 

Hunchback 

Tension in back 

and neck caused 

by stress. A 

constant feeling 

of being weighed 

down 

Coffee stained shirt 

Addicted to caffeine 

Four out of ten entrepreneurs are reported to have experienced a form 

of burnout in the last year, coinciding with a call to introduce a four-day 

working week for all landing on Scottish Government policymakers’ desks. 

Something’s got to give, says industry commentator Bill Magee. 

A survey conducted by 

UK business financial 

platform Tide, chaired 

by the University 

of Edinburgh 

mathematical 

science graduate 

and former London 

Stock Exchange Group chair Sir Donald 

Brydon, highlights how burnout is 

increasingly affecting entrepreneurs 

running their own businesses. 

Tide’s chief administrative officer, 

Liza Haskell, points out that while hard 

work is required to make a success of 

an enterprise, it should not come at the 

expense of one’s health. 

Long hours may appear productive 

“in the moment” but over the long-term, 

the side effects of burnout – fatigue, 

reduced performance, lack of motivation 

– are likely to hinder progress, both 

personally and of the business. 

As the study reported a 40 per cent 

entrepreneurial burnout rate, it was 

stressed how important it is to step back 

and reassess one’s current lifestyle: try 

putting in place boundaries to create 

work-life balance, take regular breaks, 

look after your physical and mental 

wellbeing and seek additional support, if 

required. 

Healthcare professional Lee Chambers 

was asked to visualise how burnout 

could negatively impact and shape 

entrepreneurial performance. 

The research report in full is located 

here. 

What is burnout? 

A life of constant hustling can lead to 

burnout, a very real phenomenon that 

can manifest itself in a variety of mental 

and physical ways that can have a vastly 

negative impact on the lives of hustling 

entrepreneurs. 

In 2019, the World Health Organisation 

recognised burnout as a new syndrome 

and described it as “a syndrome 

conceptualised as resulting from chronic 

workplace stress that has not been 

successfully managed”. 

Physical and mental symptoms of 

burnout include: 

n Feeling tense and weighed down 

n Increased stress and fatigue 

n High blood pressure 

n Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease 

n Reduced workplace performance 

n Lack of purpose 

n Loss of physical and mental 

wellbeing 

n Becoming detached from friends 

and family 

n Loss of our own esteem and identity 

Who is at risk from burnout? 

Burnout can manifest itself in different 

forms, and certain occupations can 

increase your potential chance of being 

burnt out. It’s a very individual condition, 

with people presenting very differently. 

Those at higher risk of burnout are 

in positions that involve seeing trauma, 

having to detach from emotive work, 

have long hours, and that are regularly 

judged and assessed. 

Those who work in hospitals and 

veterinary surgeries, therapists and 

teachers, social workers and law 

enforcement are all at a higher risk due 

to the nature of their jobs. 

Entrepreneurs are increasingly at risk 

as overworking is glamourised, they are 

less likely to have colleagues to keep 

them accountable to balance or identify 

the signs, and ‘hustling’ is advertised 

as a prerequisite of being a successful 

entrepreneur. 

20 iod.com 


What to do about burnout, how can you 

recover and prevent it? 

Sometimes, people suffering from burnout 

are not aware that they are until they hit a 

significant crisis. Looking at our thoughts, 

feelings, and behaviours is the first step, as 

awareness allows us to break free from being 

on autopilot and just going through the motions 

in life. 

Finding ways to reduce your stress and 

reignite your passion are likely to involve 

self-care. What is important is that we don’t 

try to rigidly shoehorn self-care into our lives, 

as this can potentially cause us to fire the 

perfectionism which might have been a factor 

in burnout or leave us being critical if we fail to 

meet those standards. Certainly not beneficial 

as we need to be kinder and have more selfcompassion. 

By working on this balance, we get more 

clarity on who we want to become and start to 

find the time and energy to be both productive 

at work and like the things we enjoy doing 

outside of our career. 

Sometimes we can burn out because we 

feel we have to be everything, or can’t say no, 

and we end up doing lots of things that other 

people enjoy. 

It is vital that we find the things that make us 

smile, laugh and feel warm inside. 

Having the knowledge that there are people 

who can support you, resources you can access, 

and a whole network out there to use makes 

us feel more connected and that we no longer 

have to find all the solutions ourselves. 

Taking an intentional break is vital to rest and 

recharge the body and mind. Taking yourself 

away, especially into a natural environment, 

induces feelings of grounding and serenity, and 

solitude can give us the headspace to start to 

process the bigger picture. 

We are only human and can only do so much. 

If your workload is overbearing, it’s time to 

access it and see if there is the ability to get 

support, delegate, automate or reduce what 

you are doing on a daily basis. 

Seven steps to better 

workplace wellbeing 

Of course, stress extends to 

everyone around the entrepreneur. 

Here, technology can come to the 

rescue. 

Award-winning Edward Segal, 

author of crisis management 

book Crisis Ahead: 101 ways to 

Prepare for and Bounce Back from 

Disasters, Scandals and other 

Emergencies”, told Forbes.com 

that smart tech can come to the 

fore as society contemplates a 

future without Covid. 

Quoting OneLogin research 

where 75 per cent of tech leaders 

believe their organisations value 

their health and wellbeing, he 

warns: “The bad news is that 

valuing their health and wellbeing 

is one thing, but doing something 

about it is quite another.” 

The trouble is recent events will 

likely create even more work and 

more pressure for tech, and other 

leaders and employees. 

Other contributory factors 

include a recent rise in 

cyberattacks, especially headlinemaking 

breaches of Colonial 

Pipeline and the JBS meatpacking 

company, as well as President 

Joe Biden’s recent warning that 

companies need to increase their 

online security efforts to protect 

against ransomware attacks. 

Janice Litvin, author of Banish 

Burnout Toolkit, recommends this 

sevenfold plan: 

Take Regular Breaks – giving 

your brain a chance to refresh and 

regroup. 

Exercise – 20 or 30 minutes of 

moderate or high aerobic activity 

releases endorphins and the 

‘happy chemical’ dopamine are 

also released. 

Get Some Sun – Vitamin D 

released in the bloodstream plus a 

myriad of physiological reactions 

occur creating mental clarity, 

good mood and more. 

Light – Fill your workspace 

with as much light as possible, 

especially if you can’t go outside 

due to rough weather (what 

happened to that sun!) 

Breathe – Take 60 seconds 

to close your eyes and breathe 

deeply on one of your breaks, 

filling your brain and body with 

more cleansing oxygen, also calm 

to down for business of the day 

Self-reward – for the little wins 

throughout the day 

Listen to music – this can be 

immensely therapeutic as the 

brain releases a happy chemical, 

there’s that dopamine again. 

Available in any weather. 

Dsrk circles & bloodshot eyes 

Caused by lack of sleep due to 

insomnia and too much time 

spent on laptop and phone 

Nosebleeds 

Regular nosebleeds are a sign 

of increased blood pressure 

Overgrown, greasy hair 

Caused by lack of time and care for 

appearance. Deprioritises personal 

hygiene due to busy schedule 

Pale skin 

Exposed veins and pale skin due 

to a lack of sunlight and fatigue 

Bad skin 

Stressful conditions causing skin 

problems such as eczema and other 

types of rashes to worsen 


iod.com 

21

Promotion: The Machrie Hotel & Golf Links 

A Hebridean adventure, an 

exceptional hotel 

Big skies, soaring eagles, red 

deer, miles of sandy beaches, 

bird watching all year round 

and its famous smokey malts. 

Islay has a place in the heart of every 

whisky lover, but it’s not just the worldclass 

distilleries that draw visitors to 

this beautiful island. With miles of sandy 

beaches, our Championship Links golf 

course, outstanding Scottish wildlife 

and a rich Hebridean heritage, there’s so 

much to see and do on Islay. 

Golf has been played at The Machrie 

since 1891. First created by Willie 

Campbell, the course was famous, some 

might say infamous, for the number 

of “blind” shots incorporated into the 

design. 

Set in the dunes of Islay, Queen of 

the Hebrides, the course has now been 

fully modernised by D J Russell, former 

European Ryder Cup Vice Captain and 

PGA tour player. 

There is a reason why the Scots 

invented golf on links land, Machrie land, 

and the links turf on which the course 

sits is among the finest in Scotland. The 

dramatic setting of Laggan Bay and the 

sand dunes has few equals, and with the 

ever-changing nature of the challenge 

offered by this acclaimed layout, it’s time 

you played the Machrie! 

In addition to The Machrie Links 

there are also wonderful additional golf 

facilities. The Wee Course is a six-hole 

par 3 where there are a multitude of 

options of which holes to play, while 

the Hebrides Putting Green is an acre 

of sublime naturally contoured putting 

surface, ideal for all levels, whether 

golfer or not. 

There is no shortage of practice 

facilities at The Machrie, including a 

Driving Range with five covered bays 

and an outside hitting area. Putting 

greens and chipping green will give you 

taste of what’s to come on the Links, an 

ideal place to warm up before play. 

There is also a teaching studio with 

the latest in Trackman 4 and video 

technology. This can be used for lessons 

with our resident PGA Professional, 

David Foley, or to play courses from 

around the world on the golf simulator. 

Whether you’re just looking to explore 

this stunning island, home to some of 

the world’s finest whiskies, birdlife, 

seafood and dramatic coastal seascapes, 

or you’re taking on the challenge of our 

championship links golf course, The 

Machrie will be the perfect place to relax 

and unwind. 

An 18th century converted farmhouse, 

The Machrie boasts 47 stylish rooms, 

suites and lodges. Each room has 

been tastefully decorated, many with 

fabulous views over the fairway towards 

the ocean. Dining options include our 

restaurant and bar, known simply as ‘18’, 

located on the first floor of the hotel 

with outdoor terrace, offering panoramic 

views of the Atlantic and golf course, 

while a private dining room will appeal to 

those looking for a more intimate dining 

experience. 

Other hotel facilities include a 30-seat 

cinema; a function room ideal for board 

meetings and private dinners, and our 

boutique health and wellness facilities. 

Want to know more? Interested in a spell at a golfing paradise? Then contact: 

The Machrie Hotel & Golf Links, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay PA42 7AN 

Tel: 01496 302310 Email: reservations@themachrie.com 

Website: www.themachrie.com 

22 iod.com 


IoD Membership benefits 

IoD membership 

Membership of the IoD brings with it a host of special offers and discounts – some organised centrally by the IoD 

in Pall Mall, others by your dedicated IoD Scotland team. We feature just some of the benefits here. 

For a full summary and discount codes (which need to be applied), please email Natasha.ure@iod.com 

Hotels 

The following hotels have special rates 

for IoD members. 

Aberdeen 

Malmaison 

Malmaison Aberdeen is a stunning 

luxury hotel with sumptuous rooms, a 

sophisticated brasserie, a spa and endless 

exquisite designs, style and flair. 

Up to 10% off accommodation bookings 

and 20% off food and beverages. 

www.malmaison.com | 01224 507097 

Dundee 

Malmaison 

Located just 100 metres from the 

riverfront and 300 metres from the V&A 

Dundee, Malmaison Dundee provides 

stylish, boutique accommodation in the 

heart of the city. 

Up to 10% off accommodation bookings 

and 20% off food and beverages. 

www.malmaison.com | 01382 339715 

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel Citizen M Kingsmills Hotel 

Inverness 

Kingsmills Hotel 

The Kingsmills Hotel is a fabulous 

four-star luxury hotel set in the beautiful 

Scottish Highlands, offering luxurious 

rooms and impeccable dining options and 

good old-fashioned Scottish hospitality. 

Book with the hotel’s dedicated 

Reservations Team to qualify for the IoD 

discount. Rooms £89 inc Scottish 

breakfast, (October 17-31 December 2021) 

www.kingsmillshotel.com 

01463 257100 

reservations@kingsmillshotel.com 

Edinburgh 

Intercontinental, Edinburgh The George 

Following a multi-million pound 

refurbishment, the architectural detail of 

the Grade-II listed hotel is complemented 

by elegant interiors, from the bedrooms 

to the grand King’s Hall. All with the very 

best of Edinburgh’s shopping, restaurants 

and nightlife on your doorstep. 

Book online at ihg.com. Present 

membership card at check-in or when 

seated at one of the hotel’s food outlets 

to qualify for special discounts. 

www.edinburgh.intercontinental.com 

0131 240 7137 

EdinburghTheGeorgeReservations 

@ihg.com 

More members discounts available at 

the following Edinburgh hotels: 

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel 

Angel Share 

Le Monde Hotel 

Malmaison 

Yotel 

Eden Locke 

Lateral City Apartments 

Glasgow 

Kimpton Blythswood Square 

From the moment you pull up to the 

stately hotel, with its picturesque private 

gardens and classic Georgian townhouses, 

you’ll sense that you’re in for an 

unforgettable experience. The only 

five-star hotel in Glasgow, the Kimpton 

Blythswood Square Hotel continues to 

live up to the prestigious address its held 

since the early 19th century. 

Members receive up to 15% off best 

available bed and breakfast rate 

www.kimptonblythswoodsquare.com 

0141 248 8888 

More members discounts available at: 

voco Grand Central 

One Devonshire Gardens 

Citizen M 

Malmaison 

Business growth advice and support 

Where Now Consulting Ltd provides 

business advice and support to IoD 

members in Scotland. 

Where Now Consulting focuses on the 

development of business models for 

growth and would be delighted to 

support members in any of the following 

categories: Organic growth; In-organic 

growth; and Success Planning 

IoD Scotland offer 

Where Now Consulting Ltd will give 

members a complimentary one hour 

consultancy session to focus and develop 

key strategies for success with a further 

10% discount on further support from 

Where Now Consulting, and a £35 

discount on the Where Now Consulting 

Business Diagnostic Tool. 

24 iod.com 

0141 370 8999 / 07887 623 999 | mspragg@wherenowconsulting.com 


Better directors, build a better world 

We believe that helping directors to improve, encouraging great governance, while fostering an 

entrepreneurial climate, helps generate prosperity in all its forms, making the world a better place. We 

strive to remind those with influence of this belief. Better Directors, Better Businesses, Better Economy. 

Benefits grid 

DragonPass gets trips off to a flier 

As an IoD member you can enjoy discounted 

access to over 1,000 airport lounges with 

DragonPass. Escape the hustle and bustle of 

airports to a comfortable, professional lounge, 

giving you a chance to relax or catch up with 

work while you await your flight. 

DragonPass is the world’s first all-in-one 

digital airport platform, offering travellers the 

ability to locate access airport lounge and 

restaurant discounts in one place. 

For IoD members there is no membership fee 

(usually £68). To sign up email the IoD at 

IoD@dragonpassuk.com 

Other benefits 

Members can access special discounts on a 

host of products and services, including: 

n Professional Indemnity Insurance 

n Office insurance 

n Data risks insurance 

n Car and van hire 

n Personal private health insurance 

n Home and contents insurance 

n Private client insurance 

See www.iod.com for more details. 


iod.com 

25

IoD Scotland events: Global Conference 

IoD Global Conference 2021: 

Connecting the World 

Tackling our global 

challenges together 

This year, the IoD Global Conference, 

organised by IoD Scotland, took as 

its focus the biggest challenge facing 

humanity – climate change. 

With keynote speakers, business 

leaders, eco-activists and delegates 

drawn from across the globe, it was 

a comprehensive response to the key 

issue of today as speakers offered their 

contributions on the steps business and 

society need to take to help us all reach 

carbon ‘Net Zero’. 

Opened by IoD director general Jon 

Geldart, speakers included, from public 

service, First Minister Rt Hon Nicola 

Sturgeon, the Secretary of State for 

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 

The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP and 

former UK Foreign Secretary The Rt Hon 

David Miliband, alongside respected 

business voices such as Professor Mark 

Logan, former COO of Skyscanner; Dr 

Ifeyinwa Kanu of IntelliDigest; Douglas 

Lamont, innocent drinks; and Martyn Link 

of Wood. 

Crucially, however, the conference also 

included the voices of prominent ecoactivists, 

including Samantha Suppiah, 

sustainability strategist, and Jojo Mehta 

of Stop Ecocide International. Perhaps 

more poignantly, the voice of the youth 

were also present, with contributions 

reviewed by Kate Chambers of the 2050 

Climate Group, while Vanessa Nakate, 

founder of the Rise Up Movement, Africa’s 

first youth-led climate campaign group, 

offered a view from the Global South. 

Over the next 10 pages there are 

reports on the key contributions, with 

details on actionable insights delegates 

took away from the event and the results 

of specially commissioned opinion polls. 

in partnership with 

Want to catch up? The full conference can be viewed at: 

https://www.iod.com/events-community/regions/scotland/annual-conference 

Opening thoughts: The voice of government, the voice of youth 

Set targets – but don’t 

cherry-pick the data 

The IoD Global Conference was opened by 

The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary 

of State for Business, Energy and Industrial 

Strategy, who highlighted the UK’s recent 

record on clean growth. The economy had 

risen by 78 per cent, he said, as carbon 

emissions fell by 44 per cent. He was also 

pleased that so many business leaders were 

getting behind the government’s ambitious 

10-point plan for greening the economy. 

“Net Zero policies are now at the heart of all 

Government decision making,” he said, “and 

we are determined our decarbonisation plans 

will deliver world-leading results.” 

The voice of young activists was given a 

central place in the IoD Conference, with 

Climate Change 2050 representative Kate 

Chambers offering her thoughts after each 

session. 

On Kwasi Kwarteng, she said while it 

was important to celebrate achievements, 

his comments cherry-picked Government 

progress on Net Zero. In particular she 

criticised the methodology behind recording 

carbon emissions which ignored CO 2 

produced overseas in the manufacture of 

goods purchased and consumed in the 

UK. She was also surprised that official 

figures still ignored emissions from the 

aviation industry. 

She openly challenged conference 

over business practices that meant 

“we are not living within our 

planetary means… we use too many 

natural resources while millions go 

without.” 

Extractive economic models had led 

to an environmental crisis that demands 

urgent action at COP26: “We need to be 

realistic about the cost of inaction,” she said. 

The rate of progress on reducing carbon 

emissions had been painfully slow over the 

past 30 years, despite the science clearly 

telling us of the likely repercussions. 

She made one hugely telling point: 

“Consider this: a child born during COP26 will 

be 29 by the time the UK Government has 

met its target of Net Zero.” 

When put in such stark terms, “doesn’t that 

feel really slow to you?” 

Opening thoughts from 

Kwasi Kwarteng, Kate 

Chambers and Jon Geldart 

28 iod.com 


Spotlight interview: David Miliband 

Business needs to lead – 

but avoid temptation to 

hide your carbon output 

Former UK Foreign Secretary David 

Miliband didn’t mince his words on 

the issue of climate change as he took 

part in the opening keynote interview 

with journalist and broadcaster Halla 

Mohieddeen. 

Worldwide, politicians “have had 

their heads in the sand” over 

climate change, he said, 

and the current crisis over 

the environment was the 

result of “a failure of 

leadership for over 30 

years ... we’re living in a 

vacuum of leadership at 

the most dangerous time 

since the end of the Cold 

War,” he said. 

Miliband – now President 

and CEO of the New Yorkbased 

International Rescue 

Committee – told conference that Covid 

had highlighted the weakness of global 

institutions, and the only response 

should be a strengthening of bodies 

such as the World Health Organization 

and UN groups working on the 

environment. If WHO had been properly 

funded and had real capacity for global 

action, the Covid pandemic could have 

been nipped in the bud early: how much 

has governmental responses cost the 

world since the start of 2020? 

He was alarmed by the response to 

the recent UN IPCC report on climate 

change, which he described as “a red 

flag demanding action: we need to be on 

a war footing to beat climate change.” 

The lack of a co-ordinated response 

suggested the lessons of Covid-19 – that 

only by working together can we emerge 

from the pandemic together – had not 

been learned, and he called on business 

leaders to make climate change their 

number one priority. 

Those worried about whether 

businesses could afford to make the 

transition to carbon Net Zero were 

warned that “inaction will cost 

considerably more”, using the 

devastation caused by recent 

flooding in Europe and 

wildfires in North America 

as his evidence. 

Businesses needed 

to adopt a policy of 

decarbonisation now, 

and he was critical of 

those happy to adopt 

green washing policies 

that look good on paper but 

achieve little. “Decarbonisation 

is the only way forward. You 

cannot clean up the planet by exporting 

your emissions elsewhere. 

“It’s no good thinking you can 

compensate for your emissions by 

planting a tree or using carbon sinks.” 

“Pick metrics you can understand to 

measure your carbon footprint and take 

steps now to reduce it.” 

Too many were content with ‘Happy 

Talk’ – a phrase that emerged from the 

Vietnam War to describe commanders 

who only told their superiors the good 

news, leaving out the bad. “We 

need action; we need to highlight 

progress on carbon emissions without 

glossing over those areas where 

improvements have not been made.” 

He wasn’t optimistic that a solution 

could be found but he did point out that 

society had “more tools at our disposal 

than ever before to come up with the 

“A child born 

during COP26 will 

be 29 by the time the 

UK meets its target 

of Net Zero... doesn’t 

that feel really slow 

to you?” 

Kate Chambers 

answers.” 

However, he remained baffled that in 

the USA, many still had their heads in the 

sand on climate change, “despite record 

heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.” 

“We must challenge the deniers; speak 

truth to power where necessary.” 

The response to Covid-19 has been 

likened to that of a nation going to 

war, and he was adamant that a similar 

approached was required on climate 

change. 

Business has a key role, he stressed, 

by using its capacity for innovation. 

Businesses sheltering behind high 

carbon strategies will be found out, 

“either by investors moving away, your 

customer base collapsing or you will find 

your supply chain disrupted.” 

Business leaders should also 

remember that they hold great sway 

with the government. “The power of 

your voice cannot be overestimated; 

if business speaks with clarity, 

governments will listen.” 

He said he was optimistic about 

success as he believed people had the 

capacity to do great things; what was 

important was to “expose and challenge 

those who deny the science, confront 

the forces that ally with them. 

“We have a duty to strangers, to 

reassert our common humanity.” 

Actionable insights 

n Develop your metrics – figure out what you need to 

measure. Connect with the help that is out there and learn 

from nature while you’re at it! 

n Put these issues on your agenda – at every board meeting 

(and think of the COP26 baby while you’re there) 

n Be honest about where we are – but connect and learn from 

those making a difference to give you hope and inspiration 

“We need 

to expose those 

who challenge the 

science... we have a 

duty to strangers, to 

reassert our common 

humanity” 

David Miliband 


iod.com 

29


Be proud to put the 

planet first 

Leadership in building green organisations 

The role of leadership in building green 

and sustainable organisations was 

placed under the microscope in a panel 

session chaired by IoD Scotland 

national director Louise Macdonald, 

featuring four authentic voices with 

points to make in this area. 

Richard Hagan of Crystal Doors shared 

his business’s journey to Net Zero via a 

policy of investment in technology and 

employee skills. 

A crisis over a biomass burner had 

proved the catalyst for a transformation 

in the way the company operated. A 

wholesale review of energy use, waste, 

suppliers and employee practices had 

resulted in a company that now proudly 

balanced the three Ps – profit, its people 

and the planet – and its striking changes 

had swept down its supply chains, 

helping other organisations kickstart 

their own journeys to Net Zero. 

Best of all, said Richard, was the way 

the workforce had responded: “They’re 

proud to work for a company that puts 

the planet first,” he said, “ and it’s now 

influencing their personal choices, such 

as where they go on holiday, the cars 

they drive, etc.” 

Tech to tackle food waste 

The need to reduce global food waste 

was the theme of Dr Ifeyinwa Kanu’s 

presentation. 

The founder and CEO of IntelliDigest, 

her current focus was using cutting-edge 

technologies such as Artificial 

Intelligence, IoT and quantum computing 

to eliminate edible food waste and 

convert inedible food waste to bionutrients 

and sustainable chemicals for 

the food system. 

Food production’s contribution to 

carbon emissions was around 30 per 

cent of the global total, yet as much as 

1.3 gigatons are thrown away each year, 

releasing 3.3 gigatons of CO 2 

equivalent. 

Yet at the same time 800 million people 

go hungry. 

Her goal was to engineer solutions to 

both reduce food waste by tracking food 

production and household use, and 

when it does go to waste, identify 

molecules and nutrients that can be used 

in vertical farming of the future. 

“Global food systems are fractured,” 

Dr Kanu said; “we need to make the 

system work for us in a way that is truly 

sustainable. 

“If we can achieve that, we will solve 

the carbon issue too.” 

Panel: Louise Macdonald, Richard Hagan, Dr Ifeyinwa Kanu, Neil Gaught and 

Catherine Topley 

Sustainable concepts to benefit all 

How can an organisation ensure every 

part of its operations is guided by 

sustainable concepts that benefit all – 

customers, employees and investors, 

asked Neil Gaught of Single Organizing 

Idea Limited. 

He saw it as imperative that 

organisations tied their economic and 

social strategies together into a single, 

sustainable and identifiable strand. 

Doing so will help you to identify new 

efficiencies, innovate, use real-time data 

to measure your success, secure longterm 

investment and loyalty from 

customers who are on a similar journey. 

He also stressed the powerful message 

it sent out to the next generation of 

workers you wanted to attract. “Don’t 

simply grow for the sake of growing,” he 

said. “Live within the limitations the 

planet’s resources will allow.” 

Lead the way 

As the head of a publicly-owned body, 

Catherine Topley understands that 

Scottish Canals has a responsibility to 

set the tone to its stakeholders and the 

communities it operates in. It will be Net 

Zero by 2030: “We have to lead from the 

front,” she said. By stripping out carbon 

and investing in natural-based solutions 

to issues ranging from increasing 

biodiversity to tackling potential 

flooding, Scottish Canals had liaised 

extensively with its users to plan its 

green strategies. 

Catherine said strong leadership from 

the top was required to ensure buy-in 

throughout: “We use sustainable 

Neil Gaught 

products that benefit local communities. 

We cannot do things as we did in the 

past, we have to plan a green recovery.” 

While a tough challenge, she implored 

others to “stay the course.” 

Today she was proud that everyone 

within her organisation is a leader on 

green recovery… “it’s something we can 

track through our carbon footprint.” 

Q & A 

In a lively Q&A that followed, Richard 

Hagan stressed that low carbon and 

sustainable policies must be viewed in 

the long-term. “I’ve invested in plant and 

new processes that will take time to pay 

off, but I know they will.” 

Dr Kanu said making your organisation 

transparent and explaining your goals 

was key to successful buy-in: “It’s critical 

everyone can see the benchmarks 

against which you are measuring your 

environmental policies, and that you 

report them accurately.” 

She questioned large corporates who 

viewed waste as a natural by-product of 

their production processes. “Building a 

vibrant circular economy and utilising 

managed degrowth are crucial to 

sustainability.” 

Neil Gaught warned against being a 

‘box ticker’. “Too many go through the 

motions on environmental issues. They 

hire an ESG expert and think that’s the 

job done. It requires far more than that; 

you need to embed sustainability deep 

into your processes. 

“Don’t indulge in ‘purpose-washing’; 

be a green champion people can believe 

in.” 

“Embed sustainability deep into your processes ... don’t 

indulge in ‘purpose-washing’... be a real green champion 

that people can believe in” 

30 iod.com 


Putting wellbeing before profit 

as we build a new economy 

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us 

that when pushed, we can do impossible 

things – so is the climate emergency 

another time where we need to do the 

‘impossible’ again and build an entirely 

new economic model based on 

wellbeing and balance with nature? 

That was the question posed by 

Dr Katherine Trebeck, co-founder of the 

Wellbeing Economy Alliance, in a 

conference session chaired by Louise 

Macdonald, IoD Scotland national director. 

Dr Trebeck described the current 

economic model as “inadequate for 

delivering the standard of life required 

without depleting natural resources;” it 

was time for a new alignment that 

promoted the environment and people’s 

wellbeing to the same level of profit. 

The Wellbeing Economy Alliance’s 

goal was to support organisations as 

they challenge the hegemony and 

explored new methods of working. 

Advocates were transforming their 

organisations by putting their 

decision-making through a 

‘wellbeing focus’ that looked 

closely at products and practices 

and questioned their impact. 

Current economic models were the 

victims of narrow thinking that the 

climate crisis was forcing them to 

challenge, and Dr Trebeck urged 

delegates to build new bridges with all 

stakeholders to align policies for mutual 

benefit. 

In a robust Q&A session that followed 

delegates questioned whether the 

current economic model was “broken”. It 

wasn’t, said Dr Trebeck; it worked within 

its current rules. Her advice, 

“Do we need to reframe what 

success means in business?” 

Dr Katherine Trebeck 

Dr Katherine 

Trebeck 

however, was that 

those rules needed 

changing, and quickly. 

As she pointed out, governments 

spend billions on welfare payments to 

ensure citizens had a reasonable 

standard of living. Wouldn’t it be better, 

she asked, if the economic model 

ensured everyone had that expected 

standard of living at source, without 

state help – and without asking the 

planet to do the heavy lifting, too? 

She ended with some challenges to 

current thinking. Do we need to reframe 

what ‘success’ means in business, and 

perhaps more closely align director’s 

remuneration with not only profit but the 

company’s impact on the environment 

and wellbeing of its employers? 

The innocent approach proves that sustainable 

businesses can be global success stories 

Leading a business that takes the name 

‘innocent’ carries a particular weight, 

admitted its CEO Douglas Lamont – and 

with its values and philosophy front and 

centre, it was imperative the business 

‘walked the walk’ on sustainability and 

the environment. 

The drinks company is aiming to be 

Net Zero by 2030 – an ambitious goal, 

given the carbon footprint of agribusinesses. 

But with a new production 

plant in Rotterdam based on the 

strongest sustainability criteria possible, 

it was an ambition the company was 

determined to meet. 

Douglas said there were a host of 

opportunities awaiting those who built 

their businesses on the pillars of 

sustainability and social justice 

– not least the ability to attract 

committed, focused 

employees who were keen 

to make their own 

contributions to tackling 

the climate emergency. 

He was a passionate 

advocate of sustainable 

capitalism. Innocent did not 

get everything right, and he 

Douglas Lamont 

was happy to accept challenge from any 

corner over its operations. 

However, he also knew that he could 

“look himself in the mirror every night 

knowing his business was trying to do 

the right thing.” 

An example of this was the new 

Rotterdam facility. It was built from the 

ground up on the principles of water 

reduction, eliminating carbon from 

energy sources and streamlining 

processes to make it as sustainable as 

possible. While the construction had 

been costly, it would offer payback for 

years to come. “We’re in a new paradigm 

in which thinking about the environment 

is the new norm,” he said. “We have to 

balance profit with people and 

planet.” 

Be good all round, he 

urged. There was little 

point trumpeting about 

the 10 per cent of your 

organisation with 

positive environmental 

metrics when the rest 

was poor. “Avoid green 

washing and be 

action-orientated. It’s 

not just words on a sheet 

of paper; you need to 

propagate change.” 

His team at innocent were 

“evangelical” about the business’s 

sustainability criteria and were its 

greatest ambassadors. 

Session lead Aidan O’Caroll, Chair of 

IoD Scotland, asked if the company’s 

takeover by drinks giant Coca Cola had 

threatened innocent’s principles. 

Douglas said the takeover had reinforced 

its ethos: Coca Cola “bought innocent 

because of its environmental 

credentials,” and remained fully 

supportive “of everything we do – 

including our annual donation of 10 per 

cent of our profits to charity.” 

“We’re in a new paradigm 

in which thinking about the 

environment is the norm... 

we have to balance profit 

with people and planet...” 

Douglas Lamont 


iod.com 

31


Drive the agenda and make 

Net Zero your destination 

PlanetMark sets a sustainability standard to chart your progress 

The IoD is proud to be a supporter of 

PlanetMark – the business certification 

scheme that recognises an organisation’s 

commitment to continuous improvement 

on environmental issues, including 

measuring and reducing carbon 

emissions, energy and water 

consumption, travel and waste. 

PlanetMark’s goal, explained Lilly 

Miller, its Chief Financial Officer, was to 

change the focus on to people and 

inspire them to make the shift to 

practices that have sustainability, 

fairness and equality at their heart. 

There was no silver bullet to achieve 

PlanetMark certification; rather than a 

perfect solution, organisations should 

take small steps that together, impact on 

key environmental and wellbeing indices. 

PlanetMark’s certification programme 

can unleash the passion of employees to 

make a difference and can be a major 

tool in increasing staff retention, 

employee and stakeholder engagement 

and attract new people and business. 

Key to unlocking this potential were 

finance directors, who Lilly suggested, 

could be renamed as ‘sustainability 

directors’ in the future, as their role put 

them in charge of an organisation’s 

environmental performance. 

Find out more about Planet Mark at 

https://www.planetmark.com 

Lilly Miller 

“FDs are routinely tasked with 

identifying future risks that threaten the 

business,” Lilly said. “But of the top 10 

risks businesses face, six are linked to 

environmental issues, so shouldn’t an FD 

be controlling this side of your business?” 

Performance needed to be directly 

linked to environmental impacts. Start 

by tackling what you can measure: 

business travel, waste and water and 

energy usage, and take simple steps 

such as switching to renewable power. 

Set a carbon footprint baseline and 

use that as a starting point, with regular 

board updates on progress. 

It was vital that this exercise goes 

through your supply chain; challenge 

stakeholders on their own operations as 

there was little point presenting an environmentally-friendly 

face when your supply 

chain is failing to match your own progress. 

“Businesses have a role in driving this 

agenda,” Lilly stressed. “Legislation is 

usually too slow and faces multiple 

hurdles from vested interests. You 

however, can take a lead and drive change 

through your own practices and what you 

expect from your stakeholders.” 

Engineering solutions for the future 

Martyn Link, Chief Strategy Officer, 

Wood, in conversation with IoD 

Scotland Chair Aidan O’Carroll 

In a Conference Challenge session 

compered by Aidan O’Carroll, Martyn Link 

highlighted the huge strides engineering 

giant Wood had made in pivoting its 

operations away from oil and gas 

as it looked to “engineer 

solutions for Net Zero.” 

As a global business Wood 

understood that the current 

focus on climate change 

action was in the Global 

North, but the 

repercussions were being 

felt most keenly in the South. 

‘One size fits all’ strategies 

would not work. “You have to 

32 iod.com 

Martyn Link 

engage with people in a way that’s 

meaningful to them,” said Martyn, and 

that’s true of “your workforce, stakeholders 

or the communities you work with.” 

Offsetting its legacy business was 

“stretching Wood as an organisation”, but 

the cultural shift, which saw it asking 

tough questions of all of its operations, 

was paying dividends. Tackling 

climate change was now 

embedded into Wood’s culture 

and vision – “it is our North 

Star.” 

Pace of change could be 

frustratingly slow but 

despite having to take big 

steps into the unknown, “we 

are committed to 

sustainability”, despite the 

tensions that it creates in any 

business with aspirations for growth. 

“We are very aware that we have a 

responsibility to our shareholders but we 

also know we have a responsibility to 

those of the future: will they want to 

invest in Wood?” 

The future for Wood would be very 

different from its past and present. It was 

investing heavily in its Energy Transition 

Academy to retrain employees into the 

renewables sector, while looking for new 

solutions and bringing them to market. 

Enormous change was coming, and 

Wood was determined to be a force for 

good in the landscape that evolved. 

However, understanding your role in the 

society of the future was critical: “If you 

can’t articulate your future, how can you 

play a part in it?” 



n Set transparent goals – as board directors, hold 

yourselves accountable and measure progress 

n Set out your values on sustainability and the 

environment – and then recruit against them to 

ensure you have a team of like-minded people 

n ESG – think of it in the same way as you think of 

financial reporting; look at your energy, water and 

waste every month at board level as part of your 

oversight responsibilities 

Session chair 

Patrick Macdonald, 

Chair, IoD: 

“It feels like we 

are crawling in a 

direction we should 

be sprinting in.” 

Business leaders warned to 

ignore ESG at their peril 

Today’s business leaders will be held 

accountable to the next generation 

for their actions – and this demands 

a vigorous response to the threat of 

climate change. 

That was the view of the second 

Conference panel session, which 

brought together Jojo Mehta, Chair 

of the Stop Ecocide Foundation; Tony 

Wines, Turnkey Group; Prof David Hillier, 

University of Strathclyde Business School; 

and Jill Farrell, Zero Waste Scotland. 

Prosecute ecocide 

Jojo Mehta had the strongest 

words on the issue. Her organisation 

is promoting the concept of making 

‘ecocide’ – unlawful or wanton acts 

committed with knowledge that there 

is a substantial likelihood of severe, 

widespread or long-term damage to the 

environment being caused by those acts 

– a crime, with directors held personally 

responsible for their companies’ actions. 

This went far beyond current health 

and safety or corporate liability laws 

and was increasingly likely to be added 

to legal frameworks around the world – 

within 10-15 years, Jojo believed. 

She was highly critical of current 

economic models: “Too much of how 

IoD Scotland 

Chair Aidan 

O’Caroll with 

panellists Jojo 

Mehta, Professor 

David Hillier, 

Tony Wines and 

Jill Farrell 

we operate is based on a model that 

threatens sustainability. We need to end 

the linear model that places no price on 

the cost of losing finite natural resources, 

and promote a circular economy.” 

She asked why society placed such 

a high value on ‘ownership’ of goods 

which were rarely used, when leasing/ 

hiring everything from capital equipment 

and car fleets to the DIY equipment 

that gathers dust in your shed may be 

a better solution, both financially and in 

regard to production costs and use of 

natural resources. 

ESG at top of agenda 

Tony Wines was keen to see more 

directors promote a strong ESG agenda 

at every board meeting. The importance 

of ESG (Environmental, Social and 

Governance) had increased hugely in 

recent years, though many businesses 

were struggling to apply its principles to 

their actions. 

“Transparency of your processes is 

critical,” he said. “Look at ESG reporting 

the same as you do financial reporting, 

adding it to board agendas and setting 

strong metrics to measure progress. 

Look at your energy use, waste and 

“We need to end linear 

models that place no price 

on the cost of losing finite 

natural resources...” 

Jojo Mehta 

water every month and track reductions.” 

He saw huge opportunities for 

businesses to promote their ESG to their 

stakeholders. 

Be active in good times and bad 

ESG tasks us to generate financial 

returns as well as positive societal 

impacts, said Professor Hillier, and he 

reinforced the need to think of your 

organisation’s ESG in bad times as well 

as good. Too often financial crises see 

issues such as sustainability jettisoned 

in favour of a race for profit; that’s a 

philosophy that needs changing for a 

constant focus on a triple bottom line – 

people, planet and profit. 

Investors support 

Investors were clearly swinging behind 

businesses with strong ESG performance 

and Jill Farrell reiterated how the first 

steps were easy to take. “There is plenty 

of low hanging fruit,” she stressed: “cut 

waste and energy, use renewable energy 

and switch your transport to electric 

cars.” 

But go deeper; look across your supply 

chain to ensure suppliers are following 

similar paths. “Some businesses respond 

eagerly to zero waste ideas, motivated 

by interest, but others because of 

‘threats’ - from customers or suppliers. 

“You need a vision of why you are 

reforming your operations and bring 

your team with you.” 

There was a consensus that good 

governance is not good words, it’s 

good actions, and it was imperative 

for organisations to move away from 

a “lawful legitimation” of their current 

practices and take responsibility now. 

“Get ahead of the legal framework 

before you find yourself on the wrong 

side of the equation.” 


iod.com 

33


Climate change isn’t tomorrow’s 

story – it’s happening now 

African student activist issues impassioned plea to conference 

If delegates at the IoD Global 

Conference needed an emotional lever 

to prompt action on climate change, it 

was provided by student eco-activist 

Vanessa Nakate. 

Inspired by Greta Thunberg, Vanessa 

founded the Rise Up Climate Movement, 

beginning by holding solo 

demonstrations outside the parliament 

in Kampala in her native Uganda. She 

slowly gathered support from 

fellow students, creating 

Africa’s first student-led 

environmental protest 

movement in the process. 

She urged conference 

to remember that all 

deserve a future that’s 

liveable and 

sustainable; recent 

flooding followed by 

severe drought in her home country 

highlighted how the Global South was 

already bearing the brunt of the climate 

change emergency. She slammed plans 

by western energy firms to further 

exploit fossil fuels in Africa, and was 

critical of plans for a pan-African oil 

pipeline when the continent needed help 

developing renewable energy. The oil 

issue prompted the wry comment, 

“remember, we cannot drink oil.” 

Vanessa told delegates that 

taking their first steps to more 

sustainable operations can 

be difficult and lonely – but 

was vital. 

Now a UN young leader 

for sustainable development 

goals, she said her main 

role was to speak truth to 

power. “Activism isn’t an 

easy journey but listen to the science. 

People talk about problems if we see 

global temperatures rise by 3 degrees C, 

but even at the current ‘only 1.2 degrees’ 

increase, the Global South was already 

experiencing huge climate-linked 

problems.” 

She made an impassioned plea for the 

world to unite in action. The consequences 

of inaction would be catastrophic: “If we 

miss the goals on curbing climate 

change it will be inconvenient for the 

Global North but a tragedy for the 

South. We are all in the same storm but 

Africa is sailing in a very different boat.” 

Delegates were hugely impressed by 

Vanessa’s contribution. Her inspiring 

journey from solo campaigner to a 

leading voice on climate change put the 

conference debate in a very human 

context. 

Vanessa Nakate 

You can find out more about Vanessa’s Rise Up Climate Movement at 

https://www.riseupmovementafrica.org 

The IoD National Sustainability Taskforce 

We are guiding the advancement of 

the sustainability agenda within the IoD 

community. 

The IoD National Sustainability 

Taskforce is a group of IoD members 

who were convened to support the 

IoD’s journey on embracing sustainable 

business as an organisation and 

community. 

Our early actions as a Taskforce have 

led to: 

• Creation of the IoD Sustainable 

Business Hub, bringing together all 

sustainability events and resource from 

across the IoD 

• IoD joining the UK Government 

COP26 Small Business Taskforce 

• IoD becoming a founding support of 

the Better Business Act 

• IoD’s own carbon footprint has been 

certified and improved since 2019 with 

PlanetMark 

• IoD pledged a Net Zero by 2050 

target 

• IoD partnered with BEIS Zero Carbon 

Tour campaign 

iod.com/news/sustainable-business/ 

“Every activist has a 

story to tell; every story 

has a solution to give, 

and every solution has a 

life to change.” 

Vanessa Nakate 


n Be like Vanessa - have the courage to lead – set out 

your own journey to Net Zero now! 

n Frame the stories you are going to use now, to explain 

what you are doing to tackle the climate crisis 

n As leaders, think about how you have to systematically 

change to create an environment where innovation on 

sustainability can flourish 

n As a board – define your moon landing mission and 

identify the cross sector partners to help get you there 

34 iod.com 


Panel: Samantha Suppiah, Professor Mark Logan, Dr Rachel Sibande and Amee Ritchie 

Sustainability and learning to 

‘walk the walk’ 

Conference’s final panel session focused 

on getting creative with sustainability 

solutions and ‘walking the walk’. 

Led by IoD Scotland’s Louise 

Macdonald, it brought together Professor 

Mark Logan, Scottish Government Lead on 

a tech-led recovery; Dr Rachel Sibande, 

Digital Impact Alliance; Samantha 

Suppiah, Sustainability Strategist; and 

Amee Ritchie from S’wheat to outline 

some of the big challenges and possible 

solutions. 

Innovation offers hope 

Dr Rachel Sibande, the founder of 

Malawi’s first tech hub, had faith that 

digital innovation would provide a path to 

sustainability, while being prepared to 

“think outside the bottle” had led young 

Scottish entrepreneur Amee Ritchie to 

lead her firm to produce a sustainable, 

plastic-free water container. 

But strong words from Mark Logan and 

Samantha Suppiah offered arguably 

conference’s most strident challenges. 

A tragedy of the commons 

We were blindly following ‘the tragedy 

of the commons’ in our destructive use of 

natural resources, said Mark, pointing out 

that despite the awareness of the dangers 

of fossil fuels, they were still responsible 

for 88 per cent of our energy supplies. As 

a tech expert he found solace that digital 

innovators could find answers, and he 

urged the government to adopt a 

“wartime footing” and work aggressively 

with tech companies as it did with 

pharmaceutical firms to develop a Covid 

vaccine. 

‘Colonial-era thinking’ 

Singapore-based Samantha was even 

harsher in her criticism, pointed an 

accusing finger at the Global North for 

perpetuating colonial-style development 

policies that endangered eco-systems in 

the Global South. When asked if she found 

hope in the form of youth-led eco-activists 

such as Greta Thunberg her response was 

a blunt and uncompromising “No”. Rather, 

“Global South activists are simply importing 

ideas and strategies from the Global North 

that are another form of colonialism.” The 

only hope and inspiration she found came 

not from western-centric activism but 

from indigenous communities challenging 

the profit-first priorities of global corporates. 

She was angry at the “15 per cent who 

made the money while 85 per cent 

suffered the consequences”, and was 

particularly dismissive of the UN, the City 

of London and Wall Street for 

“perpetuating colonisation-era policies.” 

“We need a strong decolonisation 

movement that changes perspective in the 

mindset of people of the Global South and 

returns them to their original perspectives 

on living in commune with nature.” 

Thoughts on COP26 

The panel had their own messages for 

delegates at this November’s COP26 

summit. Dr Rachel Sibande said she would 

like to remind them that “talk was cheap” 

and that tangible solutions and actions 

were necessary. She saw seeds of hope in 

the way indigenous knowledge was being 

brought back to the table. 

Amee asked COP26 delegates to leave 

their egos at the door – otherwise there 

was little hope of major change being 

agreed. It was time, she said, “to think out 

of the bottle”, as her business had done. 

Mark Logan wondered if recent climatelinked 

catastrophes around the world 

– such as the wildfires in USA and Canada, 

storms in Asia and flooding in Europe and 

New York, would focus minds in a way that 

they hadn’t previously. 

On COP26... “talk is cheap... 

tangible solutions and actions 

are necessary.” 

Dr Rachel Sibande 

“I want delegates to leave their 

egos at the door...” 

Amee Ritchie 

Conference polls 

Delegate polls were held throughout 

Conference to gauge views on 

key questions of the day. 

Are you confident the Scottish 

Government can create the 

conditions for the economy to 

flourish post-pandemic? 

Yes: 37% 

No: 35% 

Don’t know: 28% 

Do you want a referendum on 

Scotland’s constitutional future 

during the term of this Holyrood 

Parliament? 

Yes: 39% 

No: 42% 


Do you think there will be another 

independence referendum during 

the term of the current Scottish 

parliament? 

Yes: 50% 

No: 38% 


Given its Code Red status, should 

the climate change emergency be 

treated by governments as a greater 

priority than Covid-19? 

Yes: 66% 

No: 25% 


Do you think the UK will achieve its 

net zero target by 2050 

Yes: 24% 

No: 60% 


Will Brexit have a bigger impact than 

Covid in the next five years? 

Yes: 47% 

No: 37% 


Has the impact of Brexit been worse 

than anticipated? 

Yes: 49% 

No: 34% 


Is Brexit damaging the UK economy? 

Yes: 77% 

No: 14% 


Are you suffering from labour or 

supply shortages related to Brexit or 

Covid-19-related impacts? 

Yes: 49% 

No: 49% 


Will you keep some flexible/remote 

working in the future rather than 

return to a full-time workplace 

Yes 100% 


iod.com 

35


Conference polls 

Delegate polls were held throughout 

Conference to gauge views on 

key questions of the day. 

Good governance: ESG 

(Environmental, social and 

corporate governance) - how much 

does your board make it a priority? 

Still wrestling with how 

to apply it: 59% 

It’s central to every Board discussion 

and the framework around which we 

build the business: 36% 

Very little – it’s distracting and takes 

up too much corporate focus and 

energy: 5% 

Accelerating to Net Zero: Are you 

optimistic that meaningful decisions 

will be made by global leaders at 

COP26? 

Yes - this the moment to be bold: 

64% 

No - the complexities of a meaningful 

deal are too great to be overcome: 

32% 

Unsure - still too early to tell: 4% 

Are you on target to meet Net Zero 

by 2050? 

Yes: 45% 

No: 14% 


Shoot for the moon and 

change our economy 

Conference was delighted to welcome 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to lead 

the final session – though not in her 

usual role of keynote speaker or 

interviewee. 

Rather, the First Minister offered 

Conference a “little light weekend 

reading” as she turned interviewer and 

quizzed globally renowned economist 

and adviser to the Scottish Government, 

Professor Mariana Mazzucato. 

The author of Mission Economy: A 

Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, 

Professor Mazzucato outlined her vision 

for a new economic model that would 

not only help us make the transition to 

Net Zero, but would do so with societal 

equality and fairness built in; as she put 

it, “Not so much ‘Build Back Better’ but 

‘Build Forward Much Better’. ” 

We need to design a new economic 

system to achieve this, she told the First 

Minister, and used as her template the 

way NASA rebuilt its entire structure 

from the ground-up in order to reach the 

moon. 

She urged conference to remember 

that, to beat climate change, 

collaboration is key. She suggested that 

the Scottish Government’s Business 

Pledge – a values-led partnership based 

on boosting productivity and 

competitiveness through fairness, 

equality and sustainable employment – 

should be linked to future state 

assistance. 

The Scottish National Investment Bank 

could also be used to encourage 

businesses to boost sustainability, 

following the lead of a similar institution 

in Germany which had helped rebuild the 

country’s steel industry into a more 

sustainable business. 

“Until we look into the darkness that’s caused this 

crisis we won’t be able to lead our way out of it.” 

Professor Mariana Mazzucato 

Do you have the tools and support 

you need to meet Net Zero targets? 

No: 52% 

Yes: 35% 


Is sustainability an action-focused 

priority discussion on the agenda at 

your Board meetings? 

Yes: 33% 

No: 62% 


Will there be permanent changes in 

work practices post-Covid? 

Yes 91% 

No 6% 

Don’t know 3% 

As you look to implement green 

strategies into your organisation, do 

you think, long-term, they will: 

Cost money and hit profits but that’s 

the point: 60% 

Be costly in short-term but deliver 

profit over time and perhaps allow 

for further action and innovation?: 

27% 


First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 

Professor Mariana Mazzucato 

Conference conclusion... from 

2050 Climate Group 

“I’ve been impressed and inspired by the commitment 

on display; now what’s needed is for business leaders 

to double down on their pledges and vows to act ... 

“it’s time to start thinking outside the bottle” on how 

we respond to the climate change emergency. 

Kate Chambers of the 2050 Climate Group. 

36 iod.com 

The full conference can be viewed at: 

https://www.iod.com/events-community/regions/scotland/annual-conference 


With thanks to our sponsor partners 

Wood 

Wood is a global leader in consulting 

and engineering solutions across energy 

and the built environment, helping to 

unlock solutions to some of the world’s 

most critical challenges. Wood provides 

consulting, projects and operations 

solutions in more than 60 countries, 

employing over 40,000 people worldwide. 

Connected by our shared values of 

care, commitments and courage, we 

recognise achieving a sustainable future 

is one of the biggest challenges facing 

our generation. That’s why we are 

committed to engineering the solutions 

needed for a Net Zero future, and ensure 

we help create a more resilient, 

sustainable and liveable world. 

www.woodplc.com 

Skills Development Scotland 

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is 

the country’s national skills body. We 

contribute to sustainable economic 

growth by supporting people and 

businesses to develop and apply their 

skills, working with our partners to 

provide services that deliver the very 

best outcomes for Scotland’s people, 

businesses and the economy. 

We are passionate about skills 

development and its contribution to 

a modern, innovative and prosperous 

Scottish economy. We provide careers 

information, advice and guidance, and 

work-based training programmes for 

individuals aimed at building the career 

management skills that will enable them 

to thrive in a changing economy. We are 

also committed to building a Scotland 

which champions fair work practices and 

a diverse workforce. 

Working with partners, we strive to 

ensure employers have the right skills 

at the right time in high performing, fair 

and equal workplaces, and that every 

individual has the skills and confidence 

to get a job and progress in the 

workplace, achieving their full potential. 

Our support for employers includes 

tailored skills advice and funding for 

workforce development. 

Along with our partners we are forging 

strong relationships between enterprise 

and education and training providers. 

This includes championing the wide 

range of pathways into work, ensuring 

each route is recognised and valued, 

while supporting inclusion and diversity 

in fair and productive workplaces. 

www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk 

Strathclyde Business School 

The Centre for Board & Director 

Development (CBDD) sits within 

Strathclyde Executive Education 

and Development (SEED), which has 

significant expertise in working with 

senior leaders, directors and managers 

in the private, public and third sectors 

– designing and delivering applied, 

experiential, tailored programmes for an 

extensive client base. 

CBDD provides a natural home for our 

existing activities for Directors, Trustees 

and Applied Research: 

• Open board and director 

development programmes, along with 

tailored corporate programmes 

• Knowledge exchange, thought 

leadership events and publications 

• A specialise family business track 

• Short courses that allow participants 

to flexibly undertake development 

programme leading to a recognised 

qualification 

• Short development programmes for 

NXDs, aspiring directors, trustees and 

specialist groups 

CBDD and SEED are part of Strathclyde 

Business School (SBS), a pioneering, 

international renowned academic 

organisation with a reputation for 

research excellence. SBS is 

a triple accredited business 

school (AMBA, EQUIS and 

AACSB), the first business 

school in Scotland to achieve this 

accolade. SBS holds the Small Business 

Charter Award which recognises the 

its world-leading support for scaling 

Scottish firms through innovation, 

internationalisation and leadership, as 

well as the business school’s expertise 

in student entrepreneurship and 

engagement in the local economy. 

www.strath.ac.uk/business/seed 

Royal Scottish Geographical Society 

Urgent and meaningful action needs to be taken 

to avoid a climate disaster but action to respond 

to climate change can only be taken when there 

is a thorough understanding of the issues. It is 

essential that every manager has a minimum basic 

knowledge. 

For this reason, RSGS has collaborated with the 

Universities of Edinburgh and Stirling, and the 

Institute of Directors to create this training. 

The three courses which upskill quickly and flexibly 

are: 

• Professional, aimed at senior managers, directors 

and CEOs – 20 hours 

• Accelerator suitable for all staff - 90 minutes 

• MOOC designed for undergraduate students - 

five hours 

www.climatesolutionsnetwork.com 

YuLife 

YuLife is a tech-driven insurance company on a 

mission to inspire life and turn financial products 

into a force for good. By harnessing the power 

of technology, lifestyle medicine and the latest 

behavioural science, YuLife is building a new 

insurance model focused on risk prevention. 

YuLife transforms the employee benefits market by 

rewarding employees for healthy living and fostering 

healthier, happier and more motivated teams. YuLife 

has grown 10x in the past year as the Covid-19 crisis 

has driven employee wellbeing and insurance to the 

top of the corporate agenda. They now insure over 

400k lives at companies across the UK and 70 per 

cent of employees agree that they live a healthier 

lifestyle because of You Life. 

www.yulife.com 


iod.com 

37

Director of the Year Awards 

Awards celebrate our leaders 

who made a difference 

You’ve still got time to 

enter the IoD Scotland 

Director of the Year 

Awards 2021 – but be 

quick as entries close 

on September 30 

We have extended the deadline for 

submissions for the IoD Scotland 

Director of the Year Awards to Thursday, 

September 30 at 5pm – so there’s still 

time for you to enter! 

We’d all agree that the past 18 months 

have been tumultuous for everyone. 

Directors faced extraordinary, everchanging 

situations that required bold, 

often difficult, decisions to ensure their 

organisations withstood the challenges 

they faced, while at the same time 

making sure staff were supported and 

client and stakeholder needs were met. 

Directors’ innovative responses to 

the crisis enabled many companies 

to weather the storm – and are now 

emerging ready to take advantage of 

future trends. 

It’s these directors we want to 

recognise through the IoD Scotland 

Director of the Year Awards; let’s 

acknowledge their hard work and shine a 

deserving spotlight on their success. 

Who can enter? 

These cross-sector awards are open to 

all directors or equivalent level, whether 

or not IoD members. 

They are FREE TO ENTER. Whatever 

the size of your business, whatever 

the sector (private, public or third), 

whether you are a young entrepreneur, 

long-established director or NXD, these 

Awards are for you. 

How to enter 

You can enter the Awards at 

https://www.iod.com/eventscommunity/regions/scotland/directorof-the-year-awards 

Submissions comprise six general 

criteria questions and two categoryspecific 

questions. If entering more than 

one category, you can replicate your 

general criteria answers. 

The judging panel recognises that all 

sectors are likely to have been disrupted 

by Covid-19, so this will be taken into 

consideration when assessing entries; 

the panel will be looking at a range of 

criteria as well as long-term goals. 

Why enter 

• Outstanding directors should be 

applauded and their achievements 

recognised – not just to say well done, 

but so others can learn from their 

success. 

• Awards are good for you, your team, 

your clients, your stakeholders and your 

business – as multiple award winner 

Poonam Gupta told the IoD Conference 

in 2019, “Winning awards isn’t just a nice 

thing to have; it helps open doors and 

gives you a presence you didn’t have 

before.” 

• IoD Scotland works with all finalists 

to maximise publicity across traditional 

and social media 

• Increased profile benefits your 

business strategy 

Award categories 

There are 12 director categories (see 

panel below). Candidates will also be 

automatically entered into the Regional 

category, based on location of their 

business address. 

You can see the questions in a PDF 

accessed on our Awards page, at 

https://www.iod.com/ 

Portals/0/2021%20IoD%20 

Scotland%20Awards%20 

Entry%20Questions. 

pdf?ver=2021-06-21-111043-440 

Award categories 

n Agility & Resilience* 

n Equality, Diversity & Inclusion 

n Family Business 

n Innovation 

n Sustainability 

n Large Business 

n SME Business 

n Non-Executive 

n Public Sector 

n International 

n Young 

n Third Sector 

Regional 

n Aberdeen & Grampian 

n Central Scotland 

n Edinburgh & Lothians 

n Fife & Tayside 

n Glasgow & West of Scotland 

n Highlands & Islands 

n South of Scotland 

* New award for 2021 

2021 Director of the Year Judging Panel 

Chair of the 2021 Judging Panel: 

Theresa Shearer, Group CEO, ENABLE Group. 

Members: 

Timothy Allan (Tim), Private Equity and Property Entrepreneur / 

President, Scottish Chambers of Commerce 

Shirley C Campbell, Director for People, Scottish Water 

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations 

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive Officer, Zero Waste Scotland 

Poonam Gupta OBE, Founder & Chief Executive, 

PG Paper Company Ltd 

Manish Joshi, CEO, Strathclyde Students’ Union 

Awards timeline 

Deadline for Entries: 

September 30, at 5pm 

Live Online Awards Ceremony: 

9 December 2021 

To enter 

To enter for the awards, click the logo 

right. 

Why not nudge your 

talented friends, colleagues 

and clients to enter? 

Mike Kane, Partner, Head of Business Law, Turcan Connell 

Josh Kennedy, Chair, Scottish Youth Parliament 

Andy Lothian, CEO, Insights Group 

Professor Heather McGregor CBE, Executive Dean of 

Edinburgh Business School. 

James Muir, Subsidiary Chair Director, Wheatley Group 

Aidan O’Carroll, Chair, IoD Scotland 

Professor Robert Raeside, Edinburgh Business School, 

Heriot-Watt University 

Bridget Sly, Head of Disability Employment Team, Employability 

Division, Fair Work, Employability and Skills, Scottish Government 

38 iod.com 


Sponsors and partners 

Scottish Council for Voluntary 

Organisations 

The Scottish Council for Voluntary 

Organisations (SCVO) is the national 

membership body for Scotland’s vibrant 

voluntary sector. We champion the sector, 

provide services and debate big issues. 

Our mission is to support, promote and 

develop a confident, sustainable 

voluntary sector in Scotland. Along with 

our community of 2,000+ members, we 

believe that charities, social enterprises 

and voluntary groups make Scotland a 

better place. 

We influence governments on policy 

issues, create jobs for young people and 

support organisations to embrace and 

promote digital capacity and inclusion. 

W: www.scvo.org.uk 

@SCVOtweet 

Turcan Connell 

Turcan Connell is one of the UK’s 

premier private client firms with offices 

in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London. We 

command a unique position by providing 

clients with an integrated set of legal 

services alongside a complete range of 

tax advice. Our success is due to the 

firm’s continued focus on meeting the 

needs of individuals, families, charities, 

entrepreneurs and family business owners. 

W: www.turcanconnell.com 

@TurcanConnell 

Scottish Government 

The Scottish Government believe that 

Fair Work sits at the heart of our 

ambition to move toward a wellbeing 

economy and is central to supporting 

economic recovery and renewal. Our 

vision is for Scotland to be a Fair Work 

Nation by 2025, with people having a 

world-leading working life where fair 

work drives success, wellbeing and 

prosperity for all. To help achieve this, 

we are progressing the priorities set out 

in our action plans, aiming to drive fair 

work across the labour market, address 

Get involved 

the disability employment gap and 

gender pay gap, and focused work to 

address race inequality in employment. 

W: www.gov.scot/policies/employmentsupport/fair-work-and-pay/ 

@scotgov 

Wheatley Group 

Wheatley Group is one of the UK’s 

most dynamic, agile and best-performing 

large housing, care and propertymanagement 

groups. Its geographic 

footprint covers 19 local authority areas 

in Central and South of Scotland, 

providing homes and services to around 

250,000 people. 

All organisations within the Wheatley 

Group remain firmly rooted in their local 

communities, while drawing on the 

strength, size, scale and resources of the 

Group to contribute on a regional and 

national level to affordable housing, care 

and community regeneration across 

Scotland. 

W: www.wheatley-group.com 

@WheatleyHousing 

Edinburgh Business School, 

Heriot-Watt University 

Edinburgh Business School is the 

largest academic school at Heriot-Watt 

University. We offer industry-informed 

degrees at undergraduate, postgraduate 

and doctoral level in the subjects of 

accounting, finance, economics, 

marketing and management. 

Our research aims to understand 

contemporary work and employment, 

working with employers, policy makers, 

trade unions and professional bodies to 

improve working lives globally. 

EBS carries out background checks on 

the Director of the Year finalists. 

W: www.hw.ac.uk/ebs/ 

@EBS_Global 

Insights Group 

We are a people development 

company that works with companies to 

If you would like to find out about the partner benefits associated with this IoD Scotland flagship event, 

please contact Joyce Lamond on 07711 432745 or joyce@firstcityevents.co.uk. 

improve the effectiveness of individuals, 

teams and leaders. The core of our 

solutions is self-awareness, which is the 

foundation on which many soft skills are 

built, including resilience, communication, 

collaboration and leadership. 

Using engaging and accessible 

content, we deliver both face-to-face 

and virtual learning for all levels – from 

your entry-level employees all the way to 

your senior leadership team. 

We support our customers with their 

most pressing business and people 

challenges. From engagement and 

culture to performance and productivity, 

our people-centred approach helps you 

shape the workforce you need. 

W: www.insights.com 

@Insights 

Zero Waste Scotland 

Zero Waste Scotland exists to lead 

Scotland to use products and resources 

responsibly, focusing on where we can 

have the greatest impact on climate 

change. Using evidence and insight, our 

goal is to inform policy, and motivate 

individuals and businesses to embrace 

the environmental, economic, and social 

benefits of a circular economy. We are a 

not-for-profit environmental 

organisation, funded by the Scottish 

Government and European Regional 

Development Fund. 

W: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk 

@ZeroWasteScot 

Solo Films 

Solo Films develop and create 

powerful video content for businesses 

and brands. From live action to 

animation, and with a full experienced 

production team, beyond industry 

standard camera equipment and state of 

the art editing facilities, Solo Films has 

developed successful working relationships 

with a broad cross-section of 

public and private sector organisations. 

W: https://solo-films.co.uk/ 

Got a question? 

Email awards@firstcityevents.co.uk or contact Joyce or Alice on 07483 812596 and they will be happy to help. 


iod.com 

39

Events 

Please note: All events on these pages are ONLINE ONLY 

Human rights and the workplace 

Roundtable with The 

Equality and Human Rights 

Commission (EHRC) 

Date: September 27 

Time: 1pm-2pm 

Price: Free 

The Equality and Human Rights 

Commission (EHRC) is Britain’s national 

equality body and has been awarded an 

‘A’ status as a National Human Rights 

Institution (NHRI) by the United Nations. 

It operates across Scotland, England 

and Wales, making Britain fairer by 

safeguarding and enforcing the laws 

that protect people’s rights to fairness, 

dignity and respect. 

As a statutory non-departmental 

public body established by the Equality 

Act 2006, the Commission operates 

independently. It aims to be an expert 

and authoritative organisation that is 

a centre of excellence for evidence, 

analysis and equality and human rights 

law. It also aspires to be an essential 

point of contact for policy makers, public 

bodies and business. 

The EHRC is currently consulting on 

its next Strategic Plan 2022-25 which will 

set its priorities for the work it will do in 

the next period. The economy and the 

workplace is a key focus for the work 

of the Commission. It is keen to engage 

with key stakeholders in business to get 

their important input on how they can 

deliver their plan and in particular on the 

following themes: 

• Upholding rights and equality in 

health and social care 

• Fairness in a changing workplace 

• Artificial intelligence and emerging 

digital technologies 

This is an excellent opportunity for 

IoD members to learn more from the 

EHRC about their role as it relates to 

the economy and the workplace, as well 

as influencing its work over the coming 

years. 

Please join us for this FREE event – 

held online. Click here to book 

More details from: 

Event manager: Ms Patricia Huth | T: 0131 557 5488 | E: Patricia.Huth@iod.com 

Scottish Government public appointments 

– An Introduction 


Time: 1pm-2pm 

Price: Free 

Ever wondered what being on the 

Board of a Scottish public body board 

involves? This session provides the 

opportunity to learn more about what 

is involved, the different roles available, 

how to apply, hear what is means to be 

a public body board member and the 

opportunity to ask questions. 

What can attendees expect from the 

session? 

Learn what being on a public body 

Board involves, the benefits of being 

on a public body Board, the public 

appointments process, the range of 

Boards and types of vacancies available, 

signpost help and support available 

and how to apply. There will also be 

the opportunity to hear from a current 

Board member and ask questions. 

Click here to book 



Global supply chains and export 

opportunities: next steps for businesses 

Date: October 4 

Time: 9am-10am 

Price: Free 

As we start to emerge out of the shadow 

of the pandemic and enter a period of 

stabilisation following Brexit, it is vital 

for UK business to identify new areas of 

opportunity for trade. 

In this session, three speakers will offer 

their views on export opportunities. 

Barry Leahey MBE, CEO of Playdale 

Playgrounds will discuss his experience 

of exporting, his recent award from the 

DiT and the benefits his business has 

experienced. 

As a former Trade Commissioner, 

Andrew Mitchell, Director General of the 

Department for International Trade will 

highlight what support is in place for UK 

business and highlight the benefits of 

becoming an exporter. 

Diana Popescu is the Business 

Manager of Piltec limited who are a 

key level 2 supplier to the Automotive 

Industry in Europe, will talk about how 

they overcame challenges related to 

exporting following Brexit. 



Event manager: Tania Toriello 

T: 020 8078 4047 

E: Tania.Toriello@iod.com 

IoD Edinburgh & 

Lothians Branch 

Members Evening 

Dates: September 29, 

October 27 and November 24 

Time: 4pm-5pm 

Price: Free 

We would like 

to invite you 

to join the IoD 

Edinburgh & 

Lothians Branch 

Committee and 

fellow members 

for an informal 

networking 

meeting. Meet the team, learn 

more about the benefits of 

membership. Catch up on events 

that are coming. Let us know your 

views on Policy and lots more. 

This event will be held via zoom 

and hosted by IoD Edinburgh & 

Lothians Chair Julie Ashworth. 

This is a Member-only event. 


Event manager: Patricia Huth 

T: 0131 557 5488 

E: Patricia.Huth@iod.com 

40 iod.com 


The role of the Young Person’s 

Guarantee in economic recovery 

Roundtable with Jamie 

Hepburn, Minister for 

Further Education, Higher 


Time: 10.45am-11.45am 

Price: Free 

IoD Scotland is 

delighted to host 

a roundtable 

discussion 

with Jamie 

Hepburn, Minister 

for Further 

Education, Higher 

Education, Youth 

Employment and 

Training on the 

Young Person’s Guarantee – and the 

role business leaders have in making it a 

success. 

It provides an opportunity to hear 

about the ambitions of the Young 

Person’s Guarantee and discuss how 

it can be shaped by the needs of 

employers. 

Published in September 2020, the 

Young Person’s Guarantee: Initial Report 

set out a commitment to every person 

aged between 16 and 24 to a guarantee 

that they will have the opportunity to 

study; take up an apprenticeship, job or 

work experience; or participate in formal 

volunteering. 

The intention is to deliver worldleading 

employment and skill provision 

which will ensure that, every young 

person in Scotland is able to reach their 

full potential. 

The guarantee will provide synergy 

between young people, employers, 

employability and training providers 

and education. It will drive forward 

alignment with the skills needed for 

Scotland’s future, including an inclusive 

and environmentally focused economy, 

as we work towards our net zero targets. 

It is important that opportunities and 

provision are enduring and sustainable, 

in order to help deliver a fairer and more 

inclusive Scotland where every young 

person has the opportunity to succeed 

and contribute to its future. 

This session will provide the 

opportunity to review how close we are 

to achieving that ambition and explore 

what more government and employers 

need to do. During the session you will 

hear about key achievements in the first 

year of the Guarantee and have an open 

discussion on what, you as Directors, 

would like from the Scottish youth 

employment and skills system. 




IoD Online & SONI: Energy Symposium 2021 

Date: October 19 

Time: 9am-11am 

Climate change has been described 

as one of the greatest leadership 

challenges of our time and sustainability 

has become the buzzword no matter 

which industry you operate in. 

Members of the IoD are responsible 

leaders who often can have more social 

impact than the average person. That 

is why, in partnership with SONI, we 

are delighted to invite you to join us for 

the very first virtual IoD & SONI Energy 

Symposium. 

The main aim of this virtual event – 

which takes place just ahead of COP26 

in Glasgow – will be to help business 

leaders explore how their organisations 

can step up to their responsibilities 

in tackling climate change and build 

sustainable businesses. 

Confirmed speakers include: Minister 

Gordon Lyons MLA, Northern Ireland 

Economy Minister; Irish environmental 

scientist, policy advisor and science 

communicator, Dr Tara Shine; Alan 

Campbell, Managing Director, SONI; & Dr 

Jayne Brady, Head of NI Civil Service. 

Gordon Lyons MLA was appointed 

as Minister for the Economy in July. His 

responsibilities include oversight of the 

NI economy policy, as well as energy. 

Dr Tara Shine is an Irish environmental 

scientist, policy advisor and science 

communicator with over 20 years’ 

experience in the fields of climate 

change, environment and sustainable 

development. She is also the co-founder 

of Plastic Free Kinsale, which has 

mobilised the town of 5,000 people to 

find alternatives to single use plastics. 

Alan Campbell was appointed as 

Managing Director of SONI in June 2021 

and has more than 20 years’ experience 

working in the electricity industry. 

Dr Jayne Brady MBE is head of 

Northern Ireland Civil Service – though 

an engineer at heart with extensive board 

experience and a track record of success 

that transcends blue-chip corporations, 

start-ups and funding ecosystems. 



Event manager: Chelsea Brennan 

T: 02890 683224 

E: chelsea.brennan@iod.com 


iod.com 

41

IoD Events 

Welcome to 

IoD Director 

Development 

programme 

IoD Online Introduction 

to the Virtual Certificate 

Date: December 2 

Time: 9am-11.30am 

Cost: Free of charge 

This UK-wide event offers a bite-sized, 

informative session on how to kick start 

your professional development journey 

with the IoD. 

Have you been considering how you 

can enhance your impact and performance 

as a director? Do you want to 

gain the latest tools and techniques 

from expert practitioners who have a 

wealth of experience in board rooms 

across the globe? 

If you answered “yes” then this may 

be the most useful session you take this 

year. We warmly invite you to find out 

more about our professional development 

programmes and how they 

are being delivered in today’s virtual 

environment. 

Whether you’re a newly appointed 

director, aspiring to a seat on the 

board, or want to improve performance 

with fresh insight, the IoD Certificate 

in Company Direction, Level 9 (SCQF) 

qualification will equip you with the 

core knowledge and awareness needed 

to function effectively as a director. 

As the only institute in the world to 

offer qualifications for directors under 

Royal Charter, influential figures from 

business and beyond continue to recommend 

IoD professional development 

programmes for executive and non-executive 

directors. 

Key points 

Overview of: 

n The Role of the Director 

and the Board 

n Finance for non-Finance 

Directors 

n Leadership for Directors 

n Strategy for Directors 

In addition, an alumni Chartered 

Director will give their thoughts 

and experiences of the IoD 

director development programme, 

and we’ll discuss the programme 

schedule, costs and exam 

process. there will be plenty of 

opportunities to ask questions. 

The session will be interactive featuring 

a Q&A with the course leader and 

Chartered Director and will also include 

a teaser activity from one of the Certificate 

in Company Direction modules. 

Programmes can be taken individually 

or as part of the full Certificate, forming 

the first step towards the Chartered 

Director journey. You will discover also 

what it means to be a Chartered Director, 

and will have the opportunity to 

hear direct experiences from a member 

of our Chartered Director alumni. 

From practical pointers about our 

examination process, learning outcomes 

from our four modules and the 

opportunity to ask questions about our 

virtual platform, you can expect to finish 

the session having a comprehensive 

understanding of our Virtual Certificate 

Programme. 

Most importantly you will understand 

its invaluable benefits to your development 

as a director, and how that 

reach can extend beyond you to the 

boardroom, your organisation and its 

stakeholders. 

The session will begin with a teaser 

on the roles and responsibilities of a 

director- to get you thinking! 

We look forward to welcoming you to 

this friendly and informative session. 

Event manager: Natasha Ure 

Phone: 0131 460 7681 

Email: Natasha.ure@iod.com 

or click logo to book 

Session hosts 

DAMAN CLARK CDir 

Damon Clark was a founder of the 

Brandwidth Group an International 

Marketing Services business with 

offices in Windsor, London and California. 

An experienced dealmaker, 

Damon specialises in creating new 

businesses and value through startups, 

merger, joint venture and acquisition. 

Damon is a Chartered Marketer 

and Chartered Director and regularly 

lectures on leadership. 

ROBERT A VARLEY DSc CDir CMet 

Robert is a consultant specialising 

in weather and climate risk, working 

with the World Bank, the Green Climate 

Fund and government weather 

services across Europe and beyond. 

He spent 35 years with the Met Office, 

working in a variety of roles culminating 

in four years as Chief Executive, 

2014–2018. Robert is a Chartered Director 

and Ambassador for Chartered 

Directors in South West England. 

DEBORAH MORTON-DARE 

Deborah is a Chartered Accountant 

who specialises in financial and 

strategic management training for all 

levels of financial background. She 

started her professional career in 

corporate finance, gaining experience 

in a variety of corporates and financial 

institutions, before setting up and 

running several businesses. She has 

also held numerous financial advisory 

roles over many years. 

42 iod.com

IoD Scotland Autumn 2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?