Speakers
Keith Aitken
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Robert Armour OBE Chair, SCDI Robert Armour is Scottish Adviser to the EDF Energy Group, part of EDF, one of the world’s largest energy companies. Prior to his current role he was General Counsel and Company Secretary of British Energy Group plc, the electricity generator which operates 8 nuclear power stations in the UK where he was responsible for Government Relations, Communications, Legal, Commercial Regulation and Governance. Robert has worked in the electricity sector since 1990. He was awarded "In-House Lawyer of the Year" in 2005 for his role in the restructuring of British Energy and an OBE in June 2007. |
Sergio Arzeni Sergio Arzeni is the Head of the LEED Programme and Senior Economist at the OECD specialist on local development, job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship, seed and venture capital, and the internationalisation of small firms. The Programme on Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) focuses on enterprise and job creation, area-based approaches to economic development, innovation and competition, social cohesion, territorial marketing, evaluation and monitoring of public policies at national and sub-national level. Sergio is also the founder and manager of the OECD Forum on Entrepreneurship, Forum of Cities and Regions and Forum on Social Innovation. Before joining the OECD some 21 years ago, he held posts at the European Commission in Brussels and the Italian Parliament in Rome. He has also worked for the Italian Trade Unions (CISC). He is a visiting professor in International Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at various universities in Italy, GB and the USA. He is the author of several reports, essays, articles and editor of collective books on economics, for the OECD and other publishers. |
Martin Bean Vice-Chancellor, The Open University For copy of presentation click here On 1 October 2009 Martin Bean became The Open University's fifth Vice-Chancellor. Martin was General Manager within the Education Products Group at the Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington. Having held senior executive positions in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe, and with more than 20 years in training and education, he is a recognised industry leader around the world. He has held executive management roles in leading organisations, including Novell Inc., Sylvan Learning Systems and Thomson Learning. Martin is actively involved in the advancement of education policy and the reform of education to meet the needs of today's workforce. He has presented to the U.S. Senate on the importance of IT in the Workforce Investment Act and testified on behalf of the Workforce Coalition before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Martin has established and managed complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships in public, private and not-for-profit organisations and has a track record of growing or reinventing complex enterprises. Prior to moving to the UK Martin was a member of the National Board of Directors of Jobs for Americas Graduates and was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Computing Technology Industry Association, chairing its Public Policy Committee, 2002 - 2004. In 1986-7 he was President of AIESEC International, (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) the international, not-for-profit organisation run by students and recent graduates which is "an agent of positive change through education and cultural exchange to develop a broader understanding of cultural, socio-economic and business management issues." (Kofi Anan) Martin holds a Bachelor's degree in Adult Education from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. |
Dr Rabinder Buttar President, Founder & CEO, ClinTec International Dr Rabinder Buttar is a highly successful British entrepreneur and the President, founder and CEO of ClinTec International, one of Britain's leading global clinical research organisations.
Recently included in Real Business' List of Britain's 100 Most Entrepreneurial Women, Rabinder is the recipient of a number of prestigious business awards, including the Business and Commercial Excellence Award for Northern Britain at the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards 2008 and the Evening Times Scots Businesswoman of the Year. Rabinder was also named as a finalist within the Scotland category at the prestigious Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year awards 2009. ClinTec International was recently congratulated by the Scottish Parliament for its contributions to global clinical research. Using her vast expertise, acquired whilst employed by major international pharmaceutical organisations including Wellcome (now GSK), Wyeth, and Fujisawa (Astellas), Rabinder has transformed ClinTec from a company launched from her then home in Germany in 1997, into a universally respected biopharmaceutical business with a presence in over 40 countries. ClinTec has an established presence in all major global pharmaceutical markets as well as all emerging markets of Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa.
Rabinder has a PhD Degree in Immunology, which she gained in 1988 from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. With a keen interest in training and development, she served for four years on the Board of the Institute of Clinical Research (ICR UK), a key organisation for the education and development of clinical research professionals. Rabinder is now an Honorary Fellow of ICR UK and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. She is also a Member of the London-based Institute of Directors (IoD) and a graduate in Management Studies from Reading University. Rabinder currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Scrip Clinical Research and was on the judging panel for the 2009 Clinical Research Excellence Awards. |
David Ciancio Global Business Development, dunnhumby For copy of presentation click here David Ciancio comes to the UK and dunnhumby after a notable career working at every level in the retail supermarket industry in the US. He is recognised as a pioneer in loyalty marketing, having led the creation and implementation of the premier customer loyalty program in the US, which today engages more than 50 million households in 41 of the 50 states. His visionary, customer-led, organic ideas helped grow Kroger to the 2nd largest retailer in America. In 2008, David was recognized by Advertising Age as one of its 'Top 50 Marketers' of the year. |
Dr Russell Greig For copy of presentation click here Russell Greig assumed the role of President, SR One, in June 2008. SR One is the corporate venture capital arm of GlaxoSmithKline. The firm invests globally in emerging life science companies that are pursuing innovative science which will significantly impact medical care. Russell currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Genocea Biosciences and Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. He joined GSK in 1980 in the Discovery Unit of R&D and held progressive positions of responsibility with R&D. Russell was President of Pharmaceuticals International for GSK from 2003-2008. Previously he held the position of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Business Development for R&D. Prior to that, Russell played a central role in managing SmithKline Beecham's scientific and commercial relationship with Human Genome Sciences and TIGR. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester, England. |
Azeem Ibrahim Chairman and CEO, Ibrahim Associates Glasgow-born Azeem Ibrahim is a self-made multi-millionaire. In 2007 he became the youngest member of the Bank of Scotland Asian Power 100 and was included in the Observer Courvoisier Future 500 - a definitive list of the nation's most forward-thinking and brightest young innovators. He launched an IT consultancy in 1997. In 2001 he began a similar but larger operation in Europe. Three years later, he set up his own insurance corporation focusing on the niche maritime-transportation market. In 2004, Azeem established the European Commerce and Mercantile Bank, a private offshore concern valued at $100m specialising in accounts for commodity traders. ECM Bank's parent company, ECM Holdings, also includes ECM Asset Management, a Swedish-registered credit union building society, ECM Clearing House, a Panamanian-registered financial clearing house licensed to trade in currencies, precious metals and commodities and ECM Investment, a private equity hedge fund. However, Azeem is currently moving out of the world of finance and into strategic consultancy with the establishment of Ibrahim Associates advising governments around the world on current and emerging strategic issues. |
Cllr Derek MacKay Leader, Renfrewshire Council Cllr Derek MacKay was elected to Renfrewshire Council in 1999 at the age of 21, the youngest male Councillor in Scotland. He became the Leader of Renfrewshire Council in May 2007, after 8 years in opposition. Derek also leads the SNP COSLA Group, working with colleagues across Scotland, lobbying at a national level and negotiating with Scottish Government on behalf of local government. As part of his portfolio, he serves on Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board as a Non Executive Director and is Chair of the Paisley Vision Board, charged with the regeneration of Paisley. |
Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam Head of the School of Design, Glasgow School of Art Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam is Head of the School of Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Irene was previously Professor and Business Fellow in Innovation at The Royal College of Art in London and Head of the Interaction Design Department. As Professor of Design Research at the University of Technology in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, she examined ways in which technology can enhance community and social sustainability. As Director of Design Research at Philips Electronics in the Netherlands, Irene envisaged and directed global research in areas such as ambient intelligence, interaction design, brand design and user experience, and set up design teams in Philips’ research laboratories world-wide to contribute to the company’s long term technology research strategy. For the European Commission, she created and coordinated the research theme Connected Community, and conceived and directed the award-winning project Living Memory. Irene is a consultant to industry and government. She was voted one of fifty top design leaders by the UK's Design Week magazine and is an expert in innovation, creativity, and design for new technology. |
Bill McDonald Bill McDonald is a Senior Executive in Accenture’s BPO Finance Solutions Business and more recently has also been appointed Managing Director Accenture, Scotland. Bill’s expertise is in defining and leading complex BPO engagements in a number of sectors: Oil & Gas (Exploration and Production), Utilities, Communications and High Tech, with 11 years experience working with major clients delivering Off-shored and transformational solutions. Bill has led a wide variety of engagements around the world and also spent several years in Russia leading a major Finance Transformation project. Prior to joining Accenture, Bill spent 15 years as a senior Financial Controller in the Energy Industry. His experience included running large finance functions, creating and running shared services; IPO management and mergers and acquisitions. |
Jim McCowan, General Manager, Cameronbridge Distillery, Diageo For copy of presentation click here Jim McCowan joined Diageo in 1990 at Cambus Distillery as Electrical Engineering and Maintenance Manager. In 1994 Jim moved to Cameronbridge Distillery as Shift Production Manager whilst also studying with The Open University (BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering). Following a range of change projects at Cameronbridge including the introduction of Gin and Vodka in 2001 his Diageo career then took him to Speyside where he was Senior Site Manager for a range of malt distilling sites that included Dufftown, Mortlach, Glenlossie, Linkwood and Glendullan. In 2005 Jim was appointed Plant Director for Diageo Baileys Global Supply at their new £40m facility in Belfast. In 2006 Jim returned to Cameronbridge as General Manager, a site which supports grain whisky distilling, gin distilling vodka filtration and the second largest mature whisky warehousing site in Scotland. In 2007 Diageo announced a significant investment and expansion programme at Cameronbridge (c£100m), which will increase capacity by 60% as well as the development of a brand new bioenergy facility. |
Sir Ian McAllister CBE, Chairman, The Carbon Trust For copy of presentation click here Sir Ian McAllister CBE is Chairman of the Carbon Trust a not-for-profit company with the mission to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy. Sir Ian was appointed Chairman of Network Rail in October 2002 following the acquisition of Railtrack PLC. He was previously Chairman of Ford Britain; a past President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; also previously Deputy Chairman of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and a member of the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment. He is also a non-executive Director of Scottish and Newcastle plc. He has other wide-ranging interests, including being a member of the Advisory Board of Victim Support and was formerly an Advisory Council member of The Management School, Imperial College. |
Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP Jim Murphy is MP for the constituency of East Renfrewshire, and is the Secretary of State for Scotland in Her Majesty's Government, appointed by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 3 October 2008. A former President of the NUS in Scotland and across the UK, Jim has been an MP since 1999, previously serving of Minister of State for Europe, after holding the office of Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform. |
Michael Murphy CEO, Grayling For copy of presentation click here Michael Murphy is CEO of Grayling. Prior to this role Michael was CEO of Trimedia International which merged with Mmd and Grayling to create the Grayling of today. With a career spanning over 30 years, Michael has considerable experience in handling global communications programmes in most parts of the world. In 1993, Michael Murphy was appointed Head of Shandwick’s Hong Kong Office and, the following year, took over as Chief Executive of Shandwick’s Asian operations. He was later appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Shandwick Europe and then Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Shandwick International, with responsibility for Europe and Asia Pacific. |
Willy Roe Chair, Highlands and Islands Enterprise Willy Roe has been Chair of Highlands and Islands Enterprise since September 2004. He also chairs the board of the government agency, Skills Development Scotland; and is Scotland Commissioner on the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. He is a member of the Innovation Programmes Committee of NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. He is a non-executive board member of the Department for Work and Pensions agency, the Pension, Disability and Carers Service. |
Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP A former government and Royal Bank of Scotland economist, Mr Salmond was first elected as MP for Banff & Buchan in 1987 and was elected as National Convener for the Scottish National Party in 1990. He served as leader of the opposition in the Scottish Parliament when he was elected MSP for Banff & Buchan constituency in 1999, being re-elected as Leader of the SNP in 2004 and elected as MSP for the Gordon constituency in May 2007. On 16 May 2007 he made political history after becoming the first nationalist to be elected First Minister of Scotland. |
Dr Lesley Sawers, Chief Executive, SCDI www.scdi.org.uk Dr Lesley Sawers became Chief Executive of SCDI in March 2008. Lesley previously held a number of senior posts in the public and private sectors. She joined SCDI from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce where she was Chief Executive. Previously she was Strategic Communications Advisor to the Board of VisitScotland joining from Royal Mail Group where she was Director of Scottish Affairs and Chairman of the Royal Mail Group Advisory Board (Scotland). She also spent nine years at ScottishPower in a number of senior marketing and communications roles and has also worked in strategic management consultancy in London, Europe and North America. She has a degree in economics from Glasgow University and a PhD from the Institute of Retail Studies in Stirling University. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University business school and was awarded the Lord Provost’s Award for Enterprise and the Evening Times Business Woman of the Year in 2008. She currently holds a number of external directorships including Non Executive appointments on the Board of VisitScotland and EventScotland. She is a Trustee of AFC, the UK’s largest children’s charity. She is also a member of the Board of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Chairs BusinessClub Scotland. |