Guest Speaker
Graeme Leach,
Chief Economist, Institute of Directors
Graeme is chief economist and director of policy at the Institute of Directors, which he joined in 1998. He is also visiting professor of economic policy at the University of Lincoln. In 2006 he was appointed to the Shadow Chancellor's Commission for Tax reform. Leach is a frequent media commentator and in recent years has spoken at conferences around the world.
Panelists
Alasdair Gardner
Regional Managing Director, Scotland
Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets
Alasdair’s current role is leading the team of professionals providing a full range of corporate banking services to corporate business and organisations in Scotland.
Alasdair joined Bank of Scotland as a Graduate Trainee in August 1987, having graduated with BCom in Business Studies from University of Edinburgh. After progressing through Bank of Scotland, Alasdair was selected to create and build the Acquisition Finance Team in 1995 in Inverness. He was subsequently promoted to a role in the Leveraged Finance Team in Aberdeen where he ultimately took on the position of Lead Director for the North of Scotland, with a specialism in global deals in the Oil Service sector. In 2005, Alasdair was appointed Head of Oil & Gas, and he was subsequently given the additional responsibility for both the Renewable Energy and Telecoms & Media Teams.
Alasdair is married to Sharon, and they live in East Lothian with their children. In his spare time, Alasdair coaches rugby for Primary 6 children and he is also a very keen golfer. He finds time for good food and wine and reading.
John F McClelland CBE
Chair. Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council
Interim Chair, Skills Development Scotland
John is also Chairman of NQC Ltd.
John has extensive experience across the private and public sectors. He was Vice President of Worldwide Operations for IBM's personal computer company before joining Digital Equipment Corporation in 1995 where he was a Senior Vice President. He was also Global Chief Industrial Officer and board member of Philips Consumer Electronics and latterly President of 3Com's Business Networks Company.
In 2006, John conducted a review of public sector procurement in Scotland ("The McClelland Report") and has recently completed a Review of ICT infrastructure in the public sector in Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government.
In 1994 Mr McClelland was awarded a CBE for his services to industry and education.
Ben Thomson
Ben is Chairman of Urbicus Ltd, a property fund management business.
He is a physics graduate from Edinburgh University. He started work for Kleinwort Benson in London and then joined Noble Group, the UK investment bank, in 1990. He was appointed as Chief Executive of Noble Group in 1997 and became Chairman in 2007, until its merger with Execution Limited in 2010.
Ben is also Chairman of Inverleith Capital LLP, a Scottish-based merchant bank; Chairman of the Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland; Chairman of the charity Reform Scotland, an independent think tank researching and promoting policies to improve the Scottish economic environment and the efficiency of the public sector; and Chairman of Barrington Stoke, a Scottish publishing company that publishes books for reluctant readers.
He is a Non-Executive Director of two quoted investment trusts, Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust Plc and Fidelity Special Values Plc. He is also a Non-Executive Director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.
David C Watt
Executive Director for the Institute of Directors Scotland
David arrived at the IoD from a background of running his own business for over ten years – a consultancy focussed on individual and organisational development, particularly in the sport and leisure industry. Prior to this he had worked in both the private and public sectors.
David also spent two and a half years leading Scotland’s Millennium activities and celebration, encouraging a range of partners to contribute £11.6 million to the festivities throughout Scotland in the year 2000.
David, who is a GlobalScot, also serves as a non-executive director on the Scottish North American Business Council, Business Club Scotland, Fife Sport and Leisure Trust, the Intellectual Assets Centre, and Scottish Gymnastics, as well as acting as an advisor to individuals and groups in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
He is the author of many newspaper and magazine articles as well as several books focussing on event organisation and the management and administration of sport.
On a personal note, he is a keen golfer – captain of the Dukes Club in St Andrews, and follower of rugby, particularly Edinburgh and Scotland, with a keen non-party interest in politics and current affairs.
Excellent corporate leadership is esential for Scotland going forward and the IoD has a key role to play in delivering this through supporting and developing directors.
Talented and committed directors are vital to the nation’s prosperity and David is enthusiastic about the role the IoD can play in supporting, representing and providing for its members and other business leaders to the benefit of them, their companies or organisations and so the national economy and civic society.
Dr Peter T Hughes OBE FREng FIMMM
Chief Executive, Scottish Engineering
Born and raised in Lanarkshire, educated at Wishaw High School, Coatbridge Technical College, University of Strathclyde and Dundee University.
Was Chairman and Managing Director of Glencast Ltd, Leven, Fife, (winners of Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement 1990), Glencast Ltd was established in 1983 following his leadership of a Management Buy Out.
He sold the company to NACO Inc, Chicago, in December 1994, remaining as Chairman and MD until February 1998.
Currently Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering and has been “The Voice of Engineering Manufacturing in Scotland” since 1998.
He is passionate about the sector, and regularly features in the media and takes a positive message on Engineering around the country with his “Engineering Roadshow” which has addressed in excess of 60,000 students and pupils since 1999.
In 1993 he was awarded the OBE for services to the UK Steel Industry and in 1995 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
