This conference will focus on the issues that matter to businesses of all sizes and will complement the monthly Scottish Business Insider magazine and weekly Business7 newspaper - all platforms which work very well together. SBI has delivered some of the best and highest attended quality events, which include corporate award ceremonies and highly informative business breakfasts - this conference will utilise our powerful brands to lift the event to a higher level, at a crucial time for Scotland.
Going for Growth will have top speakers and delegates from across Scotland and the UK and will discuss many important matters. Our speakers will give practical advice and recommendations.
As well as the main conference running throughout the day, there will also be a number of breakout seminars hosted by our event partners and sponsors.
Each of these seminars taking a closer, more detailed look into some of the topics covered in the conference and give attendees an opportunity to ask questions which are more directly related to their business needs.
Going for Growth
Friday 21st May 2010, Hilton Hotel, Glasgow
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Please note the conference agenda is still subject to change further details of speakers will be confirmed.
A number of speakers have been confirmed for the "Going for Growth" conference.
Shaf Rasul
IT and property entrepreneur Shaf Rasul, www.shafrasul.com, is one of Scotland’s most successful businessmen.
He now features in an online version of the BBC’s Dragons Den alongside American Julie Meyer and host Dominic Byrne of the Chris Moyles Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
Edinburgh-based Rasul has an estimated wealth of £48million, according to the recent Sunday Times Rich list.
His core business interests include optical-media distribution business E-Net Computers which he established in 2000. It is now the largest storage media distributor in Europe and one of the biggest buyers of optical storage products in the world.
As well as expanding E-Net Computers, Rasul has developed a venture capital investment portfolio, worth in the region of £30million, which focuses on property, asset management and internet technology.
Rasul also has an arm dedicated to management buy-ins and buyouts, providing teams with the funding, buying power and exposure to the supply and distribution networks required to expand their business.
Nelson Gray, BA, CA, MBA.
A Chartered Accountant with a background in the service industry’s, who, following the sale of his own business, became a “hands on” Business Angel investor, mentor, non executive director and Fund Manager.
He acted as fund manager for Scotland’s leading business angel syndicate and has invested in 21 companies personally. As the fund manager for Eastern Scotland Investments and The Strathclyde Investment Fund he was responsible for funding over 50 Scottish SME’s.
Presently an FSA registered fund manager with Braveheart plc, the AIM listed business angel group, a NXD for the Genomia Seedcorn Fund which is targeted the research outputs of a group of public sector research establishments, a panel member for the PSYBT Innovation Fund and until recently the locum fund manager for Clyde Blowers Capital LLP, a £250 million venture capital fund.
As a Director of LINC Scotland, the Scottish Angel Capital Association, he chairs the Best Practice committee and acts as a mentor to new investment groups. As a result he has a unique insight into the operations and motivations of the Scottish investment syndicates.
In April 2008 Nelson was awarded the tile “Business Angel of the Year 2008” by The European Business Angel Network.
He has talked and lectured at a wide range of events across the world, including the USA, Chile, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Luxemburg, Bulgaria, India, Russia, Jordan, Denmark and Holland.
Nelson is a non executive to a number of high growth companies involved in a range of sectors including recruitment, entertainment, call centres and life sciences, is a member of the University of St Andrews "Panel for Intellectual Property and Patents" and is a director of the Entrepreneurial Exchange.
Colin Temple
Colin Temple joined the footwear retailer Schuh as a merchandiser in 1986. A decade later, Temple was appointed merchandise director before taking the helm as managing director in 2002. Temple’s retail career began at Woolworths in 1984 as a retail management trainee rising to merchandise planning controller.
Temple graduated from Newcastle Polytechnic with a Retail distribution and marketing degree in 1981, just as Schuh was opening its first doors in Edinburgh. Schuh now has 57 stores across the UK and in Ireland and a highly successful online business.
Richard Higgs, brightsolid
A graduate of Warwick Business school and 22 years in the IT sector. Initially working with Relational Databases at Ingres he moved onto Bankers Trust to support correspondent banking relationships through the provision of Bankers Trust trading systems technology to other banks.
Richard then founded ADS systems UK for the parent company in the US and in three years grew the market cap from $3m to in excess of $25m when it was purchased by SunGard. Richard then joined a small consultancy group, doubled the revenues and profits took half of the equity in the business and developed a Enterprise Risk Management product, launched in 2001.
The company Strategic Thought Group was floated on the LSE AIM market in 2005 and remains the market leader according to Forrester's recent research. Richard remains a major shareholder of the group, but over the last 2 years has been advising other companies in turnaround or rapid growth situations.
Richard joined brightsolid at the beginning of December 2009 as the Managing Director of the online technology group.
Bill Farrar,
Group Sales and Marketing Director
Bill Farrar joined The Edrington Group in 1989 and was appointed to the board in October, 2003. He is chairman of Highland Distillers, chairman of the Edrington / Beam Global alliance and a fellow of the Marketing Society of Scotland.
The Edrington Group, a major private group in the Scotch whisky industry, owns the leading blended Scotch whisky, The Famous Grouse as well as the superb single malts, The Macallan and Highland Park.
In February 2008, Edrington diversified their portfolio by acquiring a major shareholding in Brugal & Co, the leading producer of golden rum in the Dominican Republic. In April 2010, the Group acquired the Cutty Sark brand from Berry Bros & Rudd, with whom it has enjoyed a long trading relationship.
The Edrington Group and Beam Global launched their new international sales and distribution alliance in 2009. Spanning 24 markets, the A lliance is designed to simplify routes-to-market with the partnership bringing both companies closer to customers and consumers across the globe.
Luke Johnson, Former Chairman of Channel 4 and Pizza Express
Luke Johnson studied medicine at Oxford University and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a media analyst at stockbroker Grieveson Grant (subsequently Kleinwort Benson Securities).
Luke took control of PizzaExpress with partners in 1993 and subsequently became Chairman. He grew the business from 12 owned restaurants to over 250, and the share price from 40p to over 900p.
He sold out in 1999 and started Signature Restaurants, which owned The Ivy and Le Caprice, as well as the Belgo chain, selling the business in 2005. He started the Strada restaurant concept from scratch and took the chain to 30 units and sold it in late 2005. The total proceeds from these two disposals were in excess of £90 million.
In the period 1993 to date he has been involved as a Director/owner of various quoted companies in retailing, pubs and bars, parcel delivery and maritime commerce, including Whittard of Chelsea, My Kinda Town, Nightfreight and American Port Services.
Luke founded Integrated Dental Holdings with partners in 1996 and grew it to become the largest UK chain of dental surgeries with over 500 dentists. This was sold in 2006 for over £100 million.
He is a co-founder/owner and Director of InterQuest Group plc, a quoted recruitment business. From 2004 to 2006 he was a Director of Dollar Financial Group Inc, a US NASDAQ traded corporation with some $80m EBITDA.
Since 2000 Luke has run Risk Capital Partners Ltd., focusing on private equity deals.
He has been a principal owner of GRA, the UK's largest greyhound track owner, since early 2005.
He was the principal owner of Mayfair Gaming, the chain of Riva bingo clubs, from 2004. This was sold in 2006 for an IRR of over 40%.
He is also the part owner and Chairman of Superbrands, Giraffe restaurants and Patisserie Valerie. He has been a major owner and Director of the market leader in car park equipment, APT Controls, since early 2007.
Luke was Chairman of Channel 4 Television Corporation from January 2004 to January 2010. In that time he appointed a new CEO, restructured the board and saw the organisation enjoy record ratings, revenues and surplus. He also serveed as Chairman of the trustees of the £150m Channel 4 staff pension plan.
In September 2007, Luke bought Borders, one of the UK's largest bookshop chains with revenues of over £200m. The business was sold in July 2009.
Luke wrote a weekly column on business matters for The Sunday Telegraph for eight years until 2006. He now writes a weekly column on entrepreneurship for The Financial Times. He was also a governor of The University of the Arts London between 2000 and 2006. He was appointed Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts in 2008. He is married with three children and lives in London.
Dr Derek Douglas CBE: Fund Raiser and Founder
Derek Douglas is CEO and Chairman of Adam Smith Ltd. based in Edinburgh and is a serial entrepreneur. For the past 20 years Derek has been involved in many early stage companies. Through ASL he provides corporate financial advice to SMEs and particularly start-ups seeking investment. He has a long history of successfully raising finance for start-ups and early stage companies and university spinouts. He is also involved in a number of charities. He was chairman of Maggie Centres for approximately 7 years and he helped take it from one centre and expand it throughout Scotland and then into England.
Derek is now a trustee of MacMillan Cancer Support.
Paul Grant, Managing Director, Mackays
Paul Grant spent 27 years with United Biscuits. In 1995 he bought Mackays from United Biscuits. Mackays manufactures marmalade, preserves and chutneys and markets its products as Mackays or Mrs Bridges.
From a nil position in 1995 today the company exports 35% of Turnover to 43 markets and 80+ customers.
In 2004 Mackays won the Queens Award for Enterprise for its International business achievement.
Details of new speakers to be publicised once they are confirmed.
Should you be interested in speaking at this conference please get in contact with the conference event manager, Jackie Malloy on 0141 309 3549 or email jmalloy@insider.co.uk