Iod scotland summer 18

Direction

SUMMER 2018

iod.com/scotland

The official membership magazine for the Institute of Directors in Scotland

SKILLS & TRAINING: A degree of difference: – and building a: partnership of skills: CONFERENCE 2018: First speakers: announced: Events diary: Events, from social: networking to CPD:

Building a: brighter future: Director of the Year:: Martin Armstrong, CEO:: of the Wheatley Group,:: on his holistic approach:: to social housing::

EVENTS

DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT

ADVICE AND INFORMATION

NEWS

Handing over the baton Executive comment: Throughout three turbulent years of change for Scotland, the UK and the world, the IoD has retained its distinctive, independent and influential voice, says IoD Scotland Chair Susan Deacon cbe In this, my last column as IoD Scotland Chair, I hope I can be forgiven for being in reflective mode. On the one hand it seems no time since I took up the post, on the other, the world has turned on its axis.

When I became Chair in 2015, Barack Obama was US President, the UK was staying in the EU, and the IoD Scotland ‘HQ’ was little more than two cramped rooms. Well, at least we now have fantastic premises!

The move to Charlotte Square has certainly been a highlight.

Challenging though the move initially was, we now have a home which befits a significant leadership organisation. It has become a national hub for Board and Director development, as well as leadership conversations with business, government and others.

Our relationship with the IoD at UK level has evolved too, not least since Stephen Martin took over as IoD Director General in 2017. The organisation has taken important steps forward in recognising the distinctive landscape of an ever more devolved Scotland, and is exploring ways of sharing resources to enhance our impact. While this is still a work in progress, things are moving in the right direction.

Within IoD Scotland, we have moved to strengthen our own governance, with our recently established Scotland Advisory Board taking forward a range of innovative work to increase our reach and offer to members. And, across Scotland, many new faces have taken on leadership roles in branches, further developing local activities throughout the country.

IoD Scotland has continued to build its membership across the private, public and third sectors and has fostered a range of relationships and partnerships, offering new products and services to members, as well as strengthening the connectivity and impact of leaders across Scotland.

Supporting and championing the achievements of entrepreneurs and young leaders has also been a focus, and the success of our Young Directors’ Forum has been a welcome development.

For me, personally, it has been a privilege to meet members across Scotland and to take part in IoD events in other parts of the UK. It has been an honour to represent IoD Scotland at all sorts of events – often celebrating the success and accomplishments of truly inspirational people. The IoD Scotland and IoD UK Director of the Year Awards have been

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particular highlights, as has our keynote Annual Conference.

IoD Scotland has always worked hard to remain politically neutral and this has, in turn, enabled us to continue to be a trusted and influential voice in representing the views of business leaders effectively to Parliamentarians and Ministers in both Scotland and the UK. While Brexit has been a particular focus of these discussions in recent times, we have also contributed to a much wider range of policy discussions and in an array of forums and debates on leadership, governance and the economy.

Every successful organisation relies on teamwork, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the IoD family who I have had the pleasure to work with over the past three years. In particular my thanks go to members of the former Scotland Committee, our Branches, and to members of the new Scotland Advisory Board – it is always gratifying to work as part of a committed team with a shared vision, values and purpose.

Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank David Watt and all the IoD Scotland staff team – past and present – for their commitment, enthusiasm and support.

With all the challenges that lie ahead, it is vital that Scotland continues to support and develop its leaders and directors. Good corporate governance must be the hallmark of every organisation. That’s why the work of the IoD is so important.

Thank you for letting me be part of that journey and good luck to all in IoD Scotland in the years to come.

“When I became Chair in 2015, Barack Obama was US President, the UK was staying in the EU, and the IoD Scotland ‘HQ’ was little more than two cramped rooms... well, at least we now have fantastic premises!”

IoD Scotland & Direction IoD Executive Director: David Watt For email enquiries: iod.scotland@iod.com W: www.iod.com Address: 10 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DR T: 0131 557 5488 Direction is the official membership magazine of Institute of Directors Scotland and is published on its behalf by: Chamber Media Services, 4 Hilton Road, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 3AG Advertising sales: Colin Regan Tel: 07871 444922 / 01942 537959 Email: colinregan001@ yahoo.co.uk Production: Rob Beswick Tel: 0161 426 7957 / 07964 375216 Email: rob@chamber mediaservices.co.uk Editorial: Please send press releases or editorial for consideration for future issues of Direction to: Lisa Donnelly Email: lisa@clark communications.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.

Cover: Martin Armstrong, CEO, The Wheatley Group Photo: Susie Lowe

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Executive Comment / News

Mind the gap Executive comment: While the media focus has been on the hard statistics of the gender pay imbalance, the real story is why we are not making the most of the talents of half the population, says David Watt, Executive Director of IoD Scotland.

This last quarter, the gender pay gap has been a hot issue, and yes, it is definitely a concern, but are the headlines masking the real issue?

The recent exposure of firms that appear to pay men more than women has brought gender balanced pay (or the lack thereof) to the top of the news agenda, which is excellent. Without doubt, we need to discuss it.

I worry, however, that these explosive figures causing shock and outrage are relatively meaningless, leading to an empty debate. The recent revelations are fuelling an unhelpful simplification of the real issue: that there are not enough women in senior positions.

Take, for example, the headline about Easyjet: ‘72% pay gap between men and women’. This doesn’t mean that male and female employees with the same job title are facing a 72% pay imbalance. However, by the time the discussion boils down, this is what we’re left with. Yet what the pay differential means is that many more women are cabin attendants and fewer are pilots – and this is where the real problem lies. This is just one example that plays out in all too many businesses across Scotland and the UK – not enough of our top positions are occupied by women.

The quality of the current debate does not help men, women or businesses move forward and build greater success.

The lack of female representation at the top of our businesses is a complex issue, and one which should have all leaders applying their talents to find a solution. It could be down to lack of real development opportunities; no intensive training provision or support; poor business culture or too much of a focus on traditional board composition – which isn’t good for any organisation. Just counting some very general and largely irrelevant numbers is not going to going to make a real difference.

Businesses, and indeed many noncommercial agencies, need to really focus on why women aren’t occupying top posts. There are several barriers to be broken down in order to have more female leaders in Scottish businesses. Boardroom politics, confidence and unconscious bias

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are just a few of the areas we need to look at, and quickly.

It is not just a case of equality and fairness – important though they are.

Success comes from having a business that reflects society, and very often the customer base. It is about being vested in 21st Century Scotland and reflecting the values that deliver improved performance.

Businesses need to be free to find quality leaders who are right for them.

And this includes being encouraged to step outside the traditional structures and embrace diversity. Tomorrow’s boardroom needs to be different, and over the coming years we need to see not only greater gender diversity, but diversity of thought too.

2018 is the Year of Young People, and this should make us think more about age diversity of the board, for example. The best boardrooms are host to a variety of backgrounds, education, age, gender and skills. They must clearly be the home of ideas and challenge if businesses are to be more successful – the boardroom is not a place for dogma.

We need to move forward to build capacity and competence, and ensure we train and develop our directors to get the

best out of them and their organisations for the benefit of our economy and our society.

As you look around Scotland there are still relatively few women in the pipeline for senior posts. It is incumbent on all current CEOs and other leaders to consider carefully if they are doing enough to change the balance for the future.

We need to reflect internally to reverse gaps in the boardroom and embrace the endless possibilities that can be delivered by change.

Counting numbers that are good for nothing but headlines does us all a great disservice.

“2018 is the Year of Young People, and this should make us think more about age diversity of the board ... the best boardrooms are host to a variety of backgrounds, age, education, gender and skills...”

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Welcome return for Scottish International Week Following our successful first-ever International Week in 2017, IoD Scotland is pleased to announce its return for 2018.

This unique series of events brings together distinguished international experts to share their experience and guidance. If you are interested in understanding what opportunities exist around the globe today and how these can be accessed, then this is certainly for you.

The event will take place between 17-21 September 2018, at 10 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. The events are free to attend and open to all.

For more information, visit www.scottishinternationalweek.com • The IoD is currently looking for speakers and sponsors to contribute to this unique event. Please get in touch via Kirsty.Livingstone@iod.com for more details.

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IoD Scotland is giving back David Watt, executive director of IoD Scotland, was pleased to visit the Royal Hospital for Children to present Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity with a cheque for £1,390.

The money was raised at the IoD Scotland Annual Conference at Gleneagles in November, and will be used to support 168,000 babies, children and young people who are treated at the hospital every year.

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Members’ News

YES boost for the circular economy

Young entrepreneurs in the west of Scotland are being encouraged to lead an environmental revolution by taking part in interactive sustainability sessions.

Around 1,000 primary and secondary pupils will be involved in the Circular Economy Challenge, a programme run by Young Enterprise Scotland and funded by the Scottish Power Foundation.

In a series of practical workshops, young people will be encouraged to think about how businesses can run effectively and successfully in a world with finite resources by making their own sustainable product – in a sector that has been christened the ‘circular economy’.

It’s all change at Scottish Slimmers after acquisition

Young people from each school will create and market their own product or service, and present it to a panel of industry experts.

Geoff Leask, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise Scotland said: “More than 200,000 jobs are expected to be created in the circular economy sector in Britain by 2030, so it’s vital that we provide young people with the skills and aptitudes they will need to lead and work in businesses in the future.

“The circular economy sessions will get young people thinking about how they would redesign the current model, and will also increase awareness of and respect for the environment.”

Weight loss and healthy eating brand Scottish Slimmers is under new ownership following a six-figure sum acquisition by Best You (Wellbeing) Limited. The company will be headed up by leading Scottish entrepreneur Amanda Boyle OBE, who has taken the role of Chief Executive.

Scottish Slimmers, which is headquartered in Aberdeen, delivers group support for people who want to lose weight and improve their lives. It operates in 100 towns and cities across Scotland, employing more than 60 membership managers and staff at its head office.

Commenting on her new role, Amanda Boyle said: “Scottish Slimmers is a recognised leader in the weight loss industry and, in a market that’s worth more than £2bn each year, this is a great opportunity to breathe new life into a well-respected brand that needed updating.

“We are on a mission to transform the way the world thinks about weight loss and wellbeing. Our focus on nutritionally balanced eating plans sets Scottish Slimmers apart from our competitors. No fads or shortcuts, just real food, for real people, with real results.”

• More on Scottish Slimmers see page 23 • IoD members’ benefit: see pg 35

Whyte & Mackay flying high with two new Emirates listings Whyte & Mackay Ltd has secured prestigious new listings for two of its key products on board Emirates Airlines.

In a major coup for the Glasgow-based distiller, The Dalmore whisky and Jura Single Malt have taken their place on the Emirates inflight menu, which features some of the world’s most iconic liquor brands.

Whyte & Mackay’s The Dalmore King Alexander III is now available to Emirates’ First Class travellers and Jura Superstition Single Malt to passengers in Business Class.

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Whyte & Mackay Middle East, India and Africa Area Director Ashish Monga added: “We are privileged to partner with Emirates and to have The Dalmore and Jura on-board First and Business Class respectively.

“Over a decade, both brands have seen enormous growth, and we are grateful to Emirates for providing this wonderful opportunity that will allow existing and new drinkers to enjoy our brands while in the air and enjoying the service of its team.”

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£30m Ferry Terminal is gateway to Arran Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Derek Mackay officially opened the new Brodick Ferry Terminal last month.

The project has created a flagship harbour for the Isle of Arran, one of Scotland’s most popular visitor destinations, and provides 21st century facilities that will boost the local economy and support the thriving island tourist industry.

It is the single biggest port infrastructure construction project delivered by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which received funding support from Transport Scotland, North Ayrshire Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and Coastal Communities Fund to deliver full-scale redevelopment of the island terminal.

Kevin Hobbs MIoD, chief executive, CMAL said: “The new Brodick Ferry Terminal is a fantastic addition to the island’s transport and tourism infrastructure, offering islanders and visitors a more resilient ferry service and a more comfortable and safer travel experience.

“The opening of the new terminal marks a key milestone in our investment programme for Arran.

“The new ferry for the Ardrossan to Brodick route, MV Glen Sannox, was launched late last year and the new terminal will be a fitting, modern home for this innovative vessel when it enters service”

New Skyscanner app is making tracks Skyscanner has launched a new train booking feature, expanding its existing flight, hotel and car hire offerings to UK travellers.

The travel experts found that UK customers frequently searched for over 350 UK destinations which aren’t served by a nearby airport. To tackle this, the new feature allows travellers to search for cheap rail tickets for domestic journeys without booking fees.

Over 60% of Skyscanner’s traffic is made up by mobile users, and the trains feature is currently available for UK-based IOS app users, and will be made available to Android app users in the UK shortly.

Skyscanner, was bought by Chinese online travel agency Ctrip in 2016. The new service will be powered by international travel booking service Trip.com, which is also owned by Ctrip, and Trip.com will also facilitate bookings and provide 24-hour customer service to users.

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Commercial property: can you use it to build an effective pension?

If, like many business owners, you hold commercial property within your pension scheme, and that property is directly linked to your business, you’ll have some important decisions to make around what to do with the property when you retire, says Graeme Dreghorn, Ascot Lloyd Independent Financial Adviser.

While property is a great value asset, it’s not the most liquid investment around. So how can you make your commercial property ‘work’ for you in retirement?

Navigating the complexities Holding property within a pension can be incredibly tax efficient, but it does create some complexities. For example, the property is owned by the pension, not the business, which can muddy the waters if you want to sell the company.

Or, if you intend to hand the business over to family and want to make them purchase the property, pension rules state that commercial property must be valued at market rates, which may make it unattractive to the younger generation. What if they want to take on the business, but not the property that comes with it?

Then there’s the issue of the pension lifetime allowance, currently set at £1.03 million.

All you need is a plan You don’t want to be left with a high-value asset in your pension, with no plan for selling it or generating an income from it – or having to pay unnecessary tax penalties. The key is to think ahead and decide what will happen to the property in the future: How will you sell the property to realise the cash?

Or, if it’s more efficient to keep the property in your pension, how will you generate rental yield from it? Will you wind up the business and simply rent the place out?

Crucially, this must all be considered as early as possible, not just before you retire. Ascot Lloyd regularly works with business owners at various stages of their business to review their pension and plan ahead.

This may include spreading investments, for example, by holding additional cash investments that will act as a cushion in the first year of retirement.

Holding commercial property in your pension can be very tax efficient, but it’s important to think about how you’ll get the most out of that property when you retire.

Ascot Lloyd advisers will help you understand your projected income and expenditure, so that you can make the best financial decisions for your future.

If you’d like more information, you can contact us on 0141 225 8500. 120 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 2QD. Talk to us for tailored advice that’s right for you.

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Behind the Desk: Finding out what makes leaders tick

Celine: Sinclair: Trust in your staff and: foster a ‘can-do’ attitude: to make a difference:

What is the greatest recurring challenge you come across in your role, and what’s your strategy for dealing with it?

The greatest challenge in The Yard is saying no. We are offered so many opportunities which represent real growth on an annual basis. I am surrounded by a team that are truly invested in making a difference to the lives of disabled children and their families. This ‘can-do’ culture creates real dynamism but with that comes constant change. Growth and change have to be measured if you are going to succeed and good strategic planning and broad team consultation are essential if you are not to become derailed.

What is your long-term vision for the organisation that you lead?

We want all disabled children and young people in Scotland to have opportunities to have fun and friendship and the chance to play.

What keeps you awake at night?

It is often an individual story that will keep me awake. If you keep the individual at the heart of what you do you are much less likely to lose sight of what you are trying to achieve when your daily working life is all about the bigger picture.

Who, or what, drives or inspires you?

Everyday I am humbled to witness the dedication and selflessness of parents and the spirit and determination of children

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Overview

Name: Celine Sinclair Position: Chief Executive Company: The Yard Number of employees: 28 full time equivalent Short overview of organisation: The Yard is an award-winning Scottish charity running adventure play services for disabled children, young people and their families.

It offers creative, adventurous indoor and outdoor play experiences in a well-supported environment. It was set up in 1986 by a group of parents, teachers and social workers who recognised the need for a safe place to play. Since then The Yard’s services have grown significantly, but retain the ethos of child-centred and -led play.

The flagship Edinburgh centre was refurbished by BBC DIY SOS in 2012.

The Yard Dundee opened in 2015, followed by The Yard Fife in 2016.

The Yard now has over 600 members and it supported over 1,000 families in 2017.

and young people who face real challenges in their lives.

The chance to make life more fun and more fulfilling for those families is the key driver as well as the enormous sense of achievement derived from knowing we are doing it well.

What is the ‘next big thing’ that will transform your sector?

The shift in Scotland towards community empowerment will see the birth of many new small charities and a focus on good governance will be essential if we are to retain trust in the sector.

What makes a good leader great?

The ability to build strong teams and the confidence to let them flourish. Trusting your staff will allow them to fly. I believe that integrity and openness combined with commitment to good governance are also essential in all business.

What piece of technology do you rely on most?

My iPhone. I feel lost without it.

Have you had a mentor, and what did he/she add to your development?

They taught me that we are all learning all the time and it is okay not to know how to do something. Not knowing does not mean you cannot do it; it just means you have to learn how to do it.

Even leaders aren’t the finished article. What’s next in your leadership development journey?

I have learnt that trusting your gut instinct in a leadership role is invariably correct but the discipline of always doing the analysis pays dividends.

The quality of our service is built on good reflective practice and I would like to learn how to better embed this culture of reflection and evaluation into strategic planning.

What is your favourite social media platform, and what does it bring to your business/organisation?

Facebook and Twitter have allowed The Yard to increase its reach and supported communications before we had a team.

What needs to be fixed?

Funding cycles for the voluntary sector.

They need to be longer in order to plan more effectively.

What leadership advice would you give your younger self?

Warmth and kindness are underestimated qualities in leadership but bring great loyalty from teams. I believe when you are in the business of improving lives organisational culture is the cornerstone of success.

Celine Sinclair, CEO of The Yard, was named IoD Scotland Director of the Year - Small Business at this year’s awards. See pg 30 for more details.

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Downtime

Fazenda might just be Edinburgh’s hottest ticket this summer The first-ever Scottish branch of Fazenda Bar & Grill, the popular Brazilian restaurant, has launched in Edinburgh.

The restaurant opened on George Street following a £2 million refurbishment of the site, which can cater for 175 diners, incorporating a 40-cover bar, plus a private dining room.

“It has been an amazing start for us in Edinburgh,” said Tomas Maunier MIoD, co-founder of the restaurant, which currently has branches in Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool. “People have welcomed us, and given us great feedback.

“We feel the city is a perfect match for us. Our unique dining experience is something Edinburgh has never encountered before, and we’re quickly becoming a favourite for both locals and tourists.”

It’s the hottest ticket in town for

business conversation, as well as food – with the IoD Edinburgh Branch already enjoying a private dinner hosted by owner Tomas in April, where he took members

through the restaurant concept, and outlined his future plans for the business.

Fazenda Bar & Grill is at 102 George Street, Edinburgh.

Major brands pledge to call time on single-use plastics Social Bite Village opens doors to tenants Social Bite, the social enterprise which donates its profits towards tackling homelessness, has completed its ‘Social Bite Village’ in Edinburgh, for which many leading business figures spent a freezing winter night in the city’s Princes Street Gardens in 2017 or Charlotte Square in 2016.

The site, which is in the Granton area of the capital, will create a safe, low-cost living environment for up to 20 people for around 12-18 months. It will consist of 10 compact homes, each of which will accommodate two residents.

The final two homes were transported to the village in April marking the project, which was managed by Cruden Group, nearly complete, with only landscaping and other finishing touches remaining.

According to Social Bite, the project is not a one-stop solution for all of homelessness.

Instead, it aims to break the cycle of homelessness for residents by giving them pathways into employment and permanent housing.

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As part of the recent UK Plastics Pact, 42 leading companies have agreed to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic packaging by 2025.

Companies who have agreed to the pact include Asda, Coca-Cola, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, and Waitrose, among many other well-known brands.

WRAP, the resource efficiency body which is delivering the initiative, said the businesses involved are responsible for more than 80% of the plastic packaging on products sold through British

supermarkets.

Many figures, including Environment Secretary Michael Gove, have praised the pact, citing it as a major milestone for more effectively managing our resources.

However, others, including anti-plastics campaigner Sian Sutherland, while agreeing the pact is a good step forward, have pointed out that most plastic can be recycled only a few times before it is unusable. Which raises the question – how can we as consumers reduce our plastic consumption further?

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Bitesize comment:

Low expectations over social media regulation plans

Mark Zuckerberg recently testified before Congress about Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica data breach. The Facebook CEO answered many questions, but it’s not his answers that should worry people – it’s Congress’s questions. Here are some examples... ‘How do you sustain a business model in which users don’t pay for your service?’ Facebook makes billions a year by selling ads.

‘If I’m emailing within WhatsApp, does that ever inform your advertisers?’

WhatsApp isn’t an email platform, and all WhatsApp messages are encrypted, so not even Facebook can see them.

‘How many data categories does Facebook store on the categories that you collect?’ Zuckerberg asked the Senator to clarify on this one. She couldn’t.

Data regulation is no laughing matter.

But if so many of the world’s leading legislators are still lacking a basic understanding of digital technologies, meaningful social media regulation still looks a long way off!

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Having a laugh... Senators’ questions didn’t challenge Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

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Technical briefing: Business models

When your business doesn’t fit the traditional model of commerce, it creates new challenges. Simon Erlanger explains more...

At Isle of Harris Distillers, the primary purpose is to support the economic regeneration of a remote Hebridean island. But how does this fit with the commercial imperatives of a private enterprise? How is it compatible with the need to compete effectively in a craft gin category with over 50 Scottish competitors, not to mention the hundreds from elsewhere?

The profit motive is a driver of efficiency. Profitable businesses attract more capital to pursue their growth ambitions. A raison d’etre that aims to maximise employment should naturally be at odds with this.

The challenge for Isle of Harris Distillers was to turn this constraint into a competitive advantage and therefore an asset rather than a liability.

The starting point was the ‘Brand Blueprint’ we established even before the funds were raised to build the distillery. A simple summary of our purpose and values, the Brand Blueprint provided the catalyst for a range of ideas which would translate into superior profit margins needed to cover the high costs associated with our remote location and our ethos.

An early decision was to employ local staff wherever possible. Our team of distillers are all islanders with no prior industry experience, requiring extensive training and ongoing consultant support.

Their lack of experience is more than compensated by a rare commitment and pride. Our decision to carry out all possible operations on the Isle of Harris has resulted in much higher costs than a mainland operation, in both manpower and logistics.

We have turned these costly constraints into competitive advantage by emphasising our true island provenance and our social mission in our storytelling.

The combination of an inspiring story and a superior product beautifully presented, have enabled us to justify a superpremium price from the outset.

Our value of ‘nurturing belonging’ led us to re-consider our route to market and resulted in a ‘direct to consumer’ model of making our gin exclusively available online, an industry first. The cachet of a product not available in retail has further supported our premium price. Bypassing the traditional supply chain has additionally produced superior margins and shipping our gin direct, bottle by bottle, has enabled us to employ more local people in the operation.

With no ‘exit plan’ and a perspective

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The Isle of Harris Distillers team: their pride and loyalty to the company have helped overcome many challenges

Turning social ethos into a competitive business advantage reaching out for generations, it is imperative that growth is sustainable.

Doing the right thing; not just for now but for the future. ‘Life takes Time’ is another of our values.

Two years into our journey, with initial targets surpassed (both profits and staff numbers), the question of scalability of the

Distillery production manager Kenny Maclean tends to one of the barrels

model starts to come to the fore.

Scalability for us will always be relative, given the constraints of our island location. Scaling the business, like everything else, must be done in sympathy with the purpose and values. We will learn and adapt – seeking the sweet spot of sustainable, profitable growth.

In a few years from now, our single malt will come of age. Our storytelling today, our products and our way of working, are laying the groundwork for its arrival.

The glue that binds all the above and that we hope will prove to be the key to longevity, is the sense of belonging we nurture in all of our stakeholders. We choose partners who are inspired by our project – it’s not simply a commercial arrangement.

By telling our story to everyone we come across, by keeping it honest, straight and true (another value), we surround ourselves with people who want to be part of the adventure. I believe that this combination of head and heart will be our ultimate competitive advantage.

• Simon Erlanger, managing Director, Isle of Harris Distillers, was named IoD Scotland Director of the Year - Medium Size Businesses, at this year’s

awards. See pg 30.

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IoD Leaders Interview: Martin Armstrong

Building a brighter future for all

IoD Scotland Director of the Year Martin Armstrong, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Wheatley Group, talks to Rob Beswick about his holistic view of the role good quality housing can have in peoples’ lives, and how this has driven the transformation of a struggling housing association with an uncertain future into one of Europe’s largest and best-performing social housing organisations.

Martin Armstrong – the IoD Scotland Director of the Year for Large Businesses – is proud of the many awards displayed on the walls of the Wheatley Group’s headquarters.

There are dozens. They range from small local accolades to ones that reflect global recognition of its work as one of the UK’s leading housing, care and property management organisations.

They tell the story of how communities have been revitalised by the group’s work, how lives have been transformed and how people have been empowered to take control of their own destinies – all starting with a decent house they could call a home. It’s a remarkable haul and a very public way of celebrating Wheatley’s success. But, as the old saying goes, it wasn’t always like this…

Wheatley Group, the parent company overseeing, among others, Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) (see panel on page 16), can arguably trace its direct heritage back to 2008 when Martin arrived to try to make sense of Glasgow’s social housing goliath.

GHA had left the city council’s direct control five years earlier, and since that day had had a deeply troubled relationship with its stakeholders and partners, such as Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council.

Also, the CEO’s chair was more of an ejector seat – Martin was the fifth to occupy it since 2003 – and it seemed unlikely that the fragmented morass of 63 organisations which had emerged from the council’s housing operation could ever become a coherent, customer-focused collective that could make real improvements in people’s lives.

Despite the challenges, however, Martin was prepared to try. His background showed a proven track record of success in a number of high-profile local authority roles, including that of director of housing at West Lothian Council. More importantly, he had a real grasp of the role

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good housing could play. “From my earliest days, I had a holistic sense of what good housing meant to people. It’s more than just a roof over your head; your home was hugely important to other aspects of your life – your education, whether you could access training or get a job or not. It influenced the community around you. I knew that GHA had a vital role to play in the lives of its tenants.”

However, he admitted that the challenge was daunting. “GHA’s reputation among its stakeholders was on the floor,” he recalls.

“Staff were demoralised and disconnected.

GHA itself was not a permanent organisation and its planned break-up into 63 separate bodies was confusing to everyone. There was no clear management structure, no clear narrative. Everything about it was unravelling and the GHA brand was seen by many as being toxic.”

When a senior business figure enters a large organisation they normally inherit something, Martin pointed out, you can work with – processes, policies, structures.

But with GHA “there was none of that. We had to start building the organisation up from the base and lay new foundations.”

In many ways, this was wholly appropriate, for an organisation in the housing sector!

The initial goal for Martin was to establish some credibility for the organisation. “I set out to establish a set of values and an overarching vision staff could relate to and get behind. We also had to create a sense of legitimacy and to make GHA an organisation its staff were proud to work for.”

How did he achieve it? “Through trust,” he said. “Trust in me, the Executive Team, the Board and the things we were setting out. We had to get employees to believe in us. We couldn’t just say ‘we have trust and confidence in our people’ and then continue with a central command philosophy that ignored them. We had to delegate decision making, allow housing officers to take control locally and make

decisions – and then back them.

“Our vision was to regain our remit as a social enterprise with a social purpose, with a leadership style that was nurturing and coaching, not by diktat and telling people want to do.”

With such a disparate organisation, it is no surprise there was no over-arching aim with which staff could identify. Martin changed that. “At the heart of the new organisation would be our ‘One GHA’ philosophy, to bring everyone together under one banner.”

This was all happening against a challenging back drop involving a re-profiling of a 2,500-strong workforce to match a reducing housing stock through what was known as Second Stage Transfer.

This involved the ownership and management of 20,000-plus GHA homes being transferred to other communitybased housing associations in the city.

“Back at GHA, this necessitated obviously a significant reduction in our head count. But it also gave us the opportunity to re-shape and re-think our service delivery, with a clear and vital focus on strengthening the frontline and to flatten our management structures. The end result was an unprecedented and immediate uplift in customer satisfaction levels.

“This proved we got the balance and the focus right. By increasing our army of housing officers and giving them patch sizes of just 200 houses – among the lowest anywhere in Europe – we were able to transform the way GHA operated and to bring about a transformational impact on tenants’ lives.”

That goal was summed up in the new philosophy, ‘Better homes, better lives, better Glasgow’ - with an emphasis on the word homes, not houses. “We build homes, not houses,” stresses Martin. “A home is personal to you. It is an important distinction; we wanted to give all our tenants a real base from which they could build their lives.”

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The strategy immediately gained traction among employees and tenants: “We were quickly at a point where staff were proud to be part of this great GHA adventure, and our customer satisfaction levels hit 90 per cent plus.”

Staff were empowered to deliver improvements to the way GHA operated and to respond more quickly and more readily to tenants’ requests. But despite this sea change, Martin wanted more.

“We’d seen a vast improvement in both public perception of GHA and its service levels, but I wanted to push the concept of empowering staff and tenants still further.”

That push ushered in a remarkable customer offer.

“I called in the staff from four of our housing offices and asked them to run a pilot programme called ‘Think Yes’. “The idea was that no matter what came through the door, no matter what the request was from tenants, they were to ‘think yes, we’ll do that’.”

It was a huge shock, but one the housing officers embraced. “They were delighted and went away happy, but after a month, nothing had changed. I called them back and asked what was going on and they WWW.IOD.COM

were honest; they said: ‘We didn’t think you were serious… we didn’t think you’d follow it through’.

“I told them to trust me, and if it went wrong, on my head be it. They agreed to really engage with the idea, but asked only one thing – would I guarantee it would stay in place for at least six months? I agreed… and they put Think Yes into practice.”

A very brave move; the default position to tenants’ requests would be ‘Yes’.

“Rather than saying to tenants ‘set out your case, convince me it’s a good idea’, if tenants came in with an idea or request we were going to assume it was possible unless told otherwise. The housing teams were encouraged to see the individual in front of them, not just a problem to deal with.

“It transformed the way the four teams worked. We had a follow-up meeting where we heard dozens of really good stories of it in practice. Our tenants had worked with our officers to really make a difference, whether in their own lives or across their communities.

“One story stood out. A housing officer told me he had reduced a recently widowed lady to tears because he had

simply arranged for her home to be decorated. The officer told me it was the first time he’d gone home and talked about his work in 20 years… he was that proud of the impact his actions had had on that old lady.”

The Think Yes culture was transforming lives – and garnering the plaudits. “By 2011-2012 – just three years after we had the worst reputation you could ever hope to have – we earned a major business accreditation from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).” Remarkably, that was bettered late last year when GHA was one of only three companies to win the EFQM’s ultimate Global Business Excellence (the multinational manufacturing giant Bosch and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority were the others).

To many that would be a fitting point at which to end a remarkable transformation, but it still wasn’t enough. To Martin, “housing is at the heart of our communities. Good housing – good homes – offer the stable base from which people can really flourish. But we could do more.

Continued on page 16

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IoD Leaders Interview: Martin Armstrong

Continued from page 15 “We could use that base and help people build better lives for themselves, giving them the opportunities that had previously been closed off to them. We placed an even greater focus on supporting tenants to access employment, training and education opportunities.”

This included GHA and all of the partner organisations within Wheatley to increase their apprenticeship programme four-fold, working closely with local schools and colleges to identify, for example, potential apprentices within its communities, as well as offering bursaries for students to go on to college and university.

This latter programme wasn’t without difficulties to begin with, however. “We had a big drop-out rate early on. So, we sat down with the universities and colleges and students and tried to find out why. It was simple: the students came from backgrounds where going to university wasn’t the done thing, it wasn’t what they were expected to do. There were no peers to help them settle down in a new environment and they felt out of place.

“We worked with the universities to help smooth out some of the problems and immediately started to see a difference.

Our bursary students now have among the lowest of drop-out rates.”

Named after John Wheatley, the ‘father of social housing’ and a Health Minister under Ramsey MacDonald whose 1924 Housing Act fostered the growth of municipal housing in the UK, Wheatley Group was formed with the express intention of delivering GHA’s awardwinning standards of housing and service delivery across Scotland. It was a transformational decision: “All 11 Wheatley subsidiaries have adopted the ‘Think Yes’ philosophy, coming together as a commercial social enterprise driven by a commitment to excellence in all we do.”

The model was tested to the max in 2014 when Wheatley Group approached the bond market for the first time, looking for eye-watering sums of capital from private investors to fund a major building programme. “We were looking to raise £300 million to build thousands of badly-needed new homes across Scotland.

The offer was over-subscribed by £145 million and we hit our target in just 90 minutes.”

Since then Wheatley has attracted an additional £315 million of private investment and is well on its way to achieving its £1 billion target, enabling it to cement its position as the UK’s largest builder of social rented homes.

What Wheatley Group has proved beyond all doubt is that high-performing social enterprises make good business sense. “These investors don’t become involved because they want to look good

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“We had effectively: commercialised social: enterprise, translating: our social housing: model into a form that: the business world: could understand and,: more importantly,: support...”: by investing in social housing. They want and demand a financial return. They are hard-nosed investors and are reassured our business plan and model made strong commercial sense to go with the acute social purpose” The journey from that initial foray into the London capital markets continues.

However, as Martin says, “it is a journey and a story that will never end. We’ll keep on improving our services and our homes, getting even closer to our customers, engaging with them and involving them in

The Wheatley family

provides homes and services to over 200,000 people in 17 local authority areas across Scotland and comprises: • GHA, Scotland’s largest social landlord, with 40,000 affordable homes • Dunedin Canmore • Cube Housing Association • Loretto Housing • West Lothian Housing Partnership • Barony Housing Association • Loretto Care • YourPlace Property Management • Lowther Homes • Wheatley Solutions • Wheatley Foundation • City Building (Glasgow)

the way we go about our business, their business.

“We are always looking over the horizon and have begun the process of devising our strategy and setting ambitious new goals that will take us through from 2020 until 2025.”

And there’ll be more homes. “We have over 1,800 houses at the moment at some point of construction. We’ll keep on offering more, while all the time putting the Wheatley Group at the heart of our tenants’ lives.”

Current plans will see the number of apprentices and trainees increase even further and continuing support for the charity Social Bite and its efforts to tackle Scotland’s rough sleeping problem.

Martin is keen to stress the IoD’s Director of the Year award was a triumph for everyone at Wheatley. He was surprised and quietly delighted to learn he was the first winner from outside the private sector. “It’s not my award, it’s ours.

We’ve a real energy and power in this organisation to take it to the next level.

We’re going to keep on building a better future for our tenants and supporting their ambitions, whether it’s to have a real home, to learn skills and get a job, or to build a better community in which to live.”

“We’ll keep moving and keep evolving in the way we operate. Nothing ever stands still at Wheatley.”

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Technical briefing: Skills and training

Seeing a degree of difference David Coyne

The global economy is a competitive place where everyone is looking for an edge, whether it’s in product and service innovation, in production systems or delivery channels. But are we looking creatively enough at our talent?

Across the world the skills of the workforce are rising. Around 40% of young people in the OECD will pursue a university degree and that figure is 70% in South Korea. It’s obvious, isn’t it, that hiring graduates is the smart move. Well, no, it’s not necessarily.

Industry 4.0 is upon us. We are seeing advances in AI and robotics, and processes will change at an increasingly rapid pace.

Why are we still using Skills 3.0? There are obvious areas where several years in an academic institution is the right preparation for work, but we shouldn’t assume that universities are the best place to develop the talents required for agile and unpredictable markets and products.

Elon Musk famously doesn’t care whether applicants to work in Tesla have a degree or not.

Three things do matter: Human skills – self management, inter-cultural fluency, emotional intelligence and critical thinking and the other skills that separate us from the robots. For us to be, and to lead, the T-shaped workers we hear about, we need to value and to nourish the Human Skills.

A Learning workplace – what we did five years ago is not what we do now and will not be what we do in five years’ time. We need to invest in upgrades to our human assets by training, upskilling and reequipping them for tomorrows challenges.

(Yes, if you train them they might leave, but it would be worse if you don’t and they stay!)

Industry and job specific ‘deep’ knowledge – Every company is unique and has unique needs. The time to convert generic academic knowledge to applied job knowledge is a cost of the compartmentalisation in Skills 3.0.

Knowledge and practice imparted in the workplace is directly applied and specific.

Each of those factors can exist in a virtuous cycle, where companies embrace work-based learning. The deep knowledge and human skills are particularly suited to being developed in the workplace, between colleagues and in contact with suppliers and customers, and a culture of ongoing learning makes companies more resilient.

People talk a lot about German and

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Swiss systems, in which on-the-job training is the norm. We have a different system, and it won’t ever be like that in the UK, but work-based learning can drive productivity and innovation.

I spoke recently with the head of employee development from a German power tool manufacturer and he was very clear that apprentices were an integral part of the R&D process, where the old hands and trainees work together in a ‘Crazy Lab’, passing knowledge and insight, as well as attitudes and cultures between them, embedding a knowledge DNA in the organisation.

In Scotland, we have a highly advanced apprenticeship offer, with Foundation Apprentices who are still at school and doing formal learning in the workplace, Modern Apprentices, who cover all the traditional crafts and many new ones, through to Graduate Apprentices who are pursuing degrees in the workplace.

The universities and companies involved are enthusiasts; they use the language of co-production, with the skill sets being honed on the shop floor from day one. There is a noticeable absence of the slightly depressing rhetoric from some quarters that portrays firms as a dumb consumer of a labour product turned out by out-of-touch institutions.

Our economic lives are going to be complicated enough over the coming years without difficulties in securing a talented workforce. It’s time to see things differently and work with educators and learners (and their parents!) to build the workforce of tomorrow.

It’s time to embrace work-based learning and create Skills 4.0.

• David Coyne is the Director of the Centre for Work-Based Learning at Skills Development Scotland

“What we did five years ago is not what we do now and will not be what we do in five years’ time. We need to invest in upgrades to our human assets by training, upskilling and re-equipping them for tomorrows challenges...”

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Technical briefing: Skills and Training

A partnership for future skills The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is working with employers and training providers to meet Scotland’s skills needs and understand key sectoral trends — supporting businesses and learners across Scotland in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Information technology skills specialist QA Apprenticeships is one of many organisations that has been working with SQA. QA Apprenticeships is a provider of information technology (IT) and business apprenticeships. With 1,000 candidates across Scotland, it supports employers and provides award-winning apprenticeship programmes.

QA has over 30 years’ experience in IT training, and develops apprenticeships that deliver for its client-base of employers across Scotland and England, with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen.

In 2011, it became an SQA Approved Centre and now delivers SQA qualifications that are relevant to employers and develop the right workplace skills for learners.

These include: • Diplomas in Information Security • Diplomas in Information Technology and Telecommunications • Diplomas in Digital Marketing • Diplomas in Digital Application Support • SVQs in Business and Administration • SVQs in Providing Financial Services • National Progression Awards in PC Passport Over the years, this partnership has grown and has allowed QA to enhance its performance in Scottish markets and make a significant contribution to the digital skills landscape.

David Hannah, QA’s head of delivery apprenticeships – Scotland, is delighted with how the working partnership with SQA has evolved: “We work consistently with SQA to deliver a quality solution for our clients and our learners. The support we receive from our account manager, Derek Houston, is invaluable. He has guided us through SQA’s robust quality assurance processes and ensures we benefit from SQA’s expertise.

“Some 92% of QA employers say we add value to their business — becoming an SQA Approved Centre has allowed us to increase this value. Not only do we now deliver a range of SQA qualifications, we also have direct involvement in the development of qualifications.

David continues: “Feedback from our customers highlighted a need for qualifications in digital marketing. We worked closely with Derek, and SQA’s qualifications development teams to get

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SQA’s Derek Houston (right) and David Hannah of QA Apprenticeships with some of the IT company’s apprentices

the digital marketing diploma created & credit rated on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). This qualification is now the key component of a recognised Modern Apprenticeship in digital marketing in Scotland.”

Derek Houston, SQA regional manager for Glasgow, has helped build this partnership with QA, and has regular involvement with employers and key stakeholders in the IT and digital sectors: “In 2016, I worked with Skills Development Scotland to engage with employers addressing issues affecting the

Sponsored by the Scottish Government’s learning directorate, SQA is committed to supporting the Scottish education system.

Its regional managers actively engage with public, private and third sector organisations as well as schools and colleges to ensure Scotland’s qualifications are robust, relevant and respected.

SQA qualifications are designed and continually reviewed in partnership with industry experts to foster the workplace skills and experience needed in the real working world, to make businesses more competitive and Scotland’s economy more

“We work with SQA to deliver a quality solution for our clients and our learners.

The support we receive is invaluable ... and ensures we benefit from SQA’s expertise...

IT and digital sectors. This resulted in the formation of the Tech Industry Advisory Board, which aims to shape the future of qualifications for ICT and digital sectors, by encouraging collaboration between public and private sector organisations.

“This group is taking big steps in achieving this – with members involved in the development of Higher National Certificates (HNCs), Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), and Professional Development Awards (PDAs) in cyber security.

“SQA is delighted to be working in partnership with QA Apprenticeships. This partnership can be replicated anywhere across a range of sectors. Our dedicated team of regional managers and business development consultants are ready to work with employers across Scotland to ensure we are meeting future skills needs.”

dynamic.

As Scotland’s national awarding body, SQA is uniquely placed to support businesses in an ever-changing skills landscape.

SQA also has centres in other parts of the UK and across the globe. It is recognised by the Office of Qualifications & Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) to deliver qualifications in England, and its international operations include an established programme in China.

Every business working with SQA has a dedicated account manager – one point of contact who will take the time to get to know them and how they work, and who understands the particular challenges in their area.

Find out more about SQA at www.sqa.org.uk WWW.IOD.COM

Technical briefing: Boardroom development

Shaping the future of the boardroom Caroline Donaldson The perennial problem of gaining the experience to get along doesn’t just rear its head at the start of our careers. It is an issue for experienced workers too, at board level – and something the IoD and the Scottish Government are both committed to tackling, particularly for female directors, who remain woefully underrepresented in the boardroom.

Just how does a director come to the table board-ready?

The board is a vastly different environment from a senior management team, or a project board. Even if you are already operating at board level, advancing to different sectors, or bigger boards, can be hard. Participating in a board, and most importantly making an effective, measured contribution, requires a very particular skill set – but those skills are usually formed on-the-job, rendering the boardroom a closed-off, intimidating space for some.

To achieve diversity in boardrooms across Scotland will take time, and some hard work to ensure that those who might not be naturally inclined to head for the boardroom are welcomed into that environment, armed with the skills and confidence to make their mark.

A Scottish board shadowing initiative involving both IoD and the Scottish Government has, to date, focused on a successful programme of board placements for women, where potential trustees and board members have

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participated in some of Scotland’s biggest or well-established boards. At Scottish Water, Skills Development Scotland and Hymans Robertson, for example, over 50 female leaders have been placed for a 12-month period to gain a practical insight into how boards operate and a clear picture of what’s involved in being a board member.

21 participants have, so far, taken up formal board positions on completion, and another 21 are still at the shadowing stage.

The participants, from different backgrounds, sectors and at varying stages of their leadership journey, gain a deep understanding of how a board operates and learn about chair and board member behaviours. The confidence they gain from that experience has proved invaluable to the contributors, whether or not they decide to go on to apply for board level roles afterwards.

Some have coupled their experience with additional training to transform themselves into the best board-ready package, and they are already making a difference.

Participants have reported that their shadowing experience has been a great success, gaining insight into governance issues, learning now to influence, manage and question more effectively, seeing first-hand how boards handle stakeholder partnerships and discovering how to tackle some of the critical challenges that boards are faced with.

Many were trepidatious at the start, and

wondered what the experience would really offer – does shadowing involve sitting silently and observing, and as an ambitious leader with strong opinions, will I find that very hard? Most found, to their relief, that it most certainly would not be a passive experience.

Almost without exception, the board ‘shadows’ participated in discussions, sharing their experience or ideas in a safe space, with no formal expectations to live up to.

It’s not just the new board members that are benefitting. The organisations participating are profiting from left-field observations, and the different skills and experiences of their temporary ‘board members’ are resulting in richer discussions and better-informed decision making at board level. Some have also used the experience to ‘test-drive’ opening up their boards to a more diverse range of experiences and background – and that can only be positive for the future of Scotland’s businesses and third and public-sector organisations.

Co-ordinated by Kynesis on behalf of The Scottish Government and the Institute of Directors in Scotland, the Board Shadowing initiative needs more boards, and more potential board members. If you are interested in participating, please contact caroline. donaldson@kynesis.co.uk

Caroline Donaldson is a Director of Kynesis Coaching WWW.IOD.COM

Scottish Slimmers Works CASE STUDY Neil Dempsey and Karen Stevenson, from chartered accountants and business advisory experts AAB, are members of Scottish Slimmers Works at their premises in Aberdeen.

Supporting the health and wellbeing of your employees is business sense Healthy employees perform better, feel happier and are more able to manage the challenges in the workplace. Scottish Slimmers Works brings weight loss and wellbeing to the workplace, through drop-in weigh-ins in your offices and coached workshops delivered at times to suit individual work patterns. This is backed by optional online and app services and a country-wide network of local classes.

In addition: • On-site support – delivered in 12-week blocks • Weigh & Go – quick check-in and weight loss advice • Web service online – self-directed, cloud-based • Easy to use, convenient app (right) – scan barcodes while you shop • Beyond work support through extensive class network

Weight loss guaranteed Everyone who follows our plans loses weight, and research shows that people who attend classes lose more weight than when they try alone.

Fantastic food Our simple-to-follow eating plans are packed with nutritious, delicious and filling food ideas.

Motivational mentors Friendly, fully-trained membership managers support staff through every step.

According to a study from McKinsey*, Sickness absence costs UK businesses an estimated £28bn1 each year, with the average worker taking 6.6 days off each year The burden on the wider economy created by obesity amounts to £54 billion a year, making it, after smoking, the second largest health liability of the UK economy

*https://www.consultancy.uk/ news/1278/mckinsey-obesitycosts-uk-society-73-billionper-year 1 CIPD - Absence Management: Annual Survey Report 2015

Amanda Boyle obe, a fellow of the IoD, is Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Slimmers. The weight-loss and wellbeing specialist company operates in 100 towns and cities across Scotland, with its head office in Aberdeen.

Neil Dempsey, Director AAB believes in helping staff get the most out of life. It has a very active well-being service and supports the health of workers, from mental health awareness events, to advice and information on cancer.

We invited Scottish Slimmers to hold a Scottish Slimmers Works class at our offices after requests from members of staff. Initially, I didn’t think it was for me, but I have been very happily proven wrong.

I had been feeling unwell and HR suggested I go along, which I did.

The Scottish Slimmers class is discrete and incredibly convenient. The Membership Manager weighs each person in private, which is ideal because it is a personal discussion, taking place in the workplace.

I spend a lot of time with clients, and am not always in control of the food I eat, but despite this I am able to follow the eating plan and not feel like I am on a diet. The Scottish Slimmers eating plan fits my life and I have changed my shopping habits and choosing different foods, to fit in with the plan. This, combined with our easy access to a nearby gym, helps keep the workforce fit and healthy.

Karen Stevenson, Information Security Manager It has been good having Scottish Slimmers come into the office, because I wouldn’t have time to attend a class after a long day at work.

Weighing in at the office is convenient. It makes you get up from your desk!

We have built up a nice group here at AAB; we share recipe tips and snack ideas – it’s great to get that support.

I have never tried to lose weight before, mainly because I didn’t think I had the willpower, but I have found I do. It is more about planning. I can resist the birthday cakes and treats brought round the office as I have my own meals and snacks planned out. I am on the Feel Good plan, which involves hardly any counting as I know what I can eat freely and what I have to count, which means I can still enjoy my gin & tonic at the weekend.

I have done well with Scottish Slimmers and feel much happier and healthier.

Bring weight loss and wellbeing to your workplace by contacting Scottish Slimmers.

Email eva@scottishslimmers.com or call 0141 255 0959 www.scottishslimmers.com

Technical briefing: Directors’ privacy

Keeping directors’ home addresses off the public record Directors can now ask Companies House to keep their private details secret. Fiona Beal (right) and David Stroud explain more

redacted (name of document, form number/title (if applicable) and the registration date of that document).

There is a fee of £55 for each document containing an address to be suppressed.

Next steps New regulations have just been introduced to make it easier for directors to suppress their home address on Companies House records.

The changes, which came into effect on April 26, aim to reduce identity theft and fraud, which is twice as likely to happen to people who are directors than those who are not.

Previously, directors whose home address appeared on Companies House’s public records could apply for that information to be suppressed. However, they had to show a ‘serious risk of violence or intimidation’ as a result of their company’s activities. And even if they could do that, it was not possible to get the home address removed from any forms filed before January 1, 2003.

What was the issue?

If an individual became a director before 1 October 2009, there are likely to be documents filed with Companies House that contain their home address and are publicly available to search online and download for free.

The UK Government received an increasing number of complaints from individuals about the previous regime for suppressing the home address in these situations. For example, the ‘serious risk of violence or intimidation’ test only related to the activities of the company. This did not cover a situation where a person might find themselves at serious risk of harm from, for example, their domestic situation or wider activities not associated with the company.

In addition, individuals who may be at risk from identity theft and fraud could not apply to have their home address suppressed on that basis alone.

intimidation; and 2) the January 1, 2003 restriction has been removed.

Someone who has to maintain a current address in the register, eg, a current director of a live company, will have to provide a service address.

A person who is not subject to this requirement, eg, a former director of a live company, will not need to provide a service address. Instead, their home address will be partially suppressed to show only the first half of the postcode.

It’s worth noting that an individual cannot use this process to remove their home address where it has been used as a company’s current or previous registered office address.

What does the application to suppress have to contain?

Among other things, applicants will need to give details of all the companies whose records they are wanting to be redacted; and each document to be

These changes are likely to be welcomed by any directors who are concerned at the availability of their home address on the public record but did not meet the previous criteria for removal. They are also likely to be further assured by the removal of the January 2003 restriction if they have already successfully applied for suppression of their home address, but are concerned about other records of their address that were filed before January 1, 2003.

Individuals wishing to apply under the new regime, especially if they have held multiple directorships, will need to do a bit of legwork so that they can identify all the documents from which they wish their home address to be removed. Your legal adviser can help with this.

Fiona Beal is a professional support lawyer and Derek Stroud is a partner in Brodies LLP’s corporate team.

What has changed?

Effective April 26 of this year, the two key changes are 1) individual directors can apply to get their home address removed without having to show risk of violence or

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Technical briefing: Skills and Training

Business and youth work partnerships lead way to a smarter, fairer Scotland Helen Sykes, CEO of Helm Training, based in Dundee – IoD Tayside’s Director of the Year – wants the business community to take a leading role in helping aspiring young people fulfill the potential they are capable of What is an ACE? There’s a new movement in our country – people everywhere are becoming aware of ACEs. Not an acronym you’ve seen before? It stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Youthworkers have known for years that young people who experience adversity growing up find it difficult to thrive in our mainstream systems and face significant barriers to getting on in life.

But people everywhere are now discovering that this is backed by indisputable science, and we have a common language and a growing political will to do something about it in Scotland.

So what’s it all about, then?

It is a simple fact that if you have an Adverse Childhood Experience, you will have a much higher chance of not succeeding at school. This, of course, seriously limits your options when moving into work or college, and can cast a long shadow over how your life develops from that point on.

Katy Hetherington, Organisational Lead for Child and Adolescent Public Health in Scotland, says: “ACEs aren’t inevitable – there are things everyone can do to prevent them.

“Our new animation (www.health scotland.scot/news/2018/may/ animation-on-adverse-childhoodexperiences-aces) will help people everywhere talk about them and hopefully get the message out there that we all (including employers) have a part to play in preventing adversity and raising awareness of ACEs. Getting it right for our children and young people is essential if we are to create a fairer healthier Scotland for all.”

What Helm do every day Despite the challenges some of them have faced, the young people who are

10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) • Emotional Abuse • Emotional Neglect • Physical abuse • Physical neglect • Sexual abuse • Drug addicted or alcoholic family member • Loss of parent through death or abandonment • Family member in prison • Mentally ill, depressed or suicidal family member • Witnessing domestic abuse referred to our team at Helm Training demonstrate clearly that whatever their background, they start to flourish when people take the time to develop relationships with them.

This is not rocket science – it just means in practice recognising young people as individuals with a wide range of ability and aptitudes. It means not judging individuals based on how things have turned out so far . This has very little to do with ‘attitudes’, ‘choices’ or ‘work ethic’ and usually has everything to do with your life experiences.

And it means taking time together to discover strengths and interests, providing

support where needed, and understanding that all young people everywhere aspire to having a comfortable home, a fulfilling job and a good family life.

All young people at Helm identify interests and passions, gain skills, visibly grow in confidence and self-esteem and work hard towards their own futures.

Our results speak for themselves.

100 per cent of our 2017 student group (all of whom had disengaged from school and were categorised as ‘at risk’) progressed to a training programme, job or college course of their choice and it’s looking very likely our students will match this success this year again.

How Helm works with the business community Part of our approach includes matching young people carefully with over 50 businesses partners in structured work trials which take place over several weeks, fully supported by our team.

This provides students with hands-on experience in a business in which they have an interest, and gives them an open opportunity to show what they are capable of.

They can develop a track record, obtain a reference, and transform their chances of getting a good job, college place or apprenticeship in a sector they want.

Our business partners see the

Kerr’s story Kerr joined Helm aged 15, and worked hard (after a boisterous start!) to follow his dream to join the army. He is now back in Dundee, working and settled with a young family, has since volunteered with us, and this quote is from his story as told at our Caird Hall event. The full video is available on our website In his own words...“I realised that instructors at Helm really wanted to get to know me... what Helm has done for me was outstanding....they turned my life around... The main thing I would say to new students is stick in, listen to the instructors, they will do everything in their power to see you through to the future.”

For more information on the way the Scottish parliament has responded to this issue, see https://blogs.gov.scot/engage-for-education/2018/03/26/adverse-childhood-experiences/ and http://www.70-30.org.uk /gail-ross-msp-kicks- off-aces-debate-scottish-parliament/

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commercial sense in working with us to spot new talent for their organisations.

They use work trials as a low risk, zero cost opportunity to ‘try before they buy’, and very often recruit the young person, who by the end of the placement they already know is reliable, a good fit with the team, and is willing to learn.

Last year, for example, we placed a number of young people with Robertson’s Construction. All of them gained employment with them (and their contractors) after a period of structured work experience.

Mark Blyth, commercial director of Robertsons Tayside, said: “Innovative collaborations such as this helps us to recruit and develop the right people to help us address the industry skills gap.”

Businesses also benefit from a more engaged workforce, whose coaching skills, sense of community connection and job satisfaction increases by developing local young people.

“It’s simply a smart, low cost, new way to recruit, as well as obviously being the right thing to do. As long as Helm’s young people show us they can do it, we are proud to make them part of our team”, said Karen Webster, Senior HR Director at Dover Fueling Solutions, based in Dundee (part of the global Dover group).

So what can you do to help?

Does this sound like an exciting way to tap into a previously disregarded talent pool – and do something really good for your local community? Contact Helm Training to find out how to start offering work placement opportunities in your region.

Award winner looks to launch a new award...

Helen receives her IoD award

Helen Sykes was one of our award winners at the IoD Scotland Director of the Year Awards (see pg 30) and now she is hoping to use that recognition to heap some plaudits on other business leaders. “I have decided to use my recognition as IoD Regional Director of the Year to co-design and launch a new business award, to coincide with the Year of Young People,” Helen said.“This award will recognise and celebrate all businesses that are already offering meaningful work experience to support aspiring young people, and to encourage new businesses to start.

“Businesses have an opportunity to make a huge difference just by positively targeting aspiring young people as an extra strand within normal recruitment practice. This makes commercial sense for them, and at the same time transforms lives and makes sense for Scotland.”

Helen stressed that there were many businesses across Scotland already doing this – “it would be great to recognise the wonderful work they are doing.”

If you think your business could benefit from getting involved, get in touch with Helen at the contacts below.

• Want to help design the ‘ACE Talent’ Award? Let Helm know if you would like to join the group co-developing the award.

• Use your contacts to get more people involved – please help by sharing this information and encourage other businesses to participate.

Let’s work together to make a difference to young people.

Already offering targeted work placements like this? Register your interest with Helm Training.

• Find out more from Helen via T: 01382 224464 E: Helen.sykes@helmtraining.co.uk Twitter: @HelmDundee www.helmtraining.co.uk

Follow... #AceAwareNation #YOYP2018 #ACETalentAward #youngpeople

Helm trainees are active in a host of work placements that match their interests and their personalities WWW.IOD.COM

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Business Finance

Over £1m worth of funding awarded to Scottish smes

by Business Loans Scotland Supporting 20 Scottish businesses to date, Business Loans Scotland is a new local authority-backed scheme which can provide loan finance of up to £100,000 to growing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Building on the previous successful loan funds, the West of Scotland Loan Fund (WSLF), the East of Scotland Investment Fund (ESIF) and the South of Scotland Loan Scheme, Business Loans Scotland aims to help accelerate the growth of businesses in Scotland, complementing other private and public-sector forms of funding.

With over £1m being awarded so far to Scottish SMEs across 11 different local authority areas, the money has helped these businesses to successfully undertake a management buy-out, assist in new product manufacturing, support the build of a new visitor centre, invest in suitable office space and much more.

The 20 businesses supported so far include Glasgow-based video technology business Odro Ltd, Kelso manufacturer Scotmas and South Lanarkshire Swim Teaching Business Making Waves to name a few.

Making Waves owners Tom and Nicola Mitchell were delighted to be awarded the maximum loan amount of £100,000 from Business Loans Scotland to support their dream of a purpose-built swimming pool

as a permanent home for their swim teaching business.

The 25-metre pool in the new town’s Playsport complex has harnessed a wide range of innovative new technologies that aimed at giving users a great experience and helping to protect the environment.

Creating twelve new fulltime jobs along the way, Tom stated: “We have spent 14 years building up our business and it has been a labour of love. Teaching swimming gives children confidence, exercise, fun and can even save their lives. We felt the time was right to take it to the next level and this purpose-built pool has been designed from the ground up to meet the specific requirements of what we do.”

Nicola added: “We installed an innovative filtration system which means we use less chemicals and the water is gentler on sensitive skin. Making Waves is the first pool in Scotland to use this DAISY technology.

“We also have a heat exchange system so warm air being taken out by the air

conditioning actually heats the pool water.

“It has been a lot of work but having this full-time base is incredible.”

Speaking of the funding available, Andrew Dickson, Fund Manager from Business Loans Scotland, said: “Access to capital remains a major hurdle to many small and medium-sized businesses which are looking to start up and grow.

“Often, our funding can make the difference between a business struggling or flourishing and that in turn will have a positive impact on employment, profitability and making communities stronger.”

With a dedicated pot of £6m still available, Business Loans Scotland are keen to speak with any Scottish SMEs who may be looking for gap funding.

To find out if you are eligible please visit the Business Loans Scotland website – www.bls.scot

“Making Waves owners Tom and Nicola Mitchell were delighted to be awarded the maximum loan amount of £100,000 from Business Loans Scotland to support their dream of a purpose-built swimming pool as a permanent home for their swim teaching business”

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IoD and Leadership – riding the crest of the wave David Hoey IoD Chair, Glasgow and the West of Scotland I have been privileged to have been Chair of the Glasgow and West of Scotland IoD committee for a number of years now. The IoD in Scotland is an amazing organisation which exists for leaders and to help leaders improve themselves. It is unique in that regard. The IoD does not represent business but instead exists for us as individuals.

Like every organisation, of course, the benefit of belonging can only be secured by making the effort to get involved.

In the West of Scotland we have some amazing leaders and some amazing businesses and organisations. For the IoD,

it’s been great to meet them and hear their stories. We have had some influential talks and sessions ranging from commerce, employee ownership to Government to Tedx. We have also arranged workshops on what it means to be a director and to securing new business.

We also have a regular ‘drop in’ session at 200 St Vincent Street for members to come and chat with fellow IoD members and committee members, to generate and provoke discussion and build rapport.

As ever, I recommend members to get involved, whether in relation to the committee or more generally in seeking out IoD activities and in participation. We also welcome ideas for speakers and events and I encourage members to speak with me or other committee members.

The IoD will continue to develop and enhance our offering.

But nothing stands still and one of the benefits of the IoD is in managing change and ensuring resilience.

Our committee is changing. As a result of my appointment as a fee-paid Employment Judge, I am stepping down as Chair of the committee. I will continue to work as an employment lawyer at BTO and assist individuals and employers in managing their employment law issues (with our team of experts), and BTO will continue to work with the IoD going forward.

We are also taking the opportunity to refresh our committee and further details will be issued soon.

These are exciting times for business and leaders. As time marches on, we can all embrace change and continue to build on our strong foundations.

Here’s to continuing the great work of the IoD, in Glasgow and all across this great nation

Director of the Year Awards

IoD salutes its business stars at the Director of Year Awards Martin Armstrong, Wheatley Group; Simon Erlanger, Isle of Harris Distillery; and Celine Sinclair of The Yard were the major winners at the IoD Scotland Director of the Year Awards in March.

David Watt, Executive Director of IoD Scotland, commented: “Once again, these awards have provided a platform for us to learn about exceptional business success across the board.

“Whether this has been achieved by leading the globalisation of a business, increasing turnover and pushing for growth, manufacturing and exporting, excelling in customer service or creating opportunities and having a positive impact on communities, this year’s directors show that Scotland is able to make a difference locally, and compete on a global stage too.”

The awards shone a spotlight on the importance of great leadership, he added.

“Our finalists and their skills are vital to building Scotland’s future. Strong leadership remains a constant driver of performance amid overwhelming change

inflicted by external forces such as economic and political uncertainty.

“These leaders are at the top of their game, and have much to share, not only within the confines of their business or sector, but also with society as a whole.”

The main Director of the Year award is split into three size categories – Large, Medium and Small – to reflect the unique challenges facing leaders of organisations of differing sizes.

Martin Armstrong, Group Chief Executive Officer, Wheatley Group, is the first IoD Director of the Year in the Large Business category to come from the public/ third sector, and said he was delighted and honoured to receive his award, “which is for everyone involved at the Wheatley Group”.

Simon Erlanger, Managing Director, Isle of Harris Distillery was named Director of the Year in the Medium Size category.

Judges hailed his ‘excellent use of community and people to build a sustainable and profitable company.’

Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive, The Yard, won the Small Business Director of the Year accoldade. The judges said ‘reaching more people is a huge objective and Celine Sinclair is delivering this. Terrific performance across the board. She is a director who will go far and is an example to others.’

IoD Scotland Chair’s Award, which was selected by outgoing IoD Scotland chair Professor Susan Deacon, was presented to Sir Timothy O’Shea FRSE. The Non-Executive Director of the Year was Jeremy Brettell, in recognition of his work with a number of organisations, including Guarantee Protection Insurance Ltd, Anderson Strathern Asset Management Ltd, Transact, Airdrie Savings Bank and Wesleyan Bank Ltd. The SCVO Third Sector Director of the Year was Tom Halpin, Chief Executive, Sacro; while Andrew Morrison, Managing Director, AM Bid Services Ltd, was the Emerging Director.

The Scottish Business Pledge Workplace

Awards supporters

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Main picture, our award winners. From left, Jeremy Bretell, Celine Sinclair, Tom Halpin, Helen Sykes, Stephen Robertson, Andrew Morrison, Mark Williams, Ann Allen, Chloe Farman, Martin Armstrong, Sir Timothy O’Shea, Craig Anderson, Craig Ewan, Simon Erlanger, Marshall Dallas and Ross Turner

Thanks to the generosity of the guests at the Awards, over £4,000 was raised for the charity, Scottish Sports Futures.

Directors Of The Year: Left, Simon Erlanger, second left, Martin Armstrong, and Celine Sinclair with compere Grant Stott (centre) and Raymond O’Hare

Innovation Director of the Year was awarded to Stephen Robertson, Director and Founder, Metis Partners; while Marshall Dallas, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, was named the mcl create Public Sector Director of the Year: Mark Williams, Managing Director, NWH Group, was the inaugural winner of the Turcan Connell Family Business Director of the Year.

In addition to the main director categories, awards were made across five of the IoD’s regions (see panel).

Regional award winners Highlands and Islands Enterprise Regional Director of the Year: Craig Ewan, Operations Director, Kingsmills Hotel Edinburgh, Lothians & the Borders Regional Director of the Year: Craig Anderson, Chief Executive, The Scottish Salmon Company Fife & Central Scotland Regional Director of the Year: Ross Turner, Managing Director, Span Access Solutions Ltd Glasgow & West of Scotland Regional Director of the Year: Ann Allen, Executive Director Estates and Commercial Services, University of Glasgow Tayside Regional Director of the Year: Helen Sykes, Chief Executive, Helm Training Limited t/a Helm Young Enterprise Scotland Director Award: Chloe Fairman, Managing Director of West Coasters (Lochgilphead High) and Taylor Henderson, Managing Director of Live, Laugh, Learn (Bo’ness Academy)

• All of our winners received a unique, specially commissioned trophy, designed and produced by Caithness Glass and a tartan gift produced and provided by Kinloch Anderson.

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IoD Scotland Annual Conference 2018 The Future is Now

Debbie Crosbie

Date: Thursday 1 & Friday 2 November Venue: Gleneagles Hotel The business world is facing a period of unprecedented change, with digital technology now disrupting every sector. What makes it more alarming is that the pace of that change is accelerating faster every year.

For even the most experienced business leader it can be daunting as you struggle to keep up with what feels like an ever-evolving landscape.

But do you have to view this new paradigm as a bad thing? Can you use that same change to open up new sectors, to reform working arrangements and structures and revolutionise the way your business operates, or the products it sells? Can we make a huge positive out of what many people see as a negative?

Don’t sit in the office wondering. This year’s IoD Scotland Conference is dedicated to the concept that the future is now!

We’ll look at the technology that is coming and talk to those market disruptors with a story to tell of how they didn’t just embrace change… they created change, guided it and took advantage of the unprecedented opportunities it offered.

Who’s speaking?

We are pleased to announce the following speakers: Debbie Crosbie, Group Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank Alex Hynes, Managing Director, ScotRail Alliance Stephen Martin, Director General, Institute of Directors Graeme Smith, Managing Director, Amazon Development Centre Scotland Michael Welch OBE, Founder, Blackcircles. com Further speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on the IoD website for updates.

Alex Hynes

Graeme Smith

About our speakers...

Debbie Crosbie, Group Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank (CYBG) Debbie Crosbie is responsible for the Bank’s day-to-day operations as well as the CYBG’s ongoing, multi-year investment programme, which is heavily focused on digital transformation and innovation across the Bank.

She has held several senior positions including CIO, Operations & IT Director and was Acting CEO in 2015 during the preparation for the recent successful IPO and demerger of the bank from its parent National Australia Group. This formed the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group, which is now listed in both the FTSE 250 and ASX. In addition, recently Debbie became the first woman to sign Scottish bank notes and was announced as the new Vice Chair of CBI Scotland in 2017.

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Alex Hynes, Managing Director, ScotRail Alliance Alex Hynes was appointed Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance in June 2017. Previously, he was Managing Director of the Northern franchise for three-and-ahalf years where he successfully delivered its best ever customer satisfaction scores as well as record levels of employee engagement.

An experienced transport professional, Alex has 20 years of industry experience and a proven track record of delivering rail improvement and investment programmes.

Having spent his early career as a consultant for Halcrow Fox, Alex worked with the Office of Rail Regulation before joining the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 as Strategic Planning Manager and, in 2007, as Commercial Director at London Midland, and finally, as Managing Director – Rail Development.

Graeme Smith, Managing Director, Amazon Development Centre Scotland Graeme is a technologist at heart with a business head. He leads a team of 180 inventors at Amazon’s Development Centre in Edinburgh. His team of scientists, engineers and designers work on features such as intelligent advertising and personalised online shopping recommendations, which benefit Amazon customers worldwide.

Graeme is excited by the opportunities that machine learning can bring to serve customers better, help businesses make better decisions and become more efficient.

Prior to starting with Amazon, Graeme held software engineering and leadership positions at a startup, investment bank, retail bank and professional services business. He joined Amazon in 2006, and held a number of senior roles before becoming MD in 2010.

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Great rates, Five-star luxury We have worked closely with Gleneagles so that you can enjoy five-star luxury at preferential rates.

We are now open for bookings.

Visit www.iodscotland.com to book your place and secure the early bird discount

Michael Welch OBE, Founder, Blackcircles.com Michael Welch founded Blackcircles.com, the world’s first ‘click to fit’ online tyre retailer, in 2002, managing to build a market-leading profitable business on less than $1m funding.

Blackcircles’ first year sales totalled $5,000 and in its final year sales reached $80m. In 2015 Michael sold Blackcircles.com for $100m to Michelin Plc, the world’s largest tyre manufacturer. Prior to Blackcircles.com, Michael started his first online tyre business in 1995 in Liverpool when he was 17. He subsequently sold that business to Kwik Fit, where he was hired as the group’s first head of e-commerce in the lead-up the Ford’s $1 billion acquisition in 1999.

Michael has a number of start-up investments. He is a founding director of Full Circle Partners, advising fast-growth companies on how to fund, scale and exit. He has invested in and chairs fashion tech start-up Atterley.com and sports wearable tech start-up PlayerData. He was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to business and charity and has a Doctorate for enterprise from Edinburgh Napier University.

Stephen Martin, Director General, IoD Stephen Martin became Director General of the IoD in 2017. He graduated from Ulster University with a BSc in Quantity Surveying in 1988 and he also holds an MBA from London Business School. He began his career as a quantity surveyor and has held senior positions at Westinghouse Security Systems, Kvaerner Metals and Amey Rail.

His first CEO role came in 2004, when he became Chief Executive of Barhale Construction. He also served as CEO of the Clugston Group, a construction, logistics and property development firm, from 2006 to 2016.

He appeared on the first series of the Channel 4 television show Undercover Boss in 2009.

He is a companion of the Chartered Management Institute and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Martin also holds a number of fellowships, including Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Left, Michael Welch Right, Mary Campbell OBE

The IoD Leadership debate The two-day Conference will open with our now traditional Thursday’s Leadership Debate.

This year we welcome three successful business women: Mary Campbell OBE, Founder and Chief Executive, Blas Ltd; Irene Grant, NXD and former Co-Head of Corporate, International, Commercial Banking Europe, HSBC; and Carolyn Jameson, Chief Legal Officer, Skyscanner. Our all-women panel, chaired by Fiona Logan, CEO, Insights, will reflect on their career journeys in a male-dominated work and how they brought success to their respective industries.

We look forward to welcoming you to what is sure to be an exciting, insightful and, above all, rewarding two days. Whether you are a regular attender or have never been before, whether you can attend both days or only one, we are sure you will find the IoD Scotland Conference stimulating.

Here’s what delegates have told us about previous conferences...

‘Insightful, interesting, engaging and informative’

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‘Revitalisations from outside my own professional bubble’

‘Loved it and took away knowledge that was immediately useful to me’

Any questions?

Contact Joyce Lamond on 01577 865498 M: 07711 432745 E: joyce@firstcity events.co.uk

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Membership Benefits international TRAVEL

Emirates’ IoD Silver Service upgrade Emirates works in partnership with IoD members on its Skywards scheme, automatically upgrading their membership by one tier from either Blue to Silver or Silver to Gold.

Additional benefits include dedicated check in areas, additional baggage, Emirates lounge access and priority waitlisting (a seat rescheduling benefit). (Please contact jill.niven@ emirates.com for details on how to take advantage of this offer.)

Emirates flies twice daily to Dubai from Glasgow and 16 times daily from a choice of five other UK airports, offering convenient onward connections to over 150 destinations.

On board, passengers can enjoy

world-class service, regionally inspired gourmet cuisine and over 2,200 channels of award-winning entertainment – plus phone, SMS and Wi-Fi connectivity from every seat.

On the ground, First Class and

Business Class passengers can take advantage of a complimentary chauffeur-drive service, expedited check-in, dedicated baggage handling and luxurious lounge access in a dedicated First & Business Class lounge at Glasgow Airport – ensuring a seamless journey from start to finish.

With flights from Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester, travellers can experience the Emirates A380 featuring Private Suites and on board Shower Spas in First Class, an Onboard Lounge and flat-bed seats in Business Class.

HOTEL DISCOUNTS

Modern luxury, classic hospitality, at Principal Hotels – plus up to 15% discount for IoD members* IoD Scotland has negotiated special discounts and rates for members at Principal Hotels’ four Scottish properties.

Just quote your IoD membership number when placing a reservation and get up to 15% discount off accommodation (best available rate), meetings and events, and restaurant bookings.* The four Principal Hotels are: n Principal Edinburgh George Street n Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Street n Grand Central Glasgow n Blythswood Square All members must quote their IoD number; all bookings subject to availability.

* Subject to terms and conditions

In addition, IoD Scotland has negotiated other special deals for members: Aberdeen: Preferential accommodation rate at Aberdeen Hilton Garden Inn and the Malmaison Hotel.

Inverness: Preferential accommodation rate at Kingsmills Inverness and IoD guests will receive a VIP package, including a late checkout and room refreshments.

Principal Edinburgh George Street

MEETING ROOMS Please check out our complimentary members’ facility at 10 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh: n Members’ lounge and workroom: Free of charge to members for informal meetings with up to three guests.

Refreshments and Wi-Fi – plus VAT-exempt meeting room hire n Exclusively for members to hire: - Boardroom for 16 - Garden View room, for 8 - Castle View room, for 12 - Forth View room, for meetings, training workshops, lectures for between 20-50 people, etc n Free AV and laptop by prior arrangement n Extended catering can be arranged Call 0131 557 5488 or email iod.scotland@iod.com for details.

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PLUS... special discounts at 200 SVS Glasgow IoD hub: - 10% discounted parking at Q Park Waterloo Street - Complimentary Wi-Fi access - 10% discount in the Restaurant on 6th, on meeting room rates and in The Spa - Hourly Room Hire Rates Special deals at The Shore, Loch Lomond.

This is 200 SVS’s newest venue and features events space, a spa and restaurant. Join our mailing list to be the first to know of opening offers – info@ theshorelochlomond.com.

Meeting room at 10 Charlotte Square

Forth Valley College

has launched a new offer for IoD members looking for informal meeting spaces in Stirling. Enjoy a dedicated meeting room for up to four people, on-campus parking and WiFi, all free of charge, at its stunning Stirling Campus.

Please book in advance.

In addition, members can use the on-campus catering facilities, including a fine dining restaurant (costs as advertised).

The campus offers stunning views across to the Wallace Monument, Stirlign Castle and the Ochil Hills, making it one of the most picturesque environments you can work in in Scotland.

For enquiries and bookings: Call: 01786 406097 Email: fvctheplace@forthvalley.ac.uk

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SCOTTISH SLIMMERS

Improving the health and wellbeing of your employees makes business sense with Scottish Slimmers.

Scottish Slimmers Works is an onsite weight loss and wellbeing service, delivered in the workplace, at your convenience. It can offer one-to-one consultancy, weigh & go sessions before, during or after work, and wellbeing workshops.

IoD Members’ offer: No set-up fee (usually £1250 + VAT) With packages more effective and less expensive than a gym membership, our weight loss programmes are guaranteed to deliver results.

Five Ways How … your staff can benefit from Scottish Slimmers Works: n Join free n Discounted passes* n Discounted starter packs & recipe books n Personalised eating plans & recipe books n Food diaries to stay on track.

To get started, all we need is: n a point of contact on site for organisation and administration; n a lead time of 3-4 weeks to promote and publicise the initiative; n a quiet space with seating for at least 25 people, to deliver motivational class content, plus weigh-ins.

We even supply posters email copy, posters and flyers for your workplace message boards to promote the service within your workplace. *use onsite or local class network

Email eva@scottishslimmers.com or call 0141 255 0959 www.scottishslimmers.com

Parking benefit Visitors to the IoD’s Charlotte Square HQ can take advantage of an exclusive member’s only discount for parking at NCP Castle Terrace: park for up to 12 hours for £10. Pick up a voucher from the IoD office to use when exiting the car park.

20% off at Eden Locke

Enjoy designer living in a homefrom-home environment next time you are staying in Edinburgh, at Eden Locke Apartments. Based at 127 George St, Edinburgh EH2.

Visit www.lockeliving.com. Enter code LOCKEDIN and you’ll get up to 20% off their best available rate.

Discount also available on Locke Living’s Leman Locke property in Aldgate East, London – and will be available at the Manchester development, due to open in August.

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RAIL TRAVEL

IoD offer: 15% off the Caledonian Sleeper IoD Scotland has formed a great new partnership with Caledonian Sleeper which delivers a superb 15 per cent discount off Standard and First Class travel.

Email Rhiannon.Merritt@serco.com before you book for a unique IoD code.

The offer can be used off any Standard or First Class tickets but cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. The code can be used on bookings for family and friends but the IoD member must be in the travelling party. Your IoD Scotland membership card or digital membership app for Advance members must be presented to the conductor on train with a valid ticket for the journey.

Free first-class upgrade on ScotRail services Abellio ScotRail is continuing its fantastic offer to IoD Scotland members, who can have a Free 1st Class Upgrade on ScotRail Services (nb, upgrade is available on ScotRail services only).

As part of the move to Smart Cards for rail users, all IoD Scotland ScotRail users must now be in possession of a Smartcard before they can access the First Class upgrade.

To apply for an individual Smart Card visit the ScotRail Leisure site at https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/ smartcard First Class upgrade Terms and Conditions: • Advance tickets do not qualify for this offer • The 1st Class upgrade is available on Anytime and Off Peak tickets only,

AIRPORT LOUNGES IoD membership gives you free access to four Airport Lounges in Scotland, plus eight others in the rest of the UK, up to 12 times a year.

Just sign in with your IoD membership card.

Edinburgh Airport: Aspire and No.1 Lounge Glasgow Airport: Upperdeck lounge Inverness Airport: Swissport Executive Lounge.

Aberdeen Airport: Northern Lights Executive Lounge (pictured)

and subject to availability of seating in 1st Class.

• Only IoD members with a ScotRail Smart Card will qualify for a free 1st Class upgrade, subject to availability and ticket type.

• This offer will be reviewed on an annual basis and may be withdrawn at any time.

• 1st Class upgrade is NOT available on discounted Club 50 purchases or Flexipass.

For more information on ScotRail: See www.scotrail.co.uk/businesstravel or call 0141 335 4015 to find out more.

ONLINE HERALD OFFER We are delighted to snnounce that the IoD Scotland has negotiated a massive discount with ‘The Herald and Sunday Herald’ for an annual online Premium subscription to its news platforms.

Normally £114.99 – now only £69.99.

Exclusive to IoD Scotland members, and represents a massive saving of £45 on the standard price.

Activate your pre-arranged ‘The Herald and Sunday Herald’ online IoD Scotland subscription now.

See your next members email for more info on T&Cs.

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Events Diary Unless otherwise stated, all events are managed by Ms Patricia Huth Phone: 01315575488 Email: Patricia.Huth@iod.com

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June

June

Transformational Leadership Workshop Date: 07 June Time 09:00 - 17:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh CPD Hours: 8.0 Cost: Members Early Booking Rate £310 + VAT Members Booking Rate £345 + VAT Non Members Rate £395 + VAT How do you get the very best out of an organisation? This one-day workshop challenges assumptions and goes into what directors really need to be doing to make transformational leadership a reality in their organisations. Full of practical insights and systematic approaches grounded in current experience, this workshop is for the director who wants to be both radical and secure in their actions.

It will help you: • Shape future direction and develop effective, practical strategy • Create the context for both efficiency and effectiveness • Pick the right people • Oversee the implementation of strategy and its component parts.

Workshop Benefits: Guiding your organisation in ways that maximise both current success and future potential, through transformational leadership.

Stimulating self-organising, intelligent behaviour leading to agile, adaptable, and resilient operations, exceptional performance and emotionally engaged and enthusiastic, committed staff.

Speaker The event will be led by Dr David Fraser. Dr Fraser began his career in engineering, rising to the role of Programme Director with BAE Systems and Managing Director of several new enterprises. He later developed a curiosity about how to handle the human side of working life more effectively.

He is the author of two books, Relationship Mastery and The Mastery of Leadership, both offering practical, insightful, systematic approaches, grounded in real experience within organisations. He is an engaging workshop leader and speaker.

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June

Productivity - it’s the key to competitiveness Date: 13 Jun Time: 17:30 - 20:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh CPD Hours: 1.5 Coat: Members £15 + VAT Members Guest £15 + VAT Non Members £20 + VAT How can we define, measure and improve productivity, and how can it benefit business and the economy?

We’re constantly told that the UK’s low levels of productivity inhibit growth – is this really the case? Is the UK really lagging behind other G7 countries when it comes to productivity? We know that having an edge in our markets is vital and that productivity can give us that edge – but how best to harness it?

Our panel of diverse experts – an economist, a businessperson and accountancy professional – will explore

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productivity, how it gives business an edge, its relevance to the economy and how best to measure its impact.

Panel of speakers will include: n Gary Gillespie (economist) n John C Lupton (business) n Phil Spencer (chartered accountant) The panel will be chaired by Stephen Westwood who is a Chartered Accountant and Kirsty Livingstone Head of Membership Services, IoD Scotland.

The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session, giving you the opportunity to share your thoughts and explore the issues raised.

This event is jointly organised by ICAEW and IoD Scotland.

Registration will be from 5.30pm, when light refreshments will be available, followed by our speakers plus Q&A: 6pm -7.30pm. Networking& Wine: 7.30-8pm.

Building Successful Relationships Date: 07 Jun Time: 18:00 - 21:00 Location: Crowne Plaza Glasgow, Glasgow CPD Hours: 2.0 Cost: Member Price £60 + VAT Member Guest Price £60 + VAT Non Member Price £75 + VAT In a competitive market where it is difficult for prospective clients to differentiate between services offered by similar companies, being successful is about building powerful relationships.

Graham Cox from Boundaries Edge will look at all the aspects vital for ensuring business development, from first impressions through to long-term relationship building.

Graham will draw on his experience of the British Intelligence Services, business psychology and Fortune 500 companies, claiming that the ability to gain, retain and persuade secret agents across the world is fundamentally the same as operating within the corporate world.

Boundaries Edge began as a small group of former intelligence and specialist military officers who grew increasingly frustrated at the standard of selection and development organisations that were ‘supporting’ our new civilian employers. They knew from their backgrounds, where selecting and developing our teams was literally a matter of life and death, that so much more value could be achieved; both for our companies and for the individuals therein.

They engaged business psychologists to help understand how to quantify the underlying dynamics of maximising human performance and undertook further research across the globe.

Finally, they teamed up with a number of blue-chip company directors to create Boundaries Edge.

Agenda 6.00pm: Guests arrive. Networking 6.30pm: Welcome by David Hoey, Chair, IoD Glasgow & West of Scotland 6.35pm: Presentation by Graham Cox, Boundaries Edge 7.15pm: Dinner is served 8.45pm: Questions and answers 9.30pm: Close WWW.IOD.COM

Unless otherwise stated, all events are managed by Ms Patricia Huth Phone: 01315575488 Email: Patricia.Huth@iod.com

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June

IoD99 Social, Edinburgh Date: 19 June Time: 18:00 - 19:30 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh Cost: Free of charge Join other ambitious entrepreneurs looking to accelerate their business with professional support from the IoD, as well as catch up with the existing community in and around the area. The networking drinks will be hosted at IoD Scotland and will be very relaxed and informal, with an opportunity for attendees to give micro pitches about their businesses.

We open at 6pm: Registration, drinks and networking, followed by a short welcome address and micro pitches from attendees (roughly one minute each) followed by networking, and drinks. Wec lose at 7.30pm The event is free to attend, but places are very limited, we expect there to be a lot of interest, so please book early.

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June

June

Inside the Mart – A trip to ANM Group Date: 14 June Time: 17:30 - 20:30 Location: ANM Group Thainstone Centre, Cost: Members £25 + VAT Member’s Guest £25 + VAT Non Members £35 + VAT The North East of Scotland has been an area where, for centuries, livestock rearing and marketing has been a source of pride, prestige and considerable financial investment. The farmers’ ‘marts’ generate a hive of activity where farmers, dealers, agricultural workers and families came together to socialise.

Delegates will arrive at Thainstone where they will be receive a presentation from three members of the senior management team. A one course dinner will also be provided as well as a tour of the centre

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including a walk through the livestock pens, where delegates can see first-hand the inner workings of the Mart.

Inspired by the innovative spirit of the pioneering farmers who established the original business in 1872, ANM Group is one of the most dynamic, progressive and forward-looking businesses serving the UK farming, commercial and industrial sectors and playing a major role in the economy.

The development of modern auction centres, including electronic and video auctions, diversification into non-agricultural auctions and the move into the high-quality catering and hospitality market are examples of the innovative approach which has made ANM Group one of the most successful farmer-owned businesses in the UK, with annual t/o of £150 million.

Members Connectivity Drinks Evening Date: 28 Jun Time: 17:00 - 19:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh Cost: Free of charge Over drinks and nibbles, you will have the opportunity to meet other members, as well as the IoD Scotland team.

Our drinks event is an informal get together for new members as well as existing members to share their experiences and make new connections.

Come along to the IoD Scotland headquarters at Charlotte Square to enjoy drinks and nibbles.

If you have a colleague who is interested in joining the IoD please feel free to bring them along.

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Events Diary

11

Sept

06 Nov

Professional Director Series: NXD in Scotland Workshop Date: 11 September Time: 09:00 - 17:00 Location: 200svs, Glasgow Date: 06 Nov 2018 Time: 09:00 - 17:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh Cost: Member Early Booking Rate £310 + VAT Member Rate £345 + VAT; Non-Member Rate £395 + VAT This workshop will help improve your current performance as an NXD or help prepare you for the time when you may be appointed as an NXD. For individuals who are currently a non-executive director; those seeking appointment as a non-executive director and those organisations planning to appoint a non-executive director. There will be ample opportunity to share experiences and future aspirations.

Over 470 delegates have successfully completed this workshop.

Workshop Content n What you as an NXD can bring to your board n What inputs NXDs can give to the board in different types of organisations and situations n An outline of the legal and ethical duties and responsibilities

n Clarification of the qualities and experiences needed n Practical guidance on how best to secure an NXD position n Provision of an overview of the UK Corporate Governance Code and other relevant codes of governance n Detailed guidance on finding, selecting, appointing and rewarding NXDs Event manager: Ms Avril Gall, 0131 557 5488 or director. scotland@iod.com

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17-21 Sept

Sept

Strategic innovation for built environment Date: 11 Sep Time: 09:00 - 17:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh CPD Hours: 8.0 Cost: Member Early Booking Rate £310 + VAT Full Day Member Rate £345 + VAT Full Day Non Mem Rate £395 + VAT Customers are challenging businesses to create more sustainable models that are compatible with meeting local and global challenges – from climate change to social and environmental well being.

We’re already seeing how the adoption of circular economy design principles to business models have demonstrated advantages, from reducing supply chain and operational costs, to generating new sources of revenue by addressing unmet and emerging customer needs.

Circular Business Models enhance value to customers at each stage of a product/service lifecycle and create new economic models for growth.

This full day (9-5) masterclass is geared specifically towards the construction

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sector but is relevant to all directors and business managers responsible for strategy, innovation, product development, marketing and sales, operations, supply chain, and sustainability/CSR. You will learn the latest methods in business model innovation and applying them with a ‘circular lens’ to your own organisation. Key elements will be: n Understanding your business context and your current business model n What is a Circular Business Model? n Defining design criteria n Developing Circular Business Model options n Tools and methods The workshop will be led by Doug Morwood, CEO of Whole Earth Futures.

Doug has over 20 years experience in strategic development, innovation and organisational design. He has worked extensively in the circular economy field for the past five years, creating new value, dealing with uncertainty and overcoming ”switching costs”.

Event manager: Avril Gall 0131 557 5488 or director.scotland@iod.com

Welcome return for Scottish International Week Following our successful first-ever International Week in 2017, IoD Scotland is pleased to announce its return for 2018.This unique series of events brings together distinguished international experts to share their experience and guidance. If you are interested in understanding what opportunities exist around the globe today and how these can be accessed, then this is certainly for you.

The event will take place between 17-21 September 2018, at 10 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. The events are free to attend and open to all.

For more information, visit www.scottishinternationalweek.com • The IoD is currently looking for speakers and sponsors to contribute to this unique event. Contact Kirsty.

Livingstone@iod.com for details.

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13

Sept

Go racing in style with IoD hospitality at Hamilton Park Date: 13 Sep Time: 14:00 - 20:30 Location: Hamilton Park Racecourse, Hamilton Cost: Member £85 + VAT Member Guest Price £85 + VAT Non Member £90 GBP + VAT Join the IoD Scotland team for the Twilight Raceday at Hamilton Park Racecourse, one of Scotland’s premier venues, to enjoy fantastic hospitality and event facilities in stunning surroundings.

Through this special IoD Offer you will experience Hamilton Park’s newly refurbished private boxes on the upper level of the grandstand, offering unrivalled views of the action from your own personal viewing balcony, while also enjoying high quality dining.

Exclusively yours, a private box is the ultimate hospitality experience.

You have the opportunity to come and go from the box as you please during the event, allowing our guests the freedom to enjoy watching the horses in the Parade

Ring, place a bet in the betting ring or watch from the trackside. Each box is fitted with your own TV screens, showing our internal feed of all the racing throughout the day, and selected racing from other racecourses. Betting facilities are located just outside your box for easy use by your guests.

A private bar is available throughout the meeting.

The package includes: n Hospitality admission n Reserved VIP Parking

n 2 course meal with glass of fizz n Race programme for each guest n Private cash bar n Tipster Talk and personal box host n HD TV showing all of the day’s action n Private viewing balcony.

Gates open 2.00pm, with hospitality service from 2.15pm before the first race at 4pm. The last race is 7.30pm. Bars close at 8.30pm.

Event manager Ms Patricia Huth Phone: 01315575488 Email: Patricia.Huth@iod.com

Events Diary

Event manager on all three events: Ms Avril Gall Contact: 0131 557 5488 Email: director.scotland@iod.com

25 Sept

Professional Director Series: The Apprentice Director Date: 25 Sep Time: 09:00 - 17:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh Cost: Member Early Booking Rate £310 + VAT Member Rate £345 + VAT Non-Member Rate £395 + VAT This one-day workshop is designed for the newly-appointed, or apprentice directors who want to gain the basic tools to do the job.

It outlines the role and legal responsibilities of a director and explores how the apprentice moves from managing to directing. It is important that all directors, on appointment, receive induction about their role and the

significant duties and legal liabilities that go with it. Directors have a duty to exercise a standard of skill, care and diligence and this workshop will provide delegates with the know-how and insights to effectively fulfil and grow within the role.

Workshop Content n The legal duties of a director n The legal and regulatory environment n Company Constitutions n Corporate Social Responsibility – its width and its relevance n Relationships with shareholders and stakeholders n Board structures and organisation n Contributing at board meetings n Relationships with the chair and NXDs

Mastering strategic questioning

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Workshop Benefits Help prepare for your first appointment to the board or improve performance if new to the role. Opportunity to network and learn from the experiences of other delegates. All delegates will receive a certificate of attendance for CPD purposes and extensive workshop notes.

It is ideal for individuals who are currently directors and those about to be appointed to a board. Those individuals who want to further professionalise their role and improve their contribution at board meetings

27 Nov

27

Sept

Date: 27 Sep Time: 09:00 - 17:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh CPD Hours: 8.0 Cost: Members Early Booking Rate £310 + VAT Member Rate £345 + VAT Non Member £395 + VAT Questioning skills are the sine qua non of successful business leaders.

In this highly interactive one-day workshop, you will learn a breakthrough questioning method that is steeped in investigative journalism, cognitive neuroscience and social psychology. The method emphasises humility, finely tuned listening, empathy, and Eastern and Western perspectives on mindfulness – an ideal model for effective leadership and governance.

This workshop will offer you a new way to think about and ask questions and

n Board decision-making n Understanding strategy and risk n Director and board evaluation

features short video clips of interviews conducted by today’s top TV reporters and hosts in the US, UK and Canada to reinforce principles and techniques.

Throughout the day, you will work in small groups on exercises and a case study that capture compelling scenarios faced by directors and trustees.

The workshop tutor is Dr David Steinberg. He is a consultant and university lecturer specialising in advanced questioning skills for business professionals. Before starting his consultancy five years ago, he directed sales operations and account management processes in the US for a highly successful e-learning software start-up and for a Fortune 500 Corporation.

Professional Director Series: The Chair Workshop Date: 27 Nov Time: 09:00 - 17:00 Location: IoD Scotland, Edinburgh Cost: Members Early Booking Rate £310 + VAT Members £345 + VAT Non Members Rate £395 + VAT This one-day workshop explores the pivotal role of the Chair.

Perhaps the single most important area within which a board can improve its effectiveness is how it is chaired. The ability to chair any meeting is an important facet in the development of managers; once appointed to a board there is more than likely to be a requirement to chair board subcommittees or lead the board itself at some time in the future.

Too often the training in the art of chairing a meeting or leading a board is left to chance or learning by observing others.

This one-day event will supply you with the information and techniques you need to effectively chair meetings, get the most out of everyone in attendance and get the business of the board done.

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