THE strength of entrepreneurship in Scotland will be on display when the winners of the prestigious Enterpreneur of the Year awards are announced at a dinner at SWG3 events space in Glasgow on 30 November.
Staged by Entrepreneurial Scotland, the awards will highlight the achievements of people who have excelled in entrepreneurial leadership in the last 12 months.
This year’s awards feature an entrepreneur of the year prize sponsored by Deloitte, a new category of Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year, backed by Barclays, and a Rising Star Entrepreneur of the Year prize.
The Scale-Up award will recognise the achievements of leaders building an organisation of scale or an enterprise with outstanding potential. Judges included Chris Gauld, who won top billing in the former Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year category last year.
The Herald is media sponsor of the awards, which are in their 22nd year.
Our preview of the short-listed candidates begins with the four nominees for the Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year.
Peter Bruce, Entier, Aberdeenshire
Peter Bruce trained as a chef after leaving school with no qualifications and has gone on to make a big name for himself in the catering business.
He moved into management in his 20s and went on to spend 10 years leading Compass Group’s Scotland and North East England operation, which he grew into a £220m business.
Mr Bruce left Compass to found Westhill-based Entier in 2008 and grown teh company into a £50m turnover business helped by the acquisition of the Wild Thyme events company last year.
Stuart Brown, Head of SME Scotland, Barclays, said: “Peter has demonstrated many great entrepreneurial traits in growing his business through customer focus, diversification, investing in people and always looking ahead.”
Angus MacDonald, chairman of ICS Learn, Specialist Waste Recycling and Renewable Parts
With a CV that includes spells as an army officer and a fund manager Mr MacDonald has shown he has the ability to build businesses of significant scale.
Following a three year stint at the Martin Currie investment business Mr MacDonald started Edinburgh Financial Publishing in 1990 and sold it for £12m in 1997. He then paid £300,000 for a majority stake in Financial News, which was sold in two deals worth £79m in total around ten years later.
Mr MacDonald now has a portfolio of business interests that means he is playing a key part in the development of growth businesses working in areas ranging from distance learning to the supply of parts for turbines.
“Angus demonstrates great personal values that he brings to all the businesses he is involved in and supports, both directly and indirectly,” said Barclays’ Stuart Brown. “His expertise is delivering growth and financial benefit across these diverse businesses.”
Dr Deborah O’Neil, NovaBiotics, Aberdeen
As chief executive of NovaBiotics, Dr Deborah O’Neil can claim to be playing an important role in promoting health while building a company that could inspire others to help Scotland maximise the commercial potential of its science base.
The NovaBiotics busines she span out of the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Research Institute in 2004 has gone on to develop a range of antibacterial and antifungal therapies that can be used to treat illnesses associated with conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
Ms O’Neil has helped it raise more than £20m in equity and grant funding and is a member of the Scottish Life Sciences Industry Leadership Group.
“Deborah is clearly the driving force of her business, with the passion for her products and the difference they will make to users very evident,” said Mr Brown.
John Watson, Director, Edinburgh Airport
Glasgow University graduate John Watson has drawn on the experience gained in senior roles in the banking and private equity industries to play a key role in the development of a $0.5 billion expansion programme at Edinburgh Airport.
Mr Watson spent five years as chief commercial officer and capital investment director of the airport.
He recently became chief executive of the new Crosswinds Development venture formed to develop a huge complex that will feature housing, offices and industrial buildings on land around the airport.
Mr Watson is an operating principal with the Global Infrastructure Partners private equity business, which led a consortium that bought Edinburgh Airport in 2012.
Mr Brown said Mr Watson’s clear customer centric approach and change management achievements have brought strong benefits to all stakeholders in one of Scotland’s busiest airports .
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