IoD Scotland Annual Conference and Dinner
Old Course Hotel, St Andrews • November 4, 2011
Scotland: "Land of miracles – home of the brilliant"*
*Li Keqiang, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China
'Values, not just value,' a desire to reclaim the standards and drive of the past while looking to the future and a determination to build on Scotland's unique strengths were the key themes developed at the IoD Conference 2011, held at the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, on November 4.
Speakers from a refereshingly diverse range of sectors were asked to consider the conference theme - Scotland: “Land of miracles - home of the brilliant”, as quoted by Li Keqiang, Vice President of the People's Republic of China - and add their own thoughts on how Scotland could recapture the pioneering spirit of the enlightenment to secure its future prosperity.
Conference was opened by IoD Scotland chairman Raymond O'Hare, in what was the final major event of his four-year tenure. He called on conference to remember the country's strengths and to play to them. The future could be brighter than our past if we could tap into the skills and energy of Scotland, he said, but real leadership was needed to ensure this happened.
Fittingly for a nation recognised globally for its enduring contribution to the worlds of education and finace, three of the principal speakers came from those fields. Professor Dame Joan Stringer assessed the value of education and the university sector to Scotland, while Lady Susan Rice, managing director, Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, and Lesley Knox, chairman of the Alliance Trust plc, gave thought-provoking presentations from their own sections of the finance world.
Despite coming from the "dull' world of asset management, Lesley Knox recognised that an adventurous spirit and appetite for risk was necessary for businesses to succeed, however the risk had to be informed and quantifiable, not reckless; sustainability had to be the hallmark of all investments.
Lady Rice called on Scotland's business community to deliver 'values, as well as value' as the country looked to enshrine stronger ethical standards into its business activities - "we need to be trusted and demonstrate integrity and probity in all that we do," she said, which was why she was so pleased to have been asked recently to lead the development of a new voluntary professional standard for the banking sector.
They were joined by Amanda Boyle of Bloom VC, who presented an innovative look at providing finance for budding entrepreneurs and third sector schemes through crowd funding, and Major General David Shaw, General Officer Commanding, 2nd Division, who drew comparisons between success on the battlefield and in the boardroom.
Amanda also chaired a dynamic session which showcased three inspirational young business leaders who have received support from the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust, and introduced Jason Cohen, the winner of the Young Enterprise Scotland Director of the Year award for his work setting up Sow Good, a student-led business operating out of Mearns Castle High School.
Conference was also delighted to welcome the new Director-General of the IoD, Simon Walker. In one of his first major policy statements since taking up his new post, Simon offered the IoD's perspective on the economy and its future trends.
In a departure from previous conferences, the pre-lunch session was taken over by a live outside broadcast from BBC Radio Scotland, Brian Taylor's Big Debate.
Conference delegates were joined by members of the St Andrews public to debate topical issues with a high-profile panel which included IoD Scotland's executive director, David Watt, and Scotland's finance minister, John Swinney. Questions covered the UK's continued membership of the European Union, subsidies for renewable energy in an independent Scotland and the legitimacy of planned public sector strikes.
The full conference report will feature in the November issue of the IoD Scotland magazine. Or, if you prefer, you can download the PDF files from here. (ZIP)
