Rory Stewart To Address CMS Scotland Business Conference

Professor in the Practice of International Relations at the London School of Economics, former Conservative cabinet minister and diplomat, best-selling author and co-host of The Rest is Politics podcast, Rory Stewart, will be among the guest speakers at next month’s CMS Scotland On Point business conference.

Taking place on Thursday 1 October at Edinburgh’s EICC, this year’s event will once again be hosted by broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Wark under the theme of ‘Leadership in Turbulent Times.’ Rory will deliver a presentation outlining his own views on what qualities make great leaders followed by a Q&A session with conference attendees.

He will be joined by a cast of other high-profile guest speakers including Dr Stephanie Hare, broadcaster, author, and co-presenter of the BBC’s AI Decoded, who will discuss leadership in the age of AI. Also addressing the event is Phil Batty OBE, CEO of Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, who will share his thoughts on lessons in leadership; and Andrew McDougall, a former diplomat and British army officer, who is now Managing Director, Group Head of Geopolitical Risk at Barclays.

CMS’s annual On Point conference focuses on current local and global economic challenges with high-calibre guest speakers reflecting on the issues that matter most to the Scottish business community. This year’s gathering will also include a presentation of new research carried out by University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute featuring insights into what Scotland’s business community needs from its leaders.

Allan Wernham, Managing Director of CMS Scotland, said: “We’re pleased to announce another superb lineup for our annual On Point conference which includes one of the UK’s leading political commentators, Rory Stewart. As co-host of The Rest is Politics, he has built one of the biggest podcast audiences in the UK through his methodical and astute analysis of the political challenges facing both the UK and the wider world.

“Scotland’s business community is navigating through numerous challenges where great leadership is more vital than ever. We look forward to hearing Rory’s insightful views on this issue as well as the thoughts from our other respected guest speakers at next month’s event.”

The On Point conference, which takes place Thursday 1 October, 2026 from 08:15-13:15, is open to business leaders in Scotland and beyond. More details can be found here