Barclays has announced key appointments across its Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh and Glasgow Business Banking teams as the bank continues to extend its on-the-ground support across the regions for Scottish SMEs and scale-up businesses.
Hunter Inkster has joined the bank as a Relationship Director for the North of Scotland, based in Aberdeen, following a period of sustained growth and business activity in the area. With good knowledge of the North of Scotland including Shetland & Orkney from previous roles in the area, he will be responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of high-growth SME companies with up to £6.5m turnover to help deliver the bank’s ambitious growth strategy in the North East.
Hunter joins Barclays from corporate finance advisor Rickitt Mitchell & Partners having previously held roles with Lloyds Banking Group.
Barclays has also appointed David Loughlin as a dedicated SME Relationship Manager for the Inverness area who will support businesses and help to drive Barclays’ business in the Highlands. His new position comes after seven years’ experience in the bank’s Edinburgh office supporting businesses in the local community.
The bank has also made three further Relationship Manager appointments. In the Glasgow team, Tom Every will look after SMEs from £1m-£5m turnover, and Michael Barclay will oversee SME’s up to £1m turnover. Daniel Farquhar will be responsible for SMEs up to £1m in the Edinburgh office.
The team will report into Stuart Brown, Head of SME who is leading the bank’s drive to expand its SME and high-growth business market share in Scotland.
Stuart Brown, Head of SME Scotland, Barclays commented: “Following a successful period for business in Scotland, the time was right to expand our team on the ground and specifically in these regions, as more businesses are choosing to bank with Barclays.
“The expansion of our Aberdeen team with its first dedicated SME Relationship Director is a result of this growth and also demonstrates our commitment to support businesses in the North East. Hunter brings a wealth of experience while our Relationship Managers are passionate about ensuring our clients receive the best service.
“Following the launch of our £500m SME fund last year, we’re committed to delivering the right financial support for Scotland’s business community. The skills and experience of our new appointments will allow us to further strengthen our relationships regionally with existing and new customers.”
Barclays’ Scottish SME fund was launched in June 2016 to provide access to funding for businesses across all sectors with turnover up to £25m. It forms part of a wider commitment by Barclays to support fast-growing companies with its High Growth & Entrepreneurs programme. The programme offers locally delivered financial advice, business skills development, networking opportunities at a local, national and international level and access to Eagle Labs and RISE accelerators. The Bank also provides a unique Innovation Finance Venture Debt product via an additional £200m fund.
A number of new senior academic management appointments have been made at Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh in time for the start of the 2017/18 academic year.
The move is part of QMU’s continued investment in leadership and development, and will strengthen the institution’s vision to become recognised internationally as a university of ideas and influence.
The appointments take place at a time when the University celebrates the 10th anniversary of its purpose-built campus. QMU moved to its new site to the east of Edinburgh, by Musselburgh, in October 2007. In the last decade, the institution has been increasingly well known as a university which is highly relevant and responds to the needs of society. This year it has been announced that QMU has the highest graduate employment rate of any Scottish university and has the third highest employability rate amongst all UK higher education institutions
The new appointments will help to strengthen QMU’s academic offering across its flagship areas of expertise in sustainable business, social sciences and media & culture.
Professor Brigid Daniel has been appointed as Dean of School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management; Professor Philip Drake as Director of the Centre for Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (CCCMS); Dr Oliva Sagan as Head of Division of Psychology and Sociology; and Professor Monika Foster as Head of Division of Business, Enterprise and Management.
Professor Brigid Daniel
Dean of School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management
Professor Daniel completed her PhD in psychology at the University of Edinburgh, and subsequently worked at the Universities of Dundee and Stirling. A professor since 2004, she was previously Deputy Head of School of Applied Social Science at the University of Stirling, and Director of the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection, a research centre that she established. She is a member of the board for the charity Children in Scotland. Her research focused on child neglect and on children’s well-being and resilience in the face of adversity.
Professor Philip Drake
Director of the Centre for Communication, Cultural and Media Studies
Professor Drake was previously Head of the Department of Media and Professor at Edge Hill University and has held a number of senior roles including Middlesex University, the University of Stirling and the University of Glasgow. His research focuses on media and creative industries, and he has collaborated internationally on a range of funded research projects, including recently on digital distribution and video-on-demand (VOD). He serves as an expert member on the Social Sciences and Humanities Panel of the Irish Research Council and his background also includes knowledge exchange activities with Channel 4, Film London, Scottish Enterprise, Creative Scotland, the British Film Institute, FACT and Creative England.
Dr Olivia Sagan
Head of Division of Psychology and Sociology
Dr Sagan is a chartered psychologist and former psychodynamic counsellor with 20 years’ experience of working with adults with long term mental health difficulties. She has extensive experience working with trauma and distress within specific populations, including refugees, the homeless, women experiencing chronic depression, individuals with eating disorders and people with combined physical and mental illnesses. She is regularly involved in overseas humanitarian work. Olivia’s phenomenological, user-led research explores the strategies that people develop over time through which they make meaning of their mental health difficulties and life experiences. Her projects to date have included longitudinal studies of the ways in which adults with severe mental illness and limited verbal ability have employed autobiographic writing and visual art making outside of the clinical domain.
Professor Monika Foster
Head of Division of Business, Enterprise and Management
Professor Foster has worked in higher education in the UK and overseas for over 25 years, including 15 years as Associate Professor and Director of Learning and Teaching at Edinburgh Napier Business School. Her external profile includes the award of Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of Chartered ABS Learning and Teaching Committee and a Visiting Professor at Shandong University of Finance, PRC. Prior to working at Edinburgh Napier University, Monika had industry experience of working in an international shipping company, VShips. She led setting up business and management of international training centres across the world, including centres in Burma, Thailand, Brazil, Croatia and Poland.
These four join Dr David Stevenson, who was appointed as Head of Division for Media, Communications and Performing Arts earlier this year.
Professor Petra Wend, Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “We’re delighted to make these significant appointments. All four individuals are highly experienced experts in their field and bring impressive leadership skills to the University. Their contribution will ensure that we enhance our existing academic offering whilst being ever more dynamic and ambitious in our future activities. In short, they will help us develop our sphere of influence both within the UK and internationally, strengthening our reputation as a university of ideas and influence.”
Hilton Edinburgh Carlton has expanded its team, appointing Shona Archibald as City Revenue Manager Edinburgh and Rona McGuire as Meeting and Events Sales Manager. The new appointments follow the hotel’s £17 million transformation and relaunch last year.
Shona Archibald has worked for Jurys Inn Hotel Group for over three years, most recently as Cluster Revenue Manager for Scotland where she was responsible for rooms revenue across the Group’s five Scottish properties. Prior to this she was Cluster Revenue Manager for the Group’s Sheffield hotel and two Newcastle-upon-Tyne properties. Shona brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked as Revenue Manager for both the five star Fairmont St Andrews Resort and the 5 star Old Golf Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa.
In her new role Shona will be responsible for rooms revenue at the 211 bedroom Hilton Edinburgh Carlton.
As Meeting and Events Sales Manager at the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton, Rona McGuire will manage the hotel’s sales team and will be responsible for overseeing events, converting existing sales leads and generating new enquiries.
Rona joins the four star Edinburgh hotel from the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel and Spa where she was employed as Meeting and Events Office Manager. Rona has worked in the hotel industry working with a number of hotel groups including Radisson Blu, Principal Hotels and Thistle.
The iconic Hilton Edinburgh Carlton, which is located on North Bridge Street, just off the historic Royal Mile, has been completely transformed following the recent investment.
Every part of the Grade B listed building, including the bedrooms, public areas and events space has been completely refurbished and a brand-new Marco Pierre White Steakhouse has been added.
Much of the investment has focused on the hotel’s seven flexible meeting and events spaces, which are located on the first floor of the hotel and boast spectacular views of the beautiful city through gothic-style high arch windows. The largest room, the Highland Suite, can accommodate 200 delegates theatre style and offers an abundance of natural daylight.
Talking about the new appointments, Interim General Manager, David Shiels, said: “Following the hotel’s relaunch we are delighted to welcome Shona and Rona to the close-knit Hilton Edinburgh Carlton team. Both of them have a huge amount of experience in the hotel industry and will considerably strengthen the team here in Edinburgh.”
Nestled in the heart of the city centre, the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton is within walking distance of all the city’s amenities and just a three-minute stroll from Edinburgh Waverley Station. Edinburgh International Airport is also just 8.4 miles away.
One of the largest full service law firms in Scotland has today (1 June 2017) announced the appointment of three new partners, expanding its senior team in Dundee and Edinburgh.
Two of the appointments at Thorntons are of existing associates, namely Chris Byrne and Jacqueline Henderson. The third appointment is Morna Coutts, who joins the firm after seven years at Morton Fraser.
Morna joins the Private Client team based in Thorntons’ Edinburgh office, enhancing the firm’s commitment to the capital and providing additional support to the existing team there. She boasts expertise in capital taxation and succession planning alongside wills and trust arrangements for high net worth individuals covering complex estate administration and powers of attorney.
Chris joined the firm when it amalgamated with Murray Donald in November 2014 after spending most of his career prior to that with a large commercial practice in Glasgow. He is an experienced corporate lawyer and, as part of the corporate team in Dundee, becomes partner after working closely with former chairman Jack Robertson.
The third appointment is residential property specialist Jacqueline, who joined the firm in January 2015 following roles at Fife Council and Pagan Osborne.
Scott Milne, joint managing partner at Thorntons, said: “I am delighted that our latest appointments include two internal promotions but also that we welcome Morna Coutts as a new recruit to the firm.
“Appointments like these are further evidence of our desire to invest in our people and our commitment to being a prosperous and sustainable firm.
“Congratulations to our three new partners, I have no doubt their appointments will enhance the firm and its continued aspirations to be the most respected full service law firm in Scotland.”
For more details on Thorntons and its services visit www.thorntons-law.co.uk.
Pictured (L-R): Scott Milne, Morna Coutts, Craig Nicol, Chris Byrne, Jacqueline Henderson.
Barclays has announced two key appointments to its Business Banking team as it continues to extend its on-the-ground support for Scottish SMEs and scale-up businesses.
Graham Cambridge has been named High Growth & Entrepreneur Business Manager and Grant McNally as Business Manager to help deliver the bank’s ambitious growth strategy in Scotland.
Graham will take responsibility for managing a portfolio of high-growth SME companies with up to £6.5m turnover as the Business Banking division’s first dedicated High Growth & Entrepreneur Business Manager in Scotland. His role will involve further expanding the local delivery of Barclays’ successful High Growth & Entrepreneurs strategy, which aims to help business realise their potential at the often challenging scale-up stage.
Graham started his career with Barclays as an intern in 2013, before progressing through the bank’s Corporate Banking graduate programme where he gained experience across a variety of sectors.
Grant’s new role as Business Manager will focus on business development in Glasgow and the west of Scotland, supporting companies with turnover of up to £5m. His appointment comes as the bank is undertaking a recruitment drive for five additional regional Business Managers to strengthen its presence across Scotland.
He joined Barclays through its Corporate Banking graduate scheme in 2012, working in business analyst and relationship support roles for a broad range of clients, from PLCs to high growth starts-ups.
Both will report into Head of SME Stuart Brown who is leading the bank’s drive to grow the bank’s SME and high-growth clients in Scotland.
Stuart Brown, Head of SME Scotland, Barclays commented: “Following the launch of our £500m SME fund last year, the time was right to expand our Business Banking team in Scotland.
“We strongly believe in a relationship approach to supporting business owners on their journey, whether they are start-ups, scale-ups or well-established. As our SME client base grows we are investing in the right people on the ground in the regions to understand their individual needs to then guide and advise them. Graham and Grant are homegrown Barclays talent and their skills and experience will help us further strengthen our relationships with existing and new customers.”
Barclays’ Scottish SME fund was launched in June 2016 to provide access to funding for businesses across all sectors with turnover up to £25m. It forms part of a wider commitment by Barclays to support fast-growing companies with its High Growth & Entrepreneurs programme. The programme offers locally delivered financial advice, business skills development, networking opportunities at a local, national and international level and access to Eagle Labs and RISE accelerators. The Bank also provides a unique Innovation Finance Venture Debt product via an additional £200m fund.
