SCOTTISH BUSINESS AND ECONOMY PANEL

Our ‘Scottish Business and the Economy’ panel is always a fascinating opportunity to hear the views of some of Scotland’s leading journalists and economic experts.  With so many challenges facing SMEs in the current economic climate, there will be plenty to discuss and no doubt very lively discussions.  The panel session will incorporate Q & A which gives you plenty of opportunity to ask questions & join in the debate.

MEET THE PANELISTS

CHAIR – KENNY KEMP

Kenny Kemp is an award-winning, renowned journalist, editor and author on business in Scotland.  He is Editor of The Business magazine distributed quarterly with The Sunday Times Scotland, our strategic partners.  The editorial content is also uploaded to thebusiness.scot website.

He is one of the UK’s most prolific ghost writers including co-authoring Go: An Airline Adventure with Barbara Cassani (WH Smith Business Book of the Year).  He was ghost-writer of Sir Richard Branson’s Business Stripped Bare (worldwide hardback sales of 350,000) in 2008, along with numerous other titles.  In 2017 he wrote The Archangel’s Share, about the UK’s angel investment pioneers.

Kenny commenced his writing career in 1980 on the Thomson Regional Newspapers graduate training scheme. He worked for 10 years at The Scotsman and was also a Fleet Street staffer at the Evening Standard. He has been Editor of Scottish Business Insider magazine, was Editor of BQ Scotland from 2010 – stepping down after 5 years and 20 quarterly editions.  He is the former founding Business Editor of The Sunday Herald and was chief writer of Glasgow Business, the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce magazine, for eight years until 2023.

MICHAEL GLACKIN

 

Michael Glackin is an award-winning UK based freelance journalist who specialises in UK, European, and US finance and economics, and Middle East politics and economics. He is a former Scottish business columnist and correspondent with The Sunday Times

His writing on Middle East politics and economics has been quoted (and credited) by the late Robert Fisk in articles he has written for The Independent. His articles have also been cited in academic works and published in a number of books on Middle East politics.

Formerly, Michael was Business Editor of The Scotsman newspaper, producer with BBC Television’s World Business Report and News Editor of London financial daily newspaper City AM.

He is a Member of the International Advisory Board of Edinburgh Business School at  Heriot-Watt University.  You can subscribe to Michael’s Substack HERE.

STEPHEN MONTGOMERY

Stephen Montgomery is the Founder, Director and spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group, the leading hospitality trade body in Scotland delivering support, advocacy and a strong voice across the sector in Scotland and beyond with both the Scottish and UK Governments and in the media.

He works closely with hospitality businesses of every size, suppliers, politicians and policymakers.  He is also a consultant for hospitality operators, sharing his expertise and knowledge at the coal face having operated his own hospitality business for many years until he exited earlier this year.  He is driven to aid the positive recovery and prospects for the sector which is exemplified by the traction and growth of SHG.

Stephen previously served in the British Army and founded and ran a haulage business.  

MALCOLM ROBERTSON

Malcolm Robertson is the Founding Partner of Charlotte Street Partners, a world-class Scotland-based strategic communications and public affairs agency.  It provides high-level insight, confident counsel and expert advice to organisations from across the globe on some of today’s most impactful communications issues and projects.

Previously, Malcolm served what he describes as an ‘apprenticeship’ with a PR agency in the west of Scotland, before embarking on a 12-year career at airport operator BAA as Director of Communications.  Prior to founding Charlotte Street Partners, he was Managing Director of Raymoyle Investments.

He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Street Soccer in Scotland and London.

LINKS

To find out more about our speakers, click HERE.

To view the Programme for the day, click HERE.

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