September Glasgow Supper Club – Andy Tait – Sallyport Commercial Finance

Our Supper Clubs are immensely popular, consistently selling out due to their informal and relaxed atmosphere; combining inspiration, good food, and engaging conversations.  These events provide a prime opportunity for members to connect, meet new members, catch up with familiar faces and of course be inspired by an engaging speaker sharing their entrepreneurial journey.  Our speakers don’t share a ‘rose-tinted glasses’ story, they share the challenges they’ve faced along the way, as well as lessons learnt.

We’re delighted to be welcoming our 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year winner, Andy Tait of Sallyport Commercial Finance at our first Glasgow Supper Club of the Autumn.  Andy is now enjoying outstanding success with his second entrepreneurial venture.  He and the team have achieved exponential growth and helped countless UK SMEs to access the capital they need to achieve their growth aspirations.  Andy attributes much of his success to developing a clear purpose as being the key driver behind the turnaround and growth at GreenAcres and has taken the same approach at Sallyport.

A down-to-earth and truly humble entrepreneur, Andy is an outstanding speaker with a deep understanding of the challenges SMEs face.  His advice and knowledge is second to none and having faced his own challenges during his own journey, this will be a fascinating insight into entreprenerialism within 2 diverse sectors.

ABOUT ANDY

Andy Tait was winner of the WeDO 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and in February 2023, he launched Sallyport Commercial Finance based in Glasgow and providing working capital for growth through invoice finance invoice, supporting SMEs throughout the UK.  Sallyport has operations in the UK, USA and Canada and works with entrepreneurial business owners to help them get access to the capital they need to grow. Offering a wide range of services  based on supporting business cashflow, Sallyport creates custom-tailored solutions that are as unique as the clients and businesses they work with.

Andy started his career in the Clydesdale Bank in Bridge of Allan as a graduate trainee and moved in 1994 to a brilliant business finance company, Alex Lawrie which led him to Leeds for a few years leading an internet start-up. He then moved back to Scotland to open a new subsidiary for Bibby Financial Services in Edinburgh which grew to become the largest independent invoice finance company in Scotland. He subsequently joined the UK Board for 5 years, firstly running the Northern division, then as UK Sales & Marketing Director and finally becoming Commercial Director for Bibby Line Group.

By then, Andy was needing a new challenge and an opportunity came up to work with struggling businesses within the parent company, Bibby Line Group. He spent 3 years on business turnaround work which he found fascinating, and led him to review GreenAcres Group, a woodland burial company. He was immediately taken by the business, its people, and the opportunity, and in 2017, he led the MBO of the business from the parent company and simultaneously a merger with another PE backed business.  This led to an institutional fundraising exercise in 2018. GreenAcres is a UK- based business offering the core service of the provision of burial and ash plots in a woodland setting and the hire of the buildings for services. GreenAcres now also operates as a ceremonial park and is licensed for weddings and civil ceremonies.  During Andy’s tenure, the business achieved outstanding growth and diversification, this was recognised in our awarding him the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Award.  

Andy was a valued member of the WeDO Advisory Board for 2 years from January 2021 until January 2023.

ABOUT SUPPER CLUBS

Venue:   Maison by Glaschu

Venue Phone: 0141 248 1596

Venue Website: https://maisonglasgow.co.uk/menus/

Address:

Floor 2, Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 3JX

Description:

Private Dining Room

Main event space & location for Networking Breakfasts