Our Speakers…
We have hand picked a selection of key players to help us present to you an imaginative and inspirational day. Information on all our expert speakers and facilitators is shown below.
Gillian Lacey-Solymar
Gillian, our host for the conference, wears many hats. She is Consumer Affairs Correspondent at the BBC. Gillian works on the lunchtime business programme, Working Lunch on BBC2, but has reported for Newsnight, Breakfast News and was News 24’s first Business and Economics Correspondent when the channel first hit the airwaves. She also holds a part time post at London University, as a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Management Science and Innovation of UCL.
Gillian read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University and has an MBA from INSEAD in France.
One of Gillian’s passions is refurbishment of derelict properties. She and her husband have, over the 5 years, bought two derelict Scottish mansions and tried to restore them to their former splendour. As guests at Achnagairn House, her latest venture, you can be the judge of whether or not she has succeeded with the renovation!
Gillian is a keen skier and windsurfer (although not yet on the Beauly Firth!). She is an avid theatre, opera and cinema goer and has a love of European languages. She is married and has 3 children between the ages of 7 and 16.
Gillian is thrilled to be part of “Welcome Home” and very much looks forward to meeting all of you.
Bob Downie, Chief Executive, Royal Yacht Britannia
Chief Executive, The Royal Yacht Britannia and Founder, UK Customer Management Conference
Bob was head-hunted from Scottish Enterprise to set up the self-funding charity that now owns The Royal Yacht Britannia in 1998. Since then it has gone on to become a five-star attraction, receiving the highest quality assurance grading (95.6%) ever awarded by VisitScotland. It has won the 2009 Condé Nast Award for the Most Excellent Dedicated Venue in the UK for corporate events and it also has an award-winning gift shop.
In 2005 Bob became the first Scottish person to win the Catey Tourism & Leisure Award (the hospitality industry’s ‘Oscars’) for outstanding service to the UK tourism industry. He founded the UK Customer Management Conference in 2003. Bob was previously the Tourism Manager for Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian and is a former President of the Leith Chamber of Commerce. Bob was born and brought up in Oban.
Derek Peacock - Founder and Managing Director Future Factory
Born in Scotland, Derek has been described as a “Serial Entrepreneur” with 20 years of experience in developing and marketing brands.
He launched his first brand in March 1984 when he founded QuickFrame, instant picture framing shops, in Edinburgh which he subsequently franchised, opening 20 retail outlets in the UK.
He subsequently founded future factory ltd in 1995 and since then has developed his brand in 6 countries where he markets and licenses others to use his Business Mirrors © When not flying around the world appointing future factory marketing partners, he works as an organisation change coach to clients such as Scottish Power Standard Life, Royal Bank of Scotland, United States State Department, Audi, Nike, where he designs and delivers “business process mirrors”. His latest Business Mirror is called TradingZone, which transforms how connected and unconnected people Network.
He has worked extensively with key clients in the utilities sector guiding them through the change of privatisation, opening up of competition, Acquisitions and Mergers and cultural integration. Along with his colleagues and business partners he developed the Business Process Mirrors concept, to assist clients in managing transition and change.
During his 20 years as an organisational change coach, he has worked throughout Europe, North America as well as Asia Pacific with numerous global organisations.
He is adjunct faculty at the Edinburgh Business School, where he co-founded the Consortium MBA and regularly delivers the Mergers and Acquisitions elective. He also designed and managed the Business Leadership Programme in partnership with Wharton Business School.
Contact details: derek@futurefactory.co.uk
Gavin Ellis, Knockomie House Hotel
Born in 1964, Gavin is a 5th generation hotelier whose entry into the Hospitality industry was sign posted at an early age, often taking to the stove as young person in his mother’s restaurant the Puffer Aground on the Isle of Mull. He studied a collection of City and Guild qualifications at High Peak college Buxton, Derbyshire (where he met his wife Penny, but it was some 12 years later until he realised) before setting off to work in the kitchens of Bahnhof Buffet Zurich. Returning to Scotland he took several front of house positions with international and national chain hotels before embarking on the Knockomie Project in 1987.
Since then he has experienced recessions and Challenges of Tourist industry. He is passionate about marketing and selling all that SCOTLAND has to offer and believes that by working together that we can develop a great future.
Gavin has spoken at several Tourism events on Motivation, Process Mapping and Self Directive work teams in the workplace, Including, INTERCHANGE 2003 for North West Tourism. He has also spoken at, various tourism related businesses and conferences on multi skilled work teams, enhancing customer care, creating a service culture and developing leadership.
Rene Looper
Born in Amsterdam, Rene is an innovative, dynamic and highly enthusiastic
individual with vast experience in Management, Hospitality and Business
Start-up and Development.
Rene moved to Scotland in 1999 to start a hotel business and built up 4 star hotel from scratch which he sold in 2006. The use of IT and the internet has been crucial in developing business for the hotel.
Now Rene is involved with two other businesses as a director of TuMinds and 4TM ltd. providing IT and Social media services to the Tourism and Retail industry.
Caroline Gregory, Lovat Arms Hotel
What with having such an influential hospitality led family background - is it any wonder Caroline chose this career path of hotel management? Actually, she rebelled against her calling by completing a MA in Law & Business Management at Glasgow University then did a year solo travelling the globe. London was the next port of call where she thrilled for 2 ½ years, in event management. However Scotland beckoned, with her father needing a new hobby & Caroline a new challenge – the Lovat Arms was reborn.
The hotel’s refurbishment & continued development has been revolutionary in technological, cultural & environmental terms. Remarkably, in less than 2 years, the hotel has been crowned with some prestigious accolades & awards – Press & Journal’s Top 10 Restaurants in Scotland, Envirowise Award for Resource Efficiency, VIBES award for environmental management as well as Caroline receiving the much sought after Hotel & Caterer, Acorn Award, recognising 30 UK rising stars under 30 years of age . These achievements have been made all the more possible by a committed team strongly led by Caroline’s passion & drive to be a leading hotel on Loch Ness.
Donald MacNaughton - Zoned in Performance
Donald MacNaughton is quickly emerging as one of Scotland’s most exciting and trusted business coaches.
When he’s not travelling in Europe and the United States, where his performance coaching seminars and programmes are in increasing demand, Donald is firmly rooted in Scotland, the base for both his home and his coaching business, Zoned in Performance.
At a time when more is being asked of leaders than ever before, Donald’s distinctive approach combines a rigorous educational background in business and sports psychology with an up-to-date knowledge of organisations and current leadership thinking.
Sports psychology, with its insights and tools for the mental preparation and cognitive processes that lie behind successful performance, is proving a powerful aid in the boardroom.
“Those in sport who consistently do well need a lot more than physical fitness and skill. What can tip performance is often down to passion, a desire to win and the ability to overcome obstacles,” says Donald.
“Many business leaders are discovering there is much to be gleaned from the thinking patterns and thought processes of top sportsmen and women.”
And with more than 20 years of studying and working with elite sportsmen across many disciplines, Donald’s coaching skills carry with them a particularly powerful influence.
This, combined with Donald’s own personal energy, humour and skilful ability to motivate both individuals and teams, gives a breadth and scope to his coaching.
His client based reflects this mix. Donald regularly trains and coaches some of Scotland’s most successful sports and business leaders. One week may see him in Switzerland coaching the Great Britain Alpine Ski Team and the next one-to-one development with the HR Director of a large organisation.
And he ensures his own performance and development as a coach remains fresh, creative and relevant. He also writes regularly on leadership issues.
“More demands are being placed on leaders earlier and earlier,” says Donald. “The higher you get in an organisation the easier it can be to lose that sense of who you are. Good coaching helps leaders re-discover themselves and the commitments behind what keeps them in their organisations.”
As well as working at senior executive level, Donald is one of the first business coaches to be actively involved in developing Scotland’s emerging generation of new leaders.
If you'd be interested in discovering more Donald can be contacted on 01463 795888