Scottish Chambers of Commerce

✨Scottish Business excels at the 2024 SCC Annual Business Address!   We are overwhelmed with gratitude following an incredible Scottish Chambers of Commerce Annual Business Address.   A special thanks to our inspiring speakers: First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney; Nikki Flanders, Managing Director, SSE Energy Solutions; Diane Gutiw PhD, Vice President, Global AI Research Centre Lead, CGI, Mike Soutar, Media Mogul & On-screen Interviewer for The Apprentice; Rowena Bird, Co-founder & Product Inventor, LUSH and Owen Wyatt, Chief Growth Officer, DC Thomson/E-FWD. Your insights and stories truly resonated with everyone in the room 💡   To our amazing partners: SSE Energy Solutions, CGI, E-FWD/DC Thomson, London North Eastern Railway, Drax Group, SDS, Heathrow and Lumo – your support made this event possible and helped us shine a spotlight on the power of Scottish business.   A special thank you to our event partners: LUSH, Launch Digital, Lussa Gin, Speyburn/International Beverage, Ochil Fudge and Ross's of Edinburgh Ltd for your generous gifts and support – your contributions made this event more special.   Thank you to all our attendees who joined us to celebrate, connect, and champion the growth of our business community. Your energy and enthusiasm inspire us to keep pushing boundaries and raising the bar.   Here’s to driving innovation, growth, and collaboration in the year ahead! #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness #ChamberNetwork

They really know how to throw a party in Glasgow! I was honoured to give a keynote address at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce annual dinner last night, to the cream of Scottish business. My central message to the 600+ guests was this: even though business across the UK are grappling with historically difficult trading conditions, NOW is the time to innovate, be brave, and launch new products and services. Why do I have such a counter-intuitive, optimistic outlook when everyone else is consumed with gloom? Because competitors will never be so distracted by their own problems; consumers are crying out for novelty and reasons to be cheerful. Many of the most successful brands in the world launched during difficult economic moments - Disney, Apple, IBM and more. They all found that hard times can yield strong businesses. Many thanks to Dr Liz Cameron CBE for inviting me. And thanks to everyone who was there, and who made the night so special. (And a big shout out to Anas Sarwar for being my personal photographer too! 📸)

SCC is proud to present Rowena Bird, Co-Founder and Product Inventor of LUSH, at the Annual Business Address! Rowena shared the remarkable journey of LUSH , from its humble beginnings as the “Cosmetic Warriors from the Temple of Temptation” and the opening of their first store in Poole in 1995, to becoming a global success story with over 850 stores across 52 countries, employing around 17,000 people worldwide. She closed her inspiring speech with these words: "If you are running or starting your own business, I hope you have as much fun as we do, consider your team carefully and you too can leave the world Lusher than you found it." Thank you, Rowena, for a truly motivating session! #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness

SCC is thrilled to welcome our first keynote speaker – Mike Soutar! Mike captivated the audience with his inspiring business journey, starting his career at just 17 with DC Thomson and later founding Shortlist Media in 2007 – a venture that quickly became one of the UK's fastest-growing private businesses. Highlighting his dynamic portfolio career, Mike left us with 5 actionable insights for success in business: • Before you cut costs, cut team meetings • Get cost-smart • Figure out if you are an insurgent or an incumbent • Innovate constantly • Forge new partnerships Thank you, Mike, for an insightful and motivating session! #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness

Diane Gutiw PhD, Vice President and Global AI Research Centre Lead at CGI shared on AI: “Because it is so accessible, any business now can find a solution at a reasonably low cost. For decades, those of us working in data science have been trying to bring the technology closer to business.” #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness

Taking to the stage on behalf of our Headline Sponsor, SSE Energy Solutions, Nikki Flanders, Managing Director, shares the real opportunity of clean power and how critical it is for policy development and implementation to be joined up. Nikki shared, “Let’s not fall into the trap of implementing an energy policy that has unintended consequences for businesses or communities.” #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness

📣 The First Minister addresses Scotland’s Business Leaders The First Minister delivers an inspiring speech highlighting the importance of collaboration between government and the business community to drive growth, innovation and sustainability in Scotland’s economy. #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness The Scottish Government

Welcoming the Business Community! SCC President, Stephen Leckie , warmly welcomed our esteemed guests to the 2024 Annual Business Address.   He shared: “I am confident in the strength and ingenuity of Scotland’s business community. Together, I know we have the vision, talent, and determination to turn challenges into opportunities.” #SCCBusinessAddress24

Opening the SCC Annual Business Address, Jackie Bird highlights the importance of collaboration and innovation in driving Scotland’s business success. Her inspiring words set the tone for an evening of meaningful conversations and shared insights. #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness

Pleased to welcome Owen Wyatt, Chief Growth Officer of DC Thomson, as he addresses our VIP guests and shares the exciting launch of E-FWD — an exclusive membership community for senior leaders driving change in the North Sea energy industry. An inspiring moment as we look ahead to a future of innovation and collaboration! 🌍⚡ #SCCBusinessAddress24 #ScottishBusiness