How did you get started in the industry?

I was an architect and after dinner speaker turned academic who fell in love with teaching professionals how to communicate and influence. That evolved into KWC Global, helping smart people become rainmakers. And we have so for the last 25 years.

Biggest professional achievement?

Surviving two existential crises: the financial crash and the pandemic and coming out stronger both times. Turning learning and development (L&D) from a perceived overhead into a profit-driving part of our clients’ businesses.

Best advice you received?

Find a purpose and focus relentlessly on it. Start early, stay late. Wear good shoes. All men look good in a navy-blue suit.

What do you like most about your job?

Standing in front of 300 people with a flipchart and a fat marker, helping them see that sales and leadership aren’t dirty words. They’re the engine of growth because sales solve everything.

And the least?

Anything involving timesheets or expense forms.

What permanent changes have been made post-COVID?

We’ve gone global thanks to digital delivery. We disappeared completely initially as everything we did was in a real room, but Zoom transformed how we teach.

It didn’t dilute our impact; it multiplied it and took us everywhere.

Which newsletters/bulletins do you receive?

I trained as an architect, so I like an eclectic mix. That will include the financial press, professional service updates and a few philosophy newsletters, Nietzsche included.

How would you change Scottish Financial News?

More stories that celebrate entrepreneurial success. Scotland needs a better narrative around business and value creation.

Do you read a daily newspaper?

Yes, a mix of print and online, coming from both the left and right. I like to see what different sides are saying.

Which social media sites do you use and find most useful?

LinkedIn is essential for business, though it’s a mystery wrapped inside an enigma; X (Twitter) for news and sport and miscellaneous nonsense.

Hobbies and interests:

Cooking, watching sport, spending time with family. I also make a mean frittata, mostly on Friday.

Favourite holiday destination:

I go to Costa Adeje in Tenerife every New Year for some warmth and love the north west of Scotland but need more Italy in my life. The best food, the best language, the best architecture. And I adore my time in London as I am inspired every visit.

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