The outgoing chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) admitted he “couldn’t have imagined” receiving an honorary degree, explaining he was unable to go to university from school.

Mr Begbie started working in financial services with RBS in 1983, and his career has now lasted more than 45 years. He was responsible for the global people organisation and culture integration following the merger of Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management.

Before the merger, Mr Begbie was chief people officer and lead executive for China and Hong Kong at Standard Life for eight years. During this time, he led the Standard Life HR team to be recognised as one of the top-performing functions in the UK, and he also led the turnaround of Standard Life’s Chinese joint venture.

He was appointed Senior Adviser to the Standard Life Asia Board in July 2020, having chaired the Hong Kong-based board since 2014. Before joining Standard Life plc in May 2010, he held similar transformation and group HR director positions at Aegon, ScottishPower and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Before joining SFE, Mr Begbie led the development of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, following an 18-month contract at Tesco Bank as [job title missing]. He holds several non-executive positions, including chair of Career Ready, non-executive director of Place2Be and chair of the Centre for the Moving Image.

He was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2018 for services to business and social inclusion, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March 2023.

He will receive his degree alongside Professor Mike Kelly, Senior Visiting Fellow in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, at a ceremony at Caird Hall, Dundee, on Friday 27 November 2026.

The occasion will also mark the formal installation of Dundee-born entrepreneur, business leader and author Mike Soutar as Chancellor of Abertay University, following the announcement of his appointment in October. As Chancellor, he will serve as the university’s ceremonial head and ambassador and will preside over graduation ceremonies.

Mr Begbie said: “I am delighted and humbled to be recognised with an honorary degree from Abertay University for my contribution to business. As someone who couldn’t go to university from school, I started working with RBS in 1983 and couldn’t have imagined that one day I would receive an honorary degree. I have been very fortunate to have worked with many great people and teams over the last 45 years, and this recognition is as much for them as it is for me.

“I have had some great opportunities and experiences during my career, and I have been lucky to work globally, which I have enjoyed immensely. Those opportunities allowed me to develop, learn and shape my leadership style. Thank you, Abertay University. I am thoroughly looking forward to the ceremony.”

Professor Liz Bacon, principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University, said: “Graduation is always a very special occasion for our university community, and I am delighted that we will be recognising Sandy and Mike alongside our graduating students at the end of November.

“Both have made significant contributions within their respective fields over many years, and their careers also demonstrate the importance of leadership, innovation and creating opportunities for others. We look forward to welcoming them to Abertay and celebrating their achievements.

“This year’s Winter Graduation will be particularly significant, as we will formally install Mike Soutar as our new Chancellor. Mike has a strong connection to Dundee and shares Abertay’s commitment to opportunity, innovation and real-world impact, and we are very pleased that he will begin this new chapter with the university alongside our graduating students.”