Four Scottish business leaders named in Grant Thornton’s ‘Faces of a Vibrant Economy’

Grant Thornton has launched its second annual Faces of a Vibrant Economy initiative, which identifies 100 organisations and their leaders that demonstrate excellence through growth, innovation and purpose.

The business and financial advisor is bringing together government, business leaders and communities in a bid to unlock the potential of the nation and help shape a vibrant economy and four Scots have been recognised on this year’s list.

Glasgow Together’s Barry Mochan; PG Paper’s Poonam Gupta OBE; Chris Martin, CEO of software firm Waracle; and Morna Simpson of Girl Geek Scotland.

Last year’s Faces of a Vibrant Economy included Social Bite’s Josh Littlejohn, West Brewery’s Petra Wetzel and Mallzee’s Cally Russell.

Barry Mochan, chief executive of Glasgow Together, said: “Our goal at Glasgow Together is to rebuild lives by empowering ex-offenders with skills and careers in construction. The key to the success of our initiative is effective collaboration and a focus on innovation. Grant Thornton’s Faces of a Vibrant Economy campaign really echoes that vision. Ultimately, it’s all about getting an eclectic mix of business and third sector leaders together to build a new vision for the country, based on entrepreneurialism and a passion for sustainable, vibrant economic growth.”

The group will work as part of a 100-strong network of ‘Faces’ throughout the UK, attending major events and engaging in meaningful debate about the future direction of the country at a crucially important time.

The initiative comes as new research from Grant Thornton suggests that company vision, culture and purpose are key priorities for the UK’s business community, particularly those demonstrating high-growth (grown by 20 per cent turnover in the last year).

Research of 1,000 CEOs and business leaders from British mid-market firms revealed that company vision, culture and purpose is a top-five investment priority for more than a third (35 per cent) of mid-market businesses. For high-growth businesses, this rises to 40 per cent.

On average, 38 per cent of the businesses surveyed specifically invested in vision as a top-five investment to get to the next stage of growth, this rises to 43 per cent of high-growth firms.

Andrew Howie, managing partner of Grant Thornton in Scotland, said: “Now, more than ever, we need to bring together Scotland’s business, political and public sector leaders to engage in debate and dialogue about how we shape a more vibrant, sustainable economy.

“The four Scottish entrepreneurs who join our UK-wide 100 Faces of a Vibrant Economy, are outstanding ambassadors for the country’s business community, placing innovation, social purpose and inspiring leadership at the heart of their agenda. These leaders show us how business can be a force for good in society, how creative approaches to public services and commitment to investing in your people can drive superior results and how passion, coupled with purpose and a great idea can change the world for the better.”