Diageo director Colin Neill will be returning to his alma mater next year for a spot of breakfast and some business chat with the school’s entrepreneurial pupils.
He will give the keynote speech at one of Kelvinside Academy’s business breakfasts, which were launched this autumn as part of the school’s programme of engagement with local commercial and professional communities.
Attendees include parents and former pupils who have gone on to establish their own business enterprises.
Kelvinside rector Robert Karling said: “We’re delighted that Colin, an alumni with a formidable track record of success in business, will present an insight into the workings of the largest whisky producing plant at Diageo.
“As well as providing a tremendous networking and professional development opportunity for business people, it is our hope that our series of business breakfasts will prove to be of direct benefit to those pupils participating in the enterprise strand of our curriculum.”
His old school is not the only one to benefit from Neill’s time – he also takes part in the business and school mentoring programmes run by Scottish Enterprise. He will be at Kelvinside Academy on 1 February.
New face at the inn
Licensing lawyer Stephen McGowan will be raising a glass in celebration after landing the role of chairman for the British Institute of Innkeepers (BII) in Scotland.
A partner and head of licensing for Scotland at law firm TLT, he joined the BII in 2006 and was appointed to its council in 2010.
The BII represents pubs, hotels, off-licences, restaurants, clubs, shops and all other places where alcohol is sold. Yet despite the potential for distractions, McGowan has managed to write four books on licensing and gambling law.
He said: “I am honoured to have been elected chairman and look forward to working with members and friends across Scotland, including other trade bodies, to ensure that a positive message of support is out there for and on behalf of the hard working licensed trade.”
A mutt-have creation …
Scottish boffins have finally cracked one of the great scientific challenges of the dairy world – they have made cheese for dogs.
New Aberdeen-based pet food company Churpi says that after honing the process for more than two years, it can now make a cheese hard enough to be a long-lasting chew for even the toughest canine jaws. The firm has submitted a patent application for the aptly-named K9 Cheese.
Head of communications Hannah Watson says: “Our dairy experts have used their extensive knowledge and experience to make what we are calling K9 Cheese.”
As Churpi only launched its website and related social media last week, we suspect Watson may be taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to promoting her product. However, it appears to have gone down well with the punters, as Churpi has fielded sales and retail enquiries from as far away as the US.
