Business leaders unite to drive growth of private companies

A new collective of business leaders has been formed in an effort to help drive the growth of privately-owned firms across Scotland.

Operating under the banner of Strathblair Associates, the venture has been set up by chartered accountant Richard Oliver and business adviser Gary Deans, who have assembled a team of experts with the aim of providing company owners with access to “topflight” boardroom experience.

Strathblair will tackle issues such as strategy, succession planning, international expansion, talent retention, financing growth, marketing and brand management.

Deans said: “We believe that, for businesses to thrive, their owners need access to affordable, best-in-class, strategic advice, co-ordinated across all the boardroom disciplines, something we think is missing in the current market.”

Oliver added: “Running a business can be a very lonely place, so it’s important that business owners can work with people who have been there before. We can be the ‘critical ally’ that every busi- ness leader needs – able to advise, challenge and support, using our years of experience and collective knowledge.”

In addition to its core team, Strathblair has enlisted the support of Marie Macklin, who was last week named as IOD Scotland’s non-executive director of the year.

Macklin said: “I believe that businesses need help to scale and fulfil their potential.” 0 Richard Oliver, left, and Gary Deans have set up Strathblair