Veterans' skills to be celebrated at Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Awards
Transitioning from the military into a meaningful second career is notoriously tricky for many Armed Forces veterans, but an award ceremony that celebrates former service personnel's talents aims to change all that.
Today, the Scottish edition of the Ex-Forces in Business Awards, the world's largest celebration of military veterans in second careers, reveals its fourth annual shortlist of finalists — an eclectic group of former servicemen and women whose skills and talents have created enormous value for employers across Scotland.
The Ex-Forces in Business Awards were established in 2018 as a flagship, high-profile platform for showcasing the veteran talent pool and increasing the visibility of business role models for service leavers across all sectors.
Since its inception, the awards ceremony has celebrated the second-career achievements of more than 1,000 veterans and reservists while demonstrating the huge value that military-gained skills and qualities add to the UK economy.
In addition to celebrating the skill sets of former service personnel, the awards ceremonies, which are attended by up to 1,200 veterans and employers, have raised nearly £250,000 over the past several years for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, the official charity partner of the awards.
This year's Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Awards finalists were whittled down from more than 300 nominations.
The winners are decided by an independent judging panel of 20 veterans and business leaders from major Scottish employers such as Addleshaw Goddard, Barclays, JPMorgan, Edrington and the Scottish government.
Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Gregory, CEO at SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said: "We are proud to once again be the official charity partner of this important awards programme which promotes the tremendous talents of the Armed Forces community to employers and increases visibility of business role models for servicemen and women.
"As a former Chief of Defence People, I know just how important it is to have strong visibility, both of the wide breadth of forces-friendly employers and of veterans who have transitioned into meaningful second careers – these awards lead the way in amplifying that visibility.
"Our warmest congratulations but also sincere thanks must go to all of those who have been shortlisted for this year's Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Awards for setting such a great example of how military-gained skills and values can be successfully applied across all sectors."
The winners will be revealed and celebrated at the prestigious award ceremony on 18 April in the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow's Grand Ballroom.
Broadcasting legend Sally Magnusson will host the event and introduce a programme of entertainment and guest speakers including Scotland's first female Veterans Commissioner, Lieutenant Commander Susie Hamilton.
Rear Admiral Chris Hockley CBE, CEO of The MacRobert Trust, which owns and runs Douneside House and its exclusive Military Club, said: "The Douneside Military Club, with its 1,200-plus military members from right across the Armed Forces spectrum, is both delighted and honoured to be sponsoring the 2023 Scottish Ex-Forces in Business Awards, as a celebration of the huge contribution that veterans can, and do, make to businesses of every kind.
"We recognise that this is done not only through direct use of the knowledge and experience gained from their time in the forces, but also as a result of their innate spirit, energy, compassion, determination and dedication.
"Every award category nominee is deserving of our applause and admiration as excellent examples of the hugely varied and immensely valuable contributions that veterans can make."
Who are the finalists?
ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
Claire Biggar, Edinburgh Napier University
Craig Murney, NHS Scotland
David Robertson, Centrica & British Gas
Gen Dit Network
Simon Tramalloni, Stagecoach
Wood
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Andy Beautyman, RB Safety Consultants
David Spink, MacGregor
Malcolm Norman, Wood
Martin Smith, CyberPrism
Simon Evans, Waterstons
Steven Maclaren, The National Robotarium
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Cory Fayle, Vertical Aerospace
John Noble, Seapeak
Martyn Douglass, Flexitricity
Paul Binnie, Wood
Richard Sleigh, Peak Scientific
Ross Bingham, University Of Edinburgh
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Danny Gemmell, Be-inn Unity
Patrick McElhinney, My Highland Photography
Richie Nicoll, GalloGlas Group
Steve Regis, Palaemon
Steve Smith, Ductbrite Ventilation Services
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Benn Sievewright, PCL Group
Cameron Johnston, Riixo Recovery
Christopher Walker, Tradegraft
Jock Boyle, OIS Inventions
Lee Rosen, Think Orbital
Mark Haley, Aker Solutions
MILITARY VALUES IN BUSINESS AWARD
Barnaby Johnson, G4S
Corry Sutherland, EnerMech
David Devenney, Community Veterans Support
John Rigby, DNAStream via FDM Group
Lisa Heffernan, Levenseat
Neil Raeburn, Phoenix Group
NEW SERVICE OF THE YEAR
Adam Gordon, Barclays
Daniel Weddle, Centrica / British Gas
Jamie Dalton, FDM Group
Lynn Collins, Ingenico UK
Mark Peachey, Chase People
Paul Price, Aspen Insurance
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Geelan, BAE Systems
James Duncan, Barclays
Mike Needham, Wood
Ralph Phillips, Baker Hughes
Scott Simon, Snowsport Scotland
Terry Lynch, Hitachi Rail
RESERVIST OF THE YEAR
Alexander Bayley, Sky Media via FDM Group
Amberle Gregory, SSEN Distribution
Gary Seath, Forces Children Scotland
John Sinclair, Fugro
Stephanie Grieve, Beltrami and Company
Stephen Campbell, Baillie Gifford
RISING STAR OF THE YEAR
Crawford Hume, XLCC
Dale Smith, Babcock International
Joe Cooper, NatWest via FDM Group
Katie Hislop, Mott MacDonald
Lewis Taylor, Barclays
Rhys Jones, Stagecoach
ROLE MODEL OF THE YEAR
Andrew Smith, CNRL
Laura Sarkis, Wood
Nick Merrin, Lloyds British
Roger Sherratt, Pertemps
Rosslyn Beattie, HSBC and Lloyds BG via FDM Group
William Hendry, Scottish Ambulance Service
SERVICE LEAVER OF THE YEAR
Chris Bound, Northrop Grumman
Hamish Maxwell, Baillie Gifford
Ian Drysdale, Carbon60
Lee Thomas, Levenseat
Kenny MacKenzie, Kohler Old Course Hotel & Spa
Mike Riddell, Scottish Fire & Rescue
TEAM LEADER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Harbison, LifeScan Scotland
Christopher Rice, NatWest via FDM Group
Ian Fraser, Sodexo
John Fotheringham, Amberstone Security
Li Stark, BAE Systems
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