BIMA Breakfast Briefing – Tech Entrepreneurship – Start, Grow, Sell

Speakers

Richard Simpson (Moderator)

Richard is Joint Managing Director and Co-owner of digital brand agency Tayburn. He is accountable for the agency’s sustainable profitable growth and leads on client acquisition and retention. During his career he has worked with brands of all shapes and sizes ranging from large multinational blue chips to smaller start-ups.

A regular speaker on brand matters, Richard believes passionately that good is no longer good enough and that brands have to be truly remarkable in order to grow and develop.

Outside of Tayburn, Richard is a mercurial golfer, a very average CrossFitter and a spectacular appreciator of malt whisky.

Peter Proud (Start)

Peter is the founder and Managing Director of Cortex, a WPP agency that has a strategic partnership with Microsoft. The two companies have jointly developed a new cloud based marketing solution built on Azure. Before this engagement Peter joined Accenture in April 2009 taking on the role of Managing Director of Strategic Accounts and Partnerships for Accenture Interactive Digital Practice, which provided integrated marketing, technology and analytics solutions for the digital world. Prior to joining Accenture, Peter worked at Microsoft for 14 years, managing accounts for some of the world’s leading household names. He was integral in the establishment of Microsoft’s One Microsoft initiative.

Mike Reid (Grow)

Mike’s career spans twenty-eight years and has focused on the opportunities created by the convergence of technology, marketing and the transformative capabilities of digital. In January 2016 Mike retired as managing Director at Sapient where he led the UK business from a start-up in 1998 to be recognised as the top digital agency by 2013. He was a member of the Global leadership team that was responsible for setting and executing the company’s strategy. In 2015 Sapient was acquired by Publicis Groupe for $3.7bn as it’s “jewel in the crown”.

Prior to Sapient Mike held various positions at Logica, playing a key role in establishing their Edinburgh office and at ICL. Mike is Chairman of Tayburn and in addition has his own advisory business, Nine Patriots Consulting, which helps businesses grow and scale to the next level.

John Waddell (Sell)

John Waddell graduated in law from Edinburgh University quite a long time ago, qualified as a solicitor and made partner in a WS firm at 27. Prior to hitting 30 he left to join Christian Salvesen PLC and worked as General Counsel for twelve years, latterly as a member of the management board of the company. The remit was wide ranging, involving the management of over 60 M&A transactions, including the demerger of Aggreko in 1997. After periods at Bank of Scotland and Noble Grossart working on transactional and investment work, he joined Archangels, the leading angel investment syndicate in 2005 where he was CEO for ten years and remains a consultant. He sits on the boards of five angel backed companies, and a VCT, as well as having advisory roles with other companies and funds. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.