Business gazeteer

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 21:03

HE'S the new company doctor – and so is he

WHAT'S in a name? Quite a lot, in the case of Aberdeen transport giant FirstGroup's chief executive, who will soon be Doctor Sir Moir Lockhead, OBE. His chairman, Martin Gilbert, who in addition to his role as a City grandee is chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, is also becoming a doctor.

Both will be receiving honorary degrees next week from the University of Aberdeen at ceremonies on the King's College campus.

They will be welcomed by another one with a load of titles, Professor Sir Duncan Rice, the university's principal and vice-chancellor, who won his knighthood in the most recent Queen's birthday honours.

It has been a good year for both FirstGroup men. Lockhead was named Global Director of the Year by the IoD Scotland, while Gilbert was named European Personality of the Year at the Funds Europe Awards and Ernst & Young Overall Scotland Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009. We predict a knighthood for him soon, too.

Another honorary doctor from the business world will be Stewart Spence, who entered the hospitality industry at 15 and is proprietor of Aberdeen's only five-star hotel, the Marcliffe.

FACT OF THE DAY

1 million

A TOTAL of one million shoppers logged on to the new Woolworths.co.uk website in its first week of trading, the company has revealed.

The brand made its online comeback seven days ago and by the end of yesterday, consumers had ordered more than a tonne of its pic' n' mix sweets over the internet – with cola bottles proving to be the most popular. Clothing from the Ladybird brand, back-to-school kit, party accessories and inflatables also performed well.

KILLER QUOTE

"We have regrouped and learnt some valuable lessons and the business has now returned to a position of strength."

The television chef Gordon Ramsay, following news that profits at his UK restaurants had plunged by nearly 90 per cent to 383,325 in 2008.

GOOD DAY

Seaweed

A 3.6 MILLION grant has been awarded to invest in research and development in seaweed anaerobic digestion, used to produce biogas for heat and electricity generation on Scotland's islands. The cash, from ITI Energy, will be used to develop the way seaweed is harvested.

BAD DAY

Ireland

RATINGS agency Moody's stripped Ireland of its last AAA credit rating yesterday and warned Prime Minister Brian Cowen he had to inflict more fiscal pain on his recession-wracked country or risk a further downgrade. The former "Celtic Tiger" was hit hard by the property crash.