Sailor Rona Cant offers her leadership knowledge to SIBL

Published on 13/08/2012 00:00

TALES of daring on the high seas are the order of the day for the Scottish Institute for Business Leaders (SIBL), which has booked an international yachtswoman and explorer to address its next meeting.

Round-the-world sailor Rona Cant will be addressing a meeting of the group of business leaders on 21 August at the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld.

SIBL chairman Drew Pryde said: “We are very lucky to have Rona join us as our guest speaker. She has faced some of the toughest physical and mental challenges one could imagine and this has given her a unique perspective on leadership and teamwork, which she is going to share with us.”

As well as competing in the in the BT Global Challenge Round the World Yacht Race, Cant has trekked among bears and cougars on Vancouver Island in western Canada and been dog-sledding deep into the Arctic Circle on a trail many thought to be impossible.

Sweet moment to mark success

CAKE may be more usually cut to celebrate birthdays or weddings, but one Scottish company has been tucking in to mark a more sobering milestone.

Staff at Glasgow-based funeral planning firm Golden Charter savoured a slice of cake after selling a record 300,000th pre-paid plan.

The company, which was set up in 1989 and now employs more than 200 people, says it is proud to be tackling Britain’s reluctance to think about mortality and expects to grow further as more financial institutions recommend clients set aside money to meet their very last bill.

Golden Charter managing director Ronnie Wayte said: “In the UK we have tended to remain very shy about addressing our own mortality, and the big financial institutions were anxious about mentioning it to their customers.

“That is changing fast and funeral plans are quickly becoming just another financial product as the banks and insurance companies put their marketing muscle behind them.”

Crosthwaite swaps Family for APS

Marketing firm APS Group has lured Helen Crosthwaite from advertising and design agency Family to be its client services director for Scotland.

In her newly-created role, Crosthwaite will lead a team of 14 based at the company’s offices in Edinburgh.

Crosthwaite had been at Family for ten years and has more than 18 years’ experience in client service and management, having also spent six years at McCann Erikson Scotland and worked with organisations including drugs giant Pfizer, tourist board VisitScotland and Carnegie College. She said: “This is a great opportunity for me to take a key role in enhancing our service offering, ensuring that we deliver a consistently excellent level of service and making us an indispensable partner as we help our clients to achieve their business goals.”

APS Group’s clients include sports firm Adidas, Superdrug and Volvo.