Aberdeen’s True North Advisors hires ‘one of Scotland’s most accomplished events professionals’

Advisory firm True North Advisors has landed a coup after appointing a senior events specialist to support its growth plans.

Kim Stephen joins the Aberdeen-headquartered strategic communications and advisory business as senior events advisor, bringing more than 15 years of experience in delivering major conferences, high-profile events and commercial partnerships across the UK.

The high-profile appointment comes as True North accelerates plans to expand its True Stories and True Leaders events programmes, following a series of successful live shows and the recent announcement that former deputy first minister Kate Forbes has joined the business as a host.

Kim Stephen, Ryan Crighton and Rhona Gillan, head of marketing.

Stephen joins from the Energy Industries Council (EIC), where she has served as regional director for the UK and Ireland since 2023, overseeing a multi-million-pound annual operation, leading a team and setting the strategy for more than 30 events each year. Previously, she spent more than five years as head of sales at P&J Live.

True North Advisors has grown from a start-up into a UK-wide advisory firm with offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London.

Senior partner Ryan Crighton said: “Kim is one of the most accomplished events professionals in Scotland, with an outstanding track record of delivering commercially successful events and building relationships at the highest levels of business.

“We have ambitious plans for True Stories and True Leaders, and bringing someone with Kim’s experience, commercial expertise and extensive network into the business is another important step in realising those ambitions.

“Our events business has developed at pace, and we see a significant opportunity to create something genuinely distinctive in the Scottish market, combining world-class personalities, exceptional experiences and meaningful business connections.”

Stephen added: “True North has built an impressive reputation in a relatively short period of time, and the ambition for its events business is particularly exciting. Having spent much of my career developing and delivering events that bring people and businesses together, I know the impact that really well-executed events can have.

“The opportunity to help grow True Stories and True Leaders, working alongside a talented team and people like Kate Forbes, was hugely appealing.”