Following on from the success of our previous event in Edinburgh back in June, Livingston James’ sister brand Rutherford Cross welcomed back Tom O’Hara, Chief Executive Officer of Kick ICT Group, to speak at the latest ‘Navigating New Terrain’ boardroom lunch where the marked increase of entrepreneurial finance leaders in recent years was the focus of the discussion.
This lunch was held at the Livingston James office in Glasgow at 218 St Vincent Street, and we were delighted to co-host with Angus McCuaig, Head of AAB Glasgow. We were joined by a number of Scotland’s leading CFOs and Finance Directors from across a wide range of businesses, many of which are family owned, for what was another engaging and informative session.
The conversation followed similar themes from the Edinburgh lunch but with a few additional and interesting topics, particularly concerning how to build robust and sustainable cultures when you are going through a rapid acquisition phase. Much of Tom’s success is owed to building winning relationships and finding opportunities to work with others who he now considers friends rather than business associates.
In his closing remarks, Tom was asked what his 3 key recommendations were for success in business, and he listed the following – with the last one being a good indicator of his sense of scaling successfully:
• Establish great relationships and keep those people close
• If you see a really good opportunity, be bold and seize it
• Acquisitions matter, but ultimately great people and great service matter more
For a full synopsis of the topics covered, please review the last full report from the Edinburgh lunch by clicking here.
To find out more about our events, or to discuss how Livingston James can help you or your business, please contact Mark Lewis on [email protected].
