Writer, journalist and analyst Jonathan Fenby will be speaking at a joint Asia Scotland Institute / University of Edinburgh Business School event on Wednesday, 6 May.
Jonathan will discuss his recent book, “Will China Dominate the 21st Century?” which outlines the challenges that China faces as its spectacular growth continues.
Jonathan has a wealth of experience as a writer and commentator on Chinese political, economic and social affairs.
He was formerly editor of the South China Morning Post, the Observer and Reuters World Service as well as a senior correspondent of the Economist.
Jonathan is a co-founder of Trusted Sources, the emerging markets research and consultancy firm.
His talk will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Prof Richard Harrison. They will be joined by Prof Matthias Zachmann, who specialises in East Asian International relations.
Doors open at 6pm and Jonathan’s presentation starts at 6.30pm. His talk will be followed by a networking reception.
This event is free. Anyone interested in attending can register via www.asiascot.com
Global property advisers, Colliers International, has announced the relocation of its Edinburgh office from 39 George Street to Exchange Crescent, 1 Conference Square; the heart of the city’s business and financial district.
Bob Fisher, Director, Colliers International, said: “After more than ten years at 39 George Street, we felt it was time to relocate to a modern, open plan space, which will provide the flexibility we require as a business, while being centrally located in what has become the new heart of Edinburgh’s business community.”
The move sees Colliers International take a suite in 1 Exchange Crescent, one of the strategically located buildings in the Exchange District’s master plan. Developed in 2000, Exchange Crescent consists of six storeys of flexible high quality Grade A office accommodation.
The relocation follows Colliers International’s Glasgow move last year, again to well-located Grade A space, in 2 West Regent Street, designed by RMJM Architects.
Tony Horrell, CEO for UK and Ireland, Colliers International, added: “Edinburgh is the UK’s largest financial centre outside London, so it is important to us, as a global business, that we are located in the heart of the action. Exchange Crescent provides the ideal base from which to build on our existing relationships with the funds and banks, with whom our property experts are working on a daily basis. I look forward to seeing the team prosper in their new Edinburgh home.”
The team will be operational in their new office from Monday 27th April.
The City of Edinburgh Council is the first Scottish local authority to sign a pledge to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination at work.
The See Me in Work scheme was launched today at Edinburgh’s City Chambers by See Me, a national programme which aims to end mental health stigma and discrimination. The Council, along with a number of other employers, including Edinburgh agency Lewis Creative and Network Rail, has been working with See Me to develop the programme.
See Me in Work is aiming to engage with employers and support them in making changes to their work practices, to improve the working lives of employees with mental health problems. It will encourage an equal and fair recruitment process and ensure those returning to work following ill-health are fully supported.
The announcement comes as new figures reveal that 48% of Scottish workers claim they would be unlikely to tell employers about mental health problems for fear of losing their job. Of the 1,165 people surveyed, 55% also said that people would be unlikely to disclose a mental illness as it could result in being passed over for promotion, or moved to another post. The poll, carried out by YouGov, discovered that only 22% of people think their co-workers have a good understanding of the importance of employee mental health.
Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, said: “The Council is delighted to continue to support the See Me programme and the excellent work that it is doing for employees. One in four of us will experience mental ill health at some point in our lives.
“It’s imperative that our workforce is happy and healthy, both physically and mentally, and it is our duty to make sure that they know they can be confident that there will be support at work if they are experiencing issues. This in turn helps us to deliver the best service possible.
“We’ll continue to support the See Me programme and to help employees, service users and the wider community if our support is needed.”
Judith Robertson from See Me said: “Stigma and discrimination in the workplace is a major issue. These new figures show that there is a significant problem with people being able to speak openly about mental health.
“Employers have a legal and moral responsibility to look after the health and well-being of everyone who works for them and it is important to know how staff are being treated.
“We are delighted to have these organisations work with us in leading the way in tackling mental health stigma.”
Hutchinson Networks will soon be moving to a new office in the south of Edinburgh. 2014 was an exceptional year for Hutchinson Networks, and its continued growth has necessitated a move to bigger premises.
Alongside its North American office, located in New York’s Chrysler Building, Hutchinson Networks’ new Edinburgh HQ is well equipped to meet the demands of an organisation at the cutting edge of IT network solutions. The new premises will also house Hutchinson Networks’ state-of-the-art Network Operations Centre (NOC), through which it can monitor and support its customers’ networks 24 hours a day.
From April 30th, Hutchinson Networks’ new address will be:
3 Wester Shawfair
Shawfair Park
Edinburgh
EH22 1FD
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 131 554 3438
There will be no change to the company’s telephone number or email addresses.
2015 is shaping up to be another great year for Hutchinson Networks, and the company is looking forward to further growth and establishing more strategic relationships with partners and customers.
According to results from our recent survey, more than two thirds of employees didn’t receive a pay rise in the last 12 months. Just over half of workers also told us that they’re hoping to receive an increase in the next 12 months. It could be an interesting year as businesses look to manage and deliver on employee expectations.
The UK jobs market has a much brighter outlook now than in previous years. There are more opportunities open to the best candidates and half of the organisations we surveyed told us that they’re worried about their top performers leaving in 2015.
Motivators for taking a new job
When we asked candidates about the factors that attract them to a new job, the top answers weren’t particularly surprising. Career progression, a better benefits package and training opportunities were important motivators along with the possibility of working closer to home.
Candidates also told us that the stand-out, most significant motivator in taking a new job is an increase in salary. According to recent research, salary and benefits are most influential for workers in either the early stages or the mid-late stage of their careers. Competing strongly on salary for these employees in particular will have a significant impact.
The complete package
Although salary isn’t everything, it is the cornerstone upon which a pay and reward package is based. It’s the headline figure and certainly carries the most weight. Getting salary right, especially in 2015 as more employment opportunities open up, will be crucial in attracting and retaining the best staff.
The Brook Street 2015 Salary Guide – Coming Soon
The Brook Street 2015 salary guide will be available in May and has been produced in partnership with CV Library. It provides the most up-to-date figures for 2015, covering average salaries in a range of disciplines.
To pre-order your copy, please contact Brook Street Edinburgh on edinburgh@brookstreet.co.uk (0131 225 5633)
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh invited the Edinburgh Ambassadors along for a sneak preview of the Prince Philip Building last week on the Launch Night of the Old Town Collection.
On what turned out to be a beautiful evening drinks were held in the private gardens followed by a tour of the Prince Philip Building and dinner in the National Museums in Chamber Street.
In an exciting new partnership of three iconic venues, the Festival Theatre Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and The National Museum of Scotland have come together as The Old Town Collection to offer a one-stop shop for conferences coming to Edinburgh.
This partnership promotes three of Edinburgh’s best known venues and is aimed at driving new business tourism into the City.
Offering a historic, cultural experience for conference organisers and delegates within the intimate surrounds of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
- Plenary Session in the beautiful auditorium of the Festival Theatre Edinburgh
- Break-outs and catering in the historic Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Conference Dinner in the magnificent National Museum of Scotland
If you would like further information please contact the Events Team on 0131-527-3434 or e-mail events@surgeonshall.com.
Rabbie’s is today celebrating being named as winners of the UK’s highest accolade for business success.
The small group tour company received the Queen’s Award for International Trade in recognition of outstanding overseas sales growth over the last three years.
Set up by Robin Worsnop in 1993, following a loan from his brother to buy his first mini-coach, Rabbie’s now employs over 100 staff in peak season and has a fleet of 52 mini-coaches. Thanks to continual investment in their unique experiences passenger numbers on scheduled tours have increased by 36% since 2011. 90% of their clients are from overseas and the company sell their tours through a multi-lingual website, as well as tour operators and local agents overseas.
Robin Worsnop, Chief Executive of Rabbie’s Small Group Tours, said: “We are delighted to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, particularly for our focus on international trade.
“In 1993, I set up a company with the ambition to enable people to experience the stunning scenery and remarkable history of our country. More than 20 years later, I am extremely proud that each year we continue to attract increasing numbers of overseas visitors and I am thrilled Rabbie’s has been recognised in this field.”
Carrying a maximum of just 16 passengers per trip by top-of-the-range Mercedes mini-coaches, each Rabbie’s tour guarantees a more personal service with travellers taken off the beaten track to explore the very heart of the UK, its people, culture and history. Guests are also able to select their own accommodation to suit their budget, with a choice of small independent B&B’s and hotels available in each destination. These are all sourced and approved personally by the Rabbie’s team, with the revenue going directly into the local economy in some of the UK’s most remote areas.
Tours depart daily from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin and London and last year welcomed more than 75,000 passengers from countries including Canada, Germany, USA, China and Australia on more than 5000 tours.
For more information about Rabbie’s and their full range of tours, please call on +44 (0) 131 2263133 or visit www.rabbies.com
Want to be more visible online?
The Scotsman and Digital Kitbag will be hosting a FREE seminar to help your business become more visible online and win more customers.
Technology has dramatically changed the way potential customers and clients interact with businesses today. With more and more customers searching for products and services online, can your business afford to be left behind?
Sign up now for:
A presentation to talk you through digital marketing– get quick actionable tips
Free one to one session to take you through a digital marketing audit of your business and get advice specifically for you
Plus, your chance to win a free professional website for your business when attending.
Register today for your free place: digitalkitbag.eventbrite.co.uk
Free Digital Marketing Seminar
Thurs 30th April
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
Edinburgh City Centre,
34 Bread Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AF
Choose from the four times below:
9am – 12pm – 3pm – 6pm
Register today for your free place: digitalkitbag.eventbrite.co.uk
We look forward to seeing you there.
Groundbreaking new approach to sharing memories of Edinburgh’s people and places from past and present has been developed by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Edinburgh Collected is an online service giving both local people and anyone around the world with a love of Edinburgh the opportunity to make their photographs part of the city’s heritage collection, by sharing their family, friends, city and holiday photos and personal memories, on the website.
All of these images are openly available to be viewed and shared through social media, and by creating our own Edinburgh Collected scrapbooks.
The project will make both historical and current pictures available. The images will be saved for the future and will expand existing collections held online and in the capital’s libraries and museums.
Edinburgh Collected has been jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Nesta, an innovation charity whose mission is to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life.
Anyone interested in joining this new online community and sharing their photos should take a look at the Edinburgh Collected website.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener, said: “Edinburgh Collected is a unique way in which to see the city through a different view, through other people’s eyes, and the selections that have been uploaded so far are fantastic.
“Central Library already holds the largest public collection about Edinburgh in existence, and this new project is a modern way of perfectly complementing it.
“The Capital Coalition is committed to preserving the heritage of the city and ensuring that people continue to have access to a rich resource of quality material.”
Councillor Frank Ross, Edinburgh’s Digital Champion, added: “Edinburgh Collected is an innovative way of creating history using technology. Nesta – through the Open Data Scotland project – gave us invaluable help in making this possible, and has been an ideal example of how using open data can really enhance the work that we do.”
Forth Ports Limited, the UK’s 3rd largest Ports Group, has appointed Sharon Currie as its new Business Development Manager for Scotland.
Sharon, is a senior sales executive with over 20 years’ experience working in the international freight logistics sector. Sharon was previously Sales Manager at TPC Freight Management; Sales Manager at MOL Europe Ltd; and Global Sales Manager with Brain Logistics. Sharon is a member of Glasgow Freight Club and will join the business in June.
Sharon will work across the Scottish operation which owns and operates seven commercial ports including Leith, Grangemouth, Rosyth and Dundee and employs over 1150 people. The Scottish operation handles a wide range of commodities across a number of market segments. The group also owns the port of Tilbury on the Thames.
Stuart Wallace, Divisional Director of Forth Ports, said: “We look forward to Sharon joining the Scottish team in June. She brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge of the sector and has a strong track record in delivering results. We are a busy, dynamic business and Sharon will be a key part in delivering our business strategy going forward.”
Commenting on her appointment, Sharon Currie said: “I am delighted to join Forth Ports in this new role. I have been in the supply chain industry for over 20 years and I enjoy working in the sector. I am looking forward to getting started in the summer.”
