Wendy Alexander is a retired Scottish politician and the former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Paisley North. She held various Scottish Government cabinet posts and was the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2007 to 2008. In 2010–2011 she convened the Scotland Bill Committee on financial powers of the Scottish Parliament.
Tartan Day is celebration of Scottish heritage and the cultural contributions of Scottish and Scottish-diaspora figures of history. The name refers to tartan, a patterned woollen cloth associated with Scotland. The event originated in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1987. It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora and Scotland itself in the 1990s to 2000s.
A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners.
The economy of Scotland is an open mixed economy, mainly services based, which is the second largest economy amongst the countries of the United Kingdom. It had an estimated nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of £218.0 billion in 2023, including oil and gas extraction in the country's continental shelf region. Since the Acts of Union 1707, Scotland's economy has been closely aligned with the economy of the rest of the United Kingdom (UK), and England has historically been its main trading partner. Scotland conducts the majority of its trade within the UK: in 2017, Scotland's exports totalled £81.4 billion, of which £48.9 billion (60%) was within the UK, £14.9 billion with the European Union (EU), and £17.6 billion with other parts of the world. Scotland’s imports meanwhile totalled £94.4 billion including intra-UK trade leaving Scotland with a trade deficit of £10.4 billion in 2017.
Legatum Limited, also known as Legatum, is a private investment firm, headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Legatum is a partnership that uses its own funds to invest globally. The firm also invests in activities to promote entrepreneurship and free enterprise as well as anti-slavery, health and education initiatives.
Walker's Shortbread Ltd. is a Scottish manufacturer of shortbread, biscuits, cookies, and crackers. The shortbread is baked in the Moray village of Aberlour, following a recipe developed by Joseph Walker in 1898.
The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is a membership-based social enterprise located in Auckland, New Zealand. The network was created in October 2002 by its founder and CEO Rachel Brown.
Alison Helen Lucy Cork is an English interiors expert, entrepreneur, author, and TV presenter. She is the founder and CEO of online brand alisonathome.com and founder of Make It Your Business.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a public library specialising in Scottish poetry. Since 1999, the library has been based at 5 Crichton's Close, just off the Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town.
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is New Zealand's economic development and trade promotion agency. It offers strategic advice, access to networks and influencers, research and market intelligence, and targeted financial support to help businesses on their international journey, and works to promote and support the growth of New Zealand business overseas.
The LGBT Network was an LGBT rights charity based in Scotland.
Edinburgh BioQuarter is an initiative in the development of Scotland's life sciences industry, which, as of August 2020, employs more than 39,000 people in over 750 organisations.
The British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) is an independent not-for-profit organisation founded in 1920 with more than 500 members. It aims to improve business relations between Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the UK. The BSCC is a forum for debate and networking. The BSCC is composed of corporate, SME, and individual members, who are categorized into four groups, called network, promote, lead, and influence. BSCC members represent the majority of business sectors. Its activities include organising events, providing advisory services and creating a platform for the exchange of information and experience between Switzerland and the UK.
Direct Line Insurance Group plc is a British insurance company based in the United Kingdom, formed in 2012 by the divestment of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group's (RBS) insurance division, through an initial public offering. The company owns a number of insurance subsidiaries, providing various insurance products, including Direct Line and Churchill, Darwin as well as the roadside assistance and vehicle recovery provider Green Flag.
The Brilliant Club is a UK-wide university access charity focused on increasing the number of less advantaged students accessing the most competitive universities and supporting them to succeed when they get there. Their flagship Scholars Programme, which launched in 2011, supports students aged 8–18 to progress to the most competitive universities, including Russell Group universities, by giving them the opportunity to learn topics outside of the curriculum and experience university-style learning.
Dame Susan Ilene Rice, Lady Rice, is a British banker, company and charity director and Chair of Scottish Water, Business Stream, North American Income Trust, and non-executive director of the Office for Budget Responsibility. In 2000 she became the first women to lead a British clearing bank.
Poonam Gupta OBE is a British entrepreneur, based in Scotland.
The Scottish National Investment Bank is a Scottish state-owned investment and national development bank based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Although referred to as a bank, it does not do normal banking operations nor accepts deposits. The bank uses public money to fund commercial projects across Scotland with the hope that this seed capital will encourage further private investment, to help develop a fairer, more sustainable economy. £2 Billion of taxpayers money is earmarked for the bank.
Judy Wagner, FRSE is a British business leader, educator and executive search recruitment manager. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2021 and is the co-founder and non-executive director of FWB Park Brown, an executive search company.
International relations of Scotland include the promotion of Scotland and its culture and education and research, the Economy of Scotland, Scottish interests abroad and positioning Scotland internationally as a global, responsible country. The responsibility for Scotland's international relations ultimately rests with the First Minister of Scotland, who is supported in international relations and overseas visits by the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. Scottish culture is celebrated in a number of countries worldwide, a symbolism of the approximately 40 million Scottish diaspora globally. Events such as Tartan Day are celebrated in the United States, Canada and New Zealand annually.
