AYRSHIRE pub operator Nick Livingstone, who runs the 7 Saints venue in Prestwick, has won the first Diageo Learning for Life Saltire Fellowship following a tough competitive process.
Nick will now join the 2017-18 cohort of Saltire Fellows who will complete a rigorous programme of personal development designed to help accelerate their entrepreneurial skills.
The Saltire Fellowship programme, which is run by Entrepreneurial Scotland, is widely regarded as the premier international learning opportunity for ambitious individuals. It is ideally suited for candidates ready to take the next step in their career and to transform the business they work in.
Nick impressed the judging panel with his understanding of the programme and how it would help him to grow his business and also develop his staff.
SLTA patron Peter Lederer, who chaired the panel and is also chairman of the SLTA External Advisory Board, said all the judges agreed that Nick was the ideal candidate. “He impressed us with his passion for his business and his determination to use the Saltire Fellowship opportunity to grow the company into one that has a national presence,” he said.
“He’s exactly the sort of person we need to play a key role in the future of a sector that is integral to the success of Scotland’s economy.”
Nick is now looking forward to spending time at Babson College in Boston, the top-rated US business school for entrepreneurship and also Strathclyde Business School, which was named UK Business School of the Year by Times Higher Education. He said he was “immediately attracted to the opportunity” when he read about it in SLTN and spoke to Paul Reynolds, who runs Gin 71 in Glasgow, when he discovered he had completed the programme.
“His enthusiasm for the Saltire Fellowship convinced me to give it my best shot,” said Nick. “I am absolutely over the moon to have the opportunity. I have been working in the industry since I was 17 and am still coming to terms with the concept of having the chance to learn from the best in the UK and the US. I know it will play a key role in helping me develop the business in future. I can’t wait to get going.”
Another member of the judging panel who sits on the SLTA External Advisory Board is Diageo’s Mark Baird, who commented: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Nick. We are confident that he will excel and make the most of the experience – and we believe the experience will not only inspire him to go on to bigger and better things, it is a signal of our faith in the sector to continue to innovate and to address the many challenges facing the hospitality sector.”
SLTA chief executive Paul Waterson was also a judge and was enthused by the number of talented individuals who applied for the Fellowship. “It’s hugely encouraging that so many ambitious and driven people want to be part of the licensed trade and hospitality industries,” he said.
The Diageo Learning for Life Saltire Fellowship includes:
- Eight weeks in a dynamic learning environment at Babson College, Boston where Fellows and Faculty work together to address real-world business challenges
- Hands-on experience through US company visits, challenges and pitching competitions
- A learning journey to Silicon Valley to gain a deeper understanding of its unique entrepreneurial ecosystem, entrepreneurs and investors
- Two weeks’ residential learning delivered in Scotland in partnership with Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde
- Managerial and leadership experience through working for 12 weeks with a high-growth enterprise or re-integrate into your business
Sandy Kennedy, chief executive of Entrepreneurial Scotland, said: “The hospitality sector is key to the success of Scotland’s economy. Having businesses with the ability to scale and grow to meet the needs of a growing number of visitors is vital.
“The sector has always shown great entrepreneurial flair and so we are particularly interested to see what Nick does with the opportunity – having met him and heard of his plans, we are sure we will all be hearing a lot more from him in future. We all wish him well and look forward to supporting him throughout his Saltire Fellowship.”
Image: L-R: Paul Waterson, chief executive, SLTA; Peter Lederer, chairman of the judging panel and SLTA patron; winner Nick Livingstone; judge Mark Baird; judge Gillian McKenzie, SLTN editor; and Sandy Kennedy, chief executive of Entrepreneurial Scotland, who was also a judge