Allan Wilson

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Allan is a former MSP (1999-2007) during which time he was a member of the Scottish Government and held various positions as the Minister for Sports, Arts, Culture and Planning as well as the roles of Minister for Environment and Rural Development and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, giving him extensive experience in a wide range of areas.

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Since leaving Parliament, Allan’s independent consultancy has provided in-depth research and analysis of business development opportunities and offered strategic advice to a range of private sector companies on enterprise, energy, education, environment, economic regeneration and planning matters. Clients have included those involved in architecture and design, environmental protection and resource management, construction, house building, pharmaceuticals, retail, residential and other commercial development, the food and drink, renewable energy, biomass heating, the hospitality and hotel sector, sport and leisure development, transport and port infrastructure, helping a variety of both UK and overseas private businesses expand their Scottish and UK footprints.

Robert Hobbs

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Robert has over thirty-five years of sound international business experience accumulating considerable experience of large infrastructure projects, property development and major capital investment projects.  He spent six years in the Middle East as a Senior Executive with the Olayan Group. The conglomerate is one of the largest international property, logistics, plant & automotive distribution & retail trading enterprise in the world. In this period he was directly involved in many of Saudia Arabia’s largest infrastructure, engineering & residential projects.

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Robert also has a significant amount of experience in property development where for over fifteen years he has been active in the commercial and residential sector where he has successfully master-planned and gained planning consents for a number of properties. 

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Robert also has significant experience of attaining grant funding having secured over £10 million in various projects from many sources including Lottery and European Regional Development Funding Robert has been heavily involved in the third sector for over twenty years, he has raised over £3million for West of Scotland Charities.

Robert is also a founder of CHAP (Community Housing Advocacy Project). CHAP is an Ayrshire based charity serving people with housing issues in the West of Scotland. CHAP are renowned in their field having won the prestigious 2009 Ayrshire Business Excellence Award as well as being runner-up again in 2011.

Robert also has significant experience in the renewable energy sector, having been involved in a number of projects with various technologies. Robert retains a keen interest in all things innovative & environmental having been co-founder of the UK's Institute of Nanotechnology in 1995. 

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Neil MacCallum

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Neil is a distinguished economist with renowned expertise in economic development, with a wide range of knowledge and vast experience working as a Senior Expert Advisor with high profile organisations such as the OECD and the LEED Trento Centre for Local Development. Neil has also held senior positions within Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, giving Neil specialist expertise in a number of policy areas.

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Neil has worked on a number of community based projects for a variety of organisations assessing feasibility of projects and financial sustainability. He has developed many new initiatives to improve competitiveness and growth and has provided evidence on the topic to the Scottish Parliament and various international high level round tables in a plethora of European countries including Greece, Italy, Ukraine and the Baltic and Balkans states as well as around the world in countries ranging from Bermuda to Turkey and the Office of the President of the United States. This allows Neil to provide expert analysis on business planning, funding and organisational development and project feasibility. 

Scott Wilson

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Scott has a background in economics with particular experience working within the third sector and energy sector. Scott's background has assisted SME's and third sector businesses in their pursuits to expand, and he also been responsible for the creation of funding strategies to raise revenues for redistribution to communities as well a ssuccessful track record of attaining grant funding from various organisations both public and private for projects to carry out a social purpose.

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Scott has experience of business start up and operation having developed strategies and models on various projects, with particular knowledge of the third sector economy successfully establishing multiple social enterprises and with experience within the charitable sector.

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Scott also has a track record of community engagement and involvement with various organisations as well as successfully steering through a multitude of developments with experience of political and media engagement in Scotland and the rest of the UK from council to parliamentary level.