Biographies

Graham Bucknall, Founder, Adventi (http://www.adventi.com/). Adventi is one of Scotland's fastest-growing IT Services companies.  Established less than four years ago, Adventi has grown organically and through acquisition, and in 2005 acquired Scotsys, one of the longest-established IT services companies in Scotland.  The enlarged group employs over 80 staff and is one of the largest providers of IT goods and services throughout the public and private sectors in Scotland and Northern Ireland; it is also the only company in the UK which is both a Microsoft Gold Partner and an Apple Solutions Expert.  Adventi was named the Most Entrepreneurial Young Company in the Edinburgh Evening News Awards 2004, and for his role in growing the Adventi Group, Graham was a finalist in both the World Young Business Achiever Awards 2003 and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in 2004 and 2005. Prior to establishing Adventi, Graham spent his early career in corporate finance with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in London, before moving on to be Regional Director of EFP Australasia in Sydney and then Managing Director of TrustNet in London.  He has been active in advising early-stage companies and has been a non-executive director of several VC-backed companies in Scotland.  Graham holds an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Exeter and an MBA with Distinction from Edinburgh Business School.

Paul Mason, Managing Director, iResponse (http://www.b-p-o.co.uk/).  Paul Mason is 35 and lives in Glasgow. His career started in marine engineering and moved into powerboat sales. After 6 years spent in a variety of sales and marketing roles Paul joined TSC as sales manager, a start up call centre outsourcing company. In 2000 Paul founded iResponse a call centre and distribution company based in Cumbernauld. In 2001 the company raised £2m in equity and debt from a consortium if investors including SIF and Royal Bank of Scotland.   Since then the company now forms part of the BPO Holdings, which along with iResponse includes BPO Financial Services provided outsourced insurance sales and BPO Collections, a consumer debt collection business. The group employs over 400 staff and has sales in excess of £7m

The evening will be chaired by Alison Loudon, Chairman, FWB Non-Executive (http://www.fwbltd.com/). Alison is a business angel and investor. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Thornton Baker before joining Aldus at its inception, later Adobe. Through hands-on involvement and through investing in a number of companies Alison has worked tirelessly to help new creative entrepreneurs achieve their potential. Alison is currently Chairman of Simul8 and Microstencil, Non-Executive Director Caledonia Contracts and the Scottish Exhibition Conference Center as well as advisor to The Capitalfor Funds Enterprise Board.  In addition she is a member of the LINC and the Business Forum and serves as a Governor to Merchiston Castle School and is on the board of The National Trust for Scotland. Alison launched a new venture as Managing Director at the beginning of 2004, FWB Non-Executive (http://www.fwbltd.com/), which specializes in the recruitment of non-executive directors to the boards of UK-based public and private companies - see http://www.fwbnonexecutive.com/. Chaired by Judy Wagner of FWB, and with an advisory board consisting of Professor Ian Percy and Bill McCall, the company is successfully reaching the market that understands the benefits of exceptional non-executive directors who deliver at the highest level. Through her involvement with initiatives such as The Entrepreneurial Exchange, Connect and previously the Science Institute for Enterprise she hopes to bridge the gap between good business ideas and delivery of successful businesses. Alison was involved as one of the business advisers to Wendy Alexander's review of the Enterprise Networks and programme of RSA grant funding. Previously Alison helped found Aldus Europe Limited and during the late 80's and early 90's, grew the company by establishing seven European subsidiaries with a turnover of £65 million. A successful merger with Adobe Systems Inc. created the third largest Software Company in the world. During 1995/98 she assisted a number of businesses in various market sectors, to complete turnarounds. Alison has close relationships with a number of funders including venture capitalists, business angels and government authorities. She represents the interests of 3i, SEP and the Archangel Investment Group in various enterprises. Alison has fulfilled her desire to help companies to be successful with her experiences of "scars from battles fought and won"! "Nothing", she says, "prepares one for the challenges of developing a market displacing product; of moulding the management team, finding a route to market, implementing a ‘scaleable' business, whilst enjoying the maze of fundraising."