Biographies

Iain Lawson, Managing Director, PPS (Scotland) Ltd (http://www.pestprotect.co.uk/). Iain was born in Edinburgh in 1952 but moved through to Clydebank when he was three. A son of the manse he was educated in Clydebank and on leaving school worked in banking, sales administration and managing an envelope manufacturing business before setting up his own company Pest Protection Services Scotland in 1981. The company has expanded rapidly and is now the largest independent pest control service in Scotland and also has sister companies in Estonia and Cyprus. The company has won a range of international, national and local business awards over the years for innovation and business expansion. Away from work Iain was for many years involved in politics, initially in the Conservative Party where he  was the West of Scotland Chairman of the Young Conservatives and later  the Chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Candidates Association in Scotland. Iain left the Conservative Party in 1985 and was one of the sixteen Gartcosh Marchers who walked from Lanarkshire to London in January 1986 as part of the campaign to save Scottish Steel. Later that year he joined the SNP and was  the Executive Vice Convenor of the Party in Scotland with special responsibility for Administration and Fundraising before becoming the Party's spokesman for Trade and Industry for many years. Iain moved to Paisley when he married in 1979 and his wife Celia represents the Blackhall and Hawkhead Ward on Renfrewshire Council. He was also the first Honorary President of the University of Paisley, a post he held for the maximum four year period. Retiring from active politics in the late nineties, largely due to the expansion of his business overseas, Iain has been concentrating on his business activities in recent years and has started  new companies in Estonia and a further two companies in Scotland in a wide variety of market sectors including mobile communications, venture capital and innovation projects. He was  appointed as the first ever Honorary Consul for the Republic of Estonia in Scotland and has opened Renfrewshire's first ever Consulate based at his home in Hawkhead. Iain's hobbies include watching the Scottish Football team attempt to secure a place in any major finals, spending hours on a bank being outwitted by a wide variety of fish and playing continually frustrating games of golf.

The evening will be chaired by John McGlynn, Founder-Chairman, Airlink Group (http://www.directparking.co.uk/). John started what is now the Airlink Group as a hobby whilst at University. He has degrees in Accounts and Law. Airlink Security Park was the first company specialising in Airport Car Parking, it has enjoyed rapid growth and has been categorised as one of the most successful business start ups in recent years in Renfrewshire. The group has continued to be the dominant force in car parking in Scotland and has developed over a dozen new start up businesses all of which are still trading and successful. Commercial Property plays a big part in Airlink Group with two business parks beside Glasgow Airport and planning approval for a third. Warehousing and Storage, IT and Internet Booking agencies make up the other major sectors of operations in the UK. In January this year Airlink opened its first overseas office in Tallinn, Estonia to launch Scottish Capital a Baltic based venture capital fund. To date it has made investments in a handful of successful Estonian based companies the most prominent of which is called E-Park and is a mobile phone parking payment solutions company which could revolutionise town centre parking as we know it.  John is UK Vice Chairman of 'IAPRA' - The Independent Airport Park and Ride Association, Chairman of the sister organisation in Scotland, Member of the Strathclyde University Business School Council and a keen supporter of the Schools Enterprise Initiative.  John has been a member of the Exchange since 1999, has enjoyed attending many events, learning from those who have made it, and trying to help companies that are just starting. In 2002 he was awarded the First 'Exchange Special Award' at the annual conference as the best supporting member. He has also presented and Chaired events for the Exchange.