Going Global: The Full Circle - Speakers Corner

Our carefully selected speakers provided delegates with the opportunity to tap into their expert insight, learn from their experience and collate practical advice to help improve their business performance. 

Each presenter delivered a clear and relevant presentation in their field of expertise, tailored with our delegates in mind. They had the chance to interact with our speakers during a Q&A opportunity after each 45 minute presentation, and throughout the days considerable networking breaks.

Professor Robert Chia, Professor of Management, University of Strathclyde & University of Aberdeen

Professor Chia has consulted extensively with well-known international organiations and institutions such as the International Federation of Red Cross (Geneva), British Airways, BNFL, British Aerospace, Ciba-Geigy and Cathay Pacific Airlines. He has a wide-range of postgraduate teaching experiences and specialises in company-based Executive-type programmes. For several years he was a regular contributor to a leading-edge International Masters in Practice Management programme chaired by the renowned organizational strategist Henry Mintzberg.

Robert trained initially in aircraft engineering. He holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, a diploma in Training and Development from UK, a Masters in Organizational Analysis with distinction from Lancaster and a PhD in Organization Studies also from Lancaster. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, United Kingdom (RSA).

Prior to entering academia 18 years ago Robert worked for 16 years in aircraft engineering, manufacturing management and was Group Human Resource Manager, Asia Pacific, for a large UK-based multinational corporation. During his academic career he has held lecturing positions at Lancaster and Stirling universities and held chair appointments at Essex and Exeter and was Professor of International Management at St Andrews before moving to Aberdeen in January 2006.

Robert is a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde University Graduate Business School and a Visiting Fellow at the Roffey Park Management Institute.

Robert was a senior editor of Organization Studies, is a member of the international advisory board for several established management journals including Journal of Management Studies and Management Learning, is an invited member of the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies, holds memberships for the America Academy of Management, the British Academy of Management and the European Group for Organization Studies. He is the author/editor of three books and a significant number of international journal articles as well as book chapters in a variety of management sub-fields. His research interests revolve around the issues of strategic leadership and foresight, complexity and creative thinking, contrasting East- West metaphysical mindsets and critical cultural studies. He is the author of three books and numerous international journal articles as well as book chapters.

Robert will be presenting us with an interactive opening presentations entitled, "Problems, Paradigms and Strategic Sense making in a Dynamic Global Environment"

Alison Sellar, Managing Director, activpayroll

Alison launched activpayroll in 2001 in Aberdeen, North East Scotland. Entering the companies 10^th year of successful business, Alison has grown activpayroll to serve more than 500 clients, operating in over 70 countries around the globe.

Alison has built one of the strongest global teams of specialists in payroll, expatriate tax and human resources. She is committed to continually strengthening her team of experts and fostering a singular team working ethos throughout the company, to synergistically share experiences, ideas and knowledge.

After growing to become the leading payroll and taxation provider of choice for firms throughout the North East of Scotland, Alison achieved rapid expansion, extending the client centric services developed in Scotland, to the rest of world from offices in Edinburgh, UK; Houston, USA; Perth, Australia and through a global network of partners in more than 70 countries.

Alison attributes the spectacular global success of activpayroll to filling a distinct gap in the market for fully integrated payroll services, focusing on business development and relationship-building.

Alison has won a number of business awards – “Enterprising New Business” (October 2004), IOD “Female Director of the Year for Scotland” (February 2005), “Scotland’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year” (2005), Small Business Category award winner in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s “Northern Star Business Awards” (September 2006) and was a finalist in the UK Chambers of Commerce “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards (November 2006).

Outside of work, Alison is equally ambitious, often found to be ski-ing, downhill mountain-biking or hitting the gym. Committed to supporting worthy causes, she recently participated in The Monster Ski Challenge 2011 to raise funds for the MS Trust. Ski-ing 100,000’ over three days, the equivalent of ski-ing down Mount Everest for three days in a row.  

Alison will be presenting on "Global Payroll" to share her expertise.

Graham McKechnie, Global Tax Director, activpayroll

Graham has nearly twenty years of global taxation experience and leads our global taxation team. He is an Associate of Tax Technicians (ATT).

Graham worked for HMRC for nearly ten years, learning about the intricacies of taxation, eventually specialising in expatriate taxation. He then worked for The Royal Bank of Scotland as a Tax Manager in the Private Trust and Taxation department, advising major organisations upon their tax affairs. He continued to build his experience in complex taxation policies, including managing tax affairs of corporate executives based in Jersey and Guernsey.

Graham then worked for Deloitte as Expatriate Tax Manager, often working with firms in the Americas serving a wide variety of sectors, including multinational blue chip organisations. He latterly gained big four experience, working for PwC as Expatriate Tax Manager in a wide array of sectors, including managing the UK & USA assignee population for several global blue chip corporations.

Graham has extensive global knowledge of taxation systems, developed through nearly twenty years of specialist work in the taxation industry. His background equips him to consult in global taxation strategies, for existing and developing global players.

He has developed a niche skill at managing global assignee populations of multinational organisations, including leading Oil & Gas, Financial Services and Technology Companies, optimising their tax affairs. 

Graham will be presenting on "Global Tax" to share his expertise with you.

Jim Yuill, Partner, The Yuill Consultancy 

Jim is a Fellow of the Institute of Payroll and Pensions Management and a recognised expert in UK and international security regulation and compliance.

He began his career at the UK Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance before spending over 20 years at what is now the UK government Department for Work and Pensions in the NIC Policy Division where, as a senior official, he helped shape the United Kingdom’s National Insurance contribution system.  More recently, Jim spent 14 years as Director of Social Security Services at Ernst & Young assisting clients both in the UK and abroad on all aspects of social security. 
 
Jim specialises in worldwide social security matters with particular emphasis on contributions.  His expertise lies in advising companies on how to minimise their contribution liabilities while complying with legislative requirements in the UK and internationally.   His skills and experience offer clients access to a rich source of knowledge and experience delivering transparency and opportunity in what is often an opaque compliance regime.  
 
Jim works very closely with expatriate taxation, compensation and benefits and employment specialists to deliver high quality and comprehensive solutions to support clients’ executives, wherever they are going to or coming from.
 
Jim regularly talks on various matters relating to social security and payroll and has contributed chapters to numerous books on these subjects.

Jim will be presenting on "Worldwide Social Security" to share his expertise, and consider current and future global issues.

Sean Saluja, Partner, Paull & Williamsons 

Sean is a partner in our Employment Division.  He deals with all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, and features in Chambers UK - A Client`s Guide to the Legal Profession as a leader in his field.  His expertise includes: preparing terms and conditions of employment/service agreements; drafting/preparing staff handbooks, employee manuals, policies and procedures; preparation of restrictive covenants; pre-dismissal advice including large scale redundancies; all aspects of transfer of undertakings regulations; representation at Employment Tribunals on all aspects of employment law including unfair dismissal, breach of contract and discrimination; collective advice in respect of trade union matters including industrial disputes/strikes.

Sean is accredited by the Law Society as a Specialist in Employment Law and heads the firm’s Employment Law Division.

Sean will be presenting on "Employment Law" to share his expertise and make correlations that will help your business improve.

Anne Morris, Director Global Immigration, David Morris Solicitors 

Anne Morris has practised in the field of immigration law for over 15 years.

Her career began at the Home Office representing the Secretary of State at immigration and asylum appeals. There she gained key insight into the government's approach to and policies concerning immigration, providing Anne with an enhanced understanding and appreciation of the immigration process from both the government's perspective as well as the applicant's.

Since establishing her own practice, DavidsonMorris Solicitors, Anne and her team have continued to provide individual and corporate clients with fast, efficient, and innovative visa results.

Distinguishing Anne from most other immigration solicitors is her commitment to representing her clients by frequently travelling overseas. Anne is regularly instructed to accompany and represent clients at their visa interviews. Anne has submitted and represented her clients at numerous embassies throughout the world including Turkey, Iran, Beijing, Cuba, Canada, Romania, Bulgaria, Morocco, Dubai, Bahrain, Israel, Thailand, The Netherlands, Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Cyprus, Russia, and the United States.

Anne will be presenting on "Immigrations & Visas" to help you learn from her vast internatinal experience.

Alan Fergusson, Director Employee Benefits, Kudos

Alan joined Kudos in 1998 having previously worked for a firm of solicitors from the inception of their Financial Services department. Alan was quickly promoted to the position of Manager within this firm of solicitors, following the growth in turnover to in excess of £1m and increasing the number of advisors from 3 to 9.

Alan's main role is heading the Employee Benefits division. Alan's focus is on advising and developing large corporate clients. Alan has also led the Employee Benefits team into the Flexible Benefits market over the last few years.

Alan will be providing an insight into "Global Employee Benefits" to help shape up your understanding of current geographic trends and future developments. 

activpayroll wishes to thank each speaker for their enthusiasm, commitment and time investment to make "Going global: the full circle" such a great success.