We are delighted to announce that John Anderson has been inducted into the Family Business United ‘Family Business Hall of Fame,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work in advancing the field of family business.
John has devoted much of his career to the field of family business, having had the privilege of working with owners of growing family businesses, both in the delivery of practical executive education programmes at Strathclyde Business School and in a personal capacity as a hands on Non-Executive Director and Chairman.
Today, at Strathclyde, he delivers practical executive education programmes for family and non-family executives, leads on the development of their family business specialism and manages their sponsorship of The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards and the Family Business United Scottish Family Business Road Trip."
John previously served as a director of a family-owned technology company engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of laboratory equipment and as a chartered accountant in professional practice, latterly as a partner at grant Thornton, he worked with a mixed portfolio of growth companies after returning to Scotland from EY in Chicago in 1989.
John is currently the Chairman of family-owned leadership development company BlueSky Experiences and a non-executive director of The Beal Group, a second generation family manufacturing business.
Over the years John was a founding GlobalScot, a regular contributor to the Scottish Government's National Economic Forum and a founding member of the Enterprise Research Centre advisory group. He sat on the CBI Scotland Management Practices and Innovation working group and CBI/KPMG Productivity Index Business Advisory Group.
Today he is a member of the Institute of Directors where he chairs the Glasgow & West of Scotland Branch Committee and of Chapter Zero, The Directors' Climate Forum.
As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United adds, “I have known and worked with John on many occasions over the years and he remains an incredible contributor to the family business space. He is a joy to work with and I am thrilled that we are able to give recognition to his notable contribution to the world of family business and to induct him formally into the Family Business Hall of Fame.”
As John concludes, “At times I have felt like a voice in the wilderness when trying to explain to politicians, their officials and the media that family businesses are the real wealth creators in our economy. My firm belief that family businesses are the original responsible business, taking a long-term view and having an authentic commitment to all stakeholders, often fell on deaf ears."
"Today, however, I no longer feel like that lonely voice and I am honoured to join fellow champions of family business in the FBU Family Business Hall of Fame.”