Imagine a business of tens of thousands of individuals all working together in complete harmony, responding to changes in the market, adapting quickly and efficiently, and making complex decisions with speed and initiative on an individual and collective basis. Imagine all this without a single director or manager calling the shots. This is a honeybee colony and we have one in our Edinburgh office with 100,000 busy bees. Nearly 3 years ago, I pitched the idea of having bees to the leadership team and they thought it was a great suggestion. Our bees are managed by Plan Bee an ethical, sus ..read more

by Garry Tetley I am a Deloitte Tax Partner and also a Mental Health Champion. The champion role is one of the most rewarding I have within Deloitte and has two main components. Firstly, my fellow champions across all our UK offices and I are responsible for raising awareness, speaking to teams and communicating the various support networks that are in place, and, secondly, we are an independent sympathetic ear for people with concerns about themselves or a colleague and we aid them in accessing the appropriate confidential and professional help they require. When I was a director, I was a h ..read more

By Steve Williams Political events and uncertainty had a significant impact throughout 2019, impacting businesses and individuals alike.  Following the election there may well be more certainty for the UK as a whole, but Scotland’s constitutional future is likely to dominate political conversations here in the coming weeks and months, and there is no sign of this trend ending anytime soon. It is at times like these that we need to emphasise the importance of making a positive impact that matters on society, employees and clients; and that is why I am proud that a sense of purpose is the dr ..read more

2020 will be a year of further debate over the future of the Scottish economy, as  by the latest analysis from the Fraser of Allander Institute. While the result of last week’s General Election has provided clarity on the UK’s political outlook, questions on Scotland’s constitutional future remain. This comes at a time of ongoing weak economic performance. The latest analysis by the Institute shows that the UK economy stagnated over the three months to October, with low business investment remaining a key drag on growth. Despite this, there are positive trends to acknowledge: unemployment lev ..read more

Since Oil & Gas UK's Energy Transition report was launched last December, companies and bodies from across the sector have united to take bold steps towards delivering a net-zero oil and gas basin. However, while the industry’s collective drive to achieve the UK and Scottish Government’s net zero carbon targets should be celebrated, it is important to reflect and act on opportunities and potential challenges in order to deliver the energy transition and demonstrate leadership to support the delivery to a net-zero economy.  Looking forward into 2020 and beyond, the pace of change has neve ..read more

Aberdeen is on the cusp of its very own ‘climate change’, one that will greatly affect its ecosystem for generations to come. It will determine just how vibrant, competitive and sustainable the city will be in future. I am referring to the Granite City’s economic climate which is in the midst of a major transition from hydrocarbon dependency to a future as a global energy city. But while this is to be welcomed, the city needs to go further in my view: diversity is as important for a city’s economy as it is for the natural world’s rainforests and coral reefs. History is littered with examples ..read more

Marc O’Connor, UK Consulting Leader - Energy, Resources & Industrials, Deloitte The increasing importance of digital technologies in capital projects is well recognised across the oil and gas sector, particularly as the industry works to deliver Vision 2035, drive forward innovative solutions and support its transition to a sustainable future. The use of digital technologies across capital projects provides operators and suppliers with the capacity to significantly enhance workforce safety, secure valuable efficiencies, improve the predictability of outcomes and reduce risk through reli ..read more

John Macintosh, Tax Partner, Deloitte As we await the outcome of negotiations, heightened economic uncertainty continues. Whatever the outcome of Brexit, profound change is ahead and businesses need to be agile to respond. From engaging with staff and addressing the potential of legal and regulatory change to ensuring supply chains are robust and ready - there are a number of factors that can be built into contingency plans. There are also wider, longer-term issues to consider, many of which have been sidelined by the current political climate but will have considerable impact on the Scottis ..read more

    Twenty-five years ago the economist Paul Krugman wrote that, “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long-run it is almost everything”.  Today as we struggle with the consequences of sluggish productivity growth, these words sound highly prophetic. Ask any business leader, educator, government official or influencer to pinpoint why productivity growth has slowed and you will get a range of different answers. It is a problem with no single identifiable cause, which in turn makes it hard to tackle. The reasons given have varied including: Lack of investment; Less innovation – or at leas ..read more

I am sat in a race convoy vehicle on Stage 1 of the first ever Women’s Tour of Scotland, when I hear over race radio that the stage has been cancelled. Moments later as we drive onwards on the race route we realise why.. as the water rises up above the top of the car tyres as we drive through nearly 100m of flood water. Bike races of this scale are a logistical nightmare at the best of times – outside the bubble of the riders, hundreds of personnel from the teams, the race organisers, the police, local councils and the broadcasters all have to pull in the same direction to make the race ha ..read more