Latest news with #DavidHenderson
The Herald Scotland
06-08-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2025 nominations now open
It takes a unique blend of commitment, resilience and flexibility to make a success of any business that involves close personal ties alongside professional collaboration and The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2025 in association with Business Gateway will once again celebrate those firms who are demonstrating strong leadership and achieving outstanding results in this sector. This year there are 12 categories, ranging from Business Innovation to Customer Service Excellence, as well as Family Business of the Year awards in three different size bands, ranging from micro-concerns to large companies. Each award has been designed to reflect the unique nature of family businesses and last year's winners, which included The Lecht Ski Company, Border Biscuits, Hebrides Cruises, Union Technical Services and Afzal and Akmal Khushi, founders of outdoor clothing company, Trespass who were named joint winners of the Outstanding Contribution award, provided a cross-section of the very best of family-owned businesses across Scotland. For sponsors, Virgin Money, The Malcolm Group and headline sponsor, Business Gateway, these and other firms like them, have a very important role to play in Scotland's economic future. David Henderson, Head of Strategic Finance, West Of Scotland, Virgin Money, said: 'Family businesses are the foundation stone that underpins the corporate landscape in Scotland and for our economy to grow we need to ensure that family firms and their owners are supported and nurtured to succeed. Virgin Money are proud to sponsor the Small/Medium Business Award which recognises family enterprises that are successfully scaling up and becoming increasing contributors to the communities which they serve.' Andrew Malcolm, CEO, The Malcolm Group, said: 'The Malcolm Group continues to support The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards as we recognise the important role that family businesses play not only to the Scottish economy but to the wider business community as well as the local communities in which they are rooted in. 'We hope the finalists demonstrate how they have embedded their strong family culture and values into their business along with how they have achieved success in what has been a challenging year for family businesses.' And Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer, Business Gateway, said: 'Business Gateway is proud to support The Herald Family Business Awards once again. Family businesses play a crucial role in the Scottish economy, providing jobs, driving innovation and contributing to the resilience of local communities. We're looking forward to seeing a wide range of entries from businesses that are making a real difference, whether they've been trading for generations or are building something new for the future.' Entries for this year's awards are now open, with a closing date of Friday, 5 September at 6pm and the winners will be celebrated at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday, 26 November, at the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow. Full details of applications and of the event are available from Sponsorship opportunities are now available, for further information on these contact Alana Massie, Events Manager, at
Business Insider
31-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
VALR pioneers xStocks in South Africa
Africa's largest crypto exchange becomes the first platform on the continent to introduce tokenised U.S. equities trading. VALR, Africa's largest crypto exchange by trade volume, today announced the launch of xStocks on its platform. This offering enables customers to gain price exposure through tokenisation of leading U.S.-listed equities, including Tesla, NVIDIA, Robinhood, Circle, and Coinbase. With this move, VALR becomes the first crypto exchange in the region to offer tokenised equities, marking a significant step towards financial inclusion and simplified investment opportunities across Africa. xStocks, launched by Backed in May 2025, are 1:1-backed tokenised representations of U.S.-listed equities and ETFs, providing price exposure to token holders. However, the xStocks tokens do not confer ownership rights, voting rights or other shareholder rights and privileges to token holders. These tokens can be traded on VALR's Spot market against TetherUSD (USDT) or against other crypto assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, or even the South African rand, via the Simple Buy/Sell terminal. Additionally, xStocks can be deposited and withdrawn via the Solana network, ensuring seamless and efficient transactions across the crypto ecosystem. This launch reflects a growing global trend of tokenising real-world assets, further bridging the gap between traditional finance and the crypto economy. By offering xStocks, VALR empowers its users to diversify their portfolios with price exposure to some of the world's most prominent companies, fostering greater access to global markets and simplifying investment strategies. The introduction of xStocks follows VALR's recent launch of the Garrington Capital USD Private Credit Token (USDPC), a yield-bearing crypto asset, as part of its broader VALR Invest initiative. These developments underscore VALR's commitment to delivering innovative financial products that enhance portfolio diversification and accessibility. Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR, commented: 'The launch of xStocks on our platform represents a pivotal moment in advancing access to innovative products that brings choice and inclusion to people in South Africa, with a plan to make the product available to the continent and globally in the near future. By blending crypto and traditional finance, we are forging a financial system that brings down barriers and serves many more with unprecedented ease. This initiative not only strengthens VALR's global profile but also reaffirms our commitment to bringing innovation and progress to our phenomenal community of VALR users.' 'We're excited to have xStocks on VALR, marking another step in the xStocks mission to bring tokenised equities to users worldwide, in the platforms they use,' said David Henderson, Head of Growth at Backed, the issuer of xStocks. 'We have seen incredible adoption for these assets, and now users from Africa will be able to access them on VALR, participating in tokenised capital markets.' About VALR Founded in 2018, VALR is Africa's largest crypto exchange by trade volume, serving over 1,400 corporate and institutional clients and more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Headquartered in Johannesburg, VALR offers a comprehensive suite of crypto products, including Spot Trading, Spot Margin, Futures, Staking, Lending, API services, Subaccounts, OTC Trading, Simple Buy & Sell, and VALR Pay. Licensed by the FSCA in South Africa and with approval to serve parts of the European Union, VALR has secured $55 million in equity funding from leading investors, including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, GSR, and F-Prime, affiliated with Fidelity Investments. For more information, visit About xStocks VALR
The Herald Scotland
30-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Opportunity to celebrate family values at annual business breakfast
This annual event has become a fixture on the calendar for family businesses of all kinds, from small concerns to those with global reach and a long history of achieving success over the course of several generations. The location for this year's breakfast meeting will be at the office of Virgin Money in Glasgow on Thursday 28th August, when the focus for discussion will be legacy through the lasting impact that family-run businesses contribute through Environment, Social and Governance. With their roots firmly anchored in their local communities, businesses like these contribute more than just economics, as was demonstrated during last year's event when those taking part learned of the importance that Walker's Shortbread, the Speyside bakery firm which has developed an international profile over the course of four generations, has had on creating jobs, opening up career paths and bringing prosperity to Speyside. What was also made clear during the same briefing was that all family businesses share similar issues, regardless of size, product or location and that events such The Herald Family Business Breakfast can help to forge ties and share knowledge on how others have successfully overcome similar challenges. Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer, Business Gateway, says: 'Business Gateway has had the privilege of working with the Herald since they began their focus on this hugely important sector of the Scottish economy. Over the many years of our involvement we've seen a number of family businesses of all shapes and sizes. What is common to them all though is their commitment to the world around them and their grasp of the importance of environmental, social and governance principles in all they do. They are the powerhouses of local communities providing employment and improving wellbeing. The ongoing recognition of their importance through the breakfast and The Herald Family Business Awards later this year is testament to their contribution to the Scottish economy. And David Henderson, head of strategic finance, Virgin Money, says: 'Purpose led businesses are increasingly focused on the impact that their operations and activities have on wider stakeholders and on the environment. That is very much the case for family businesses who are seeking to create a legacy which positively impacts not just the owners and successors, but their employees, customers, and the wider communities in which they operate. 'At Virgin Money our purpose is to deliver fairer, more rewarding relationships and to assist current and future generations to drive progressive outcomes for society. We are delighted to be collaborating with the Herald and our other partners to support this event which will provide a forum to examine and debate the legacy which family businesses can create and to meet other family business owners who are already on that journey.' Meanwhile Andrew Malcolm, director, Malcolm Group, says: 'The Malcolm Group are delighted to be sponsoring the herald Scottish family business breakfast, as a family company with over 100 years existence and 4th generation of family employed in the company.' News of the event's keynote speaker and panel will be made soon and in the meantime full details of the event exclusive for family businesses are available from
CTV News
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Downtown to light up during first ‘Night Light Festival'
Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) and the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan are collaborating to bring Windsor its first ever 'Night Light Festival'. It will take place from Sept. 18 to 20, turning the outside of the gallery 'into a vibrant, glowing wonderland'. 'We're so excited about the incredible response following today's press conference unveiling Windsor's very first nighttime public art festival; Night Light!' said Jennifer Matotek, executive director of AWE. 'We can't wait to bring this festival to life with the support of our partner, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. Over three magical nights, public spaces will come alive with interactive installations, breathtaking digital art, and luminous creations. Windsor is about to experience something unforgettable – we're counting down the days.' From Sept. 1 to Sept. 21, outdoor exhibitions will be part of the festival, in addition to offsite displays at the Gallery at the Capitol and the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre. Workshops will also take place, allowing you to make your own wearable creative technology. 'The Gordie Howe International Bridge will soon bring artistic lighting to the Windsor-Detroit skyline at night, and the project team is excited to support this electrifying new festival through the Community Benefits Plan,' said David Henderson, CEO of Bridging North America. 'This investment will help bring people downtown to enjoy the riverfront in an exciting and inspiring way.'
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Former Bohemian FC coach David Henderson is awarded €26,000 after ‘ruthless, sham' redundancy
A tribunal has made a maximum-compensation €26,000 award to former Bohemian FC coach David Henderson over his dismissal from the League of Ireland premier division club. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found he was subjected to a fabricated allegation of misconduct when the club 'got rid' of him in a 'ruthless and dishonest' redundancy last winter. An adjudicator from the WRC found there was 'no evidence' to back up claims by the Bohs management that the club's finances were in trouble to the extent it had to get rid of the ex-player and coach, who was drawing wages of just €250 a week. In a decision published on Wednesday, the tribunal found The Bohemian Football Club CLG to be breach of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 on foot of a complaint by Mr Henderson over his dismissal by telephone on November 30th, 2024. READ MORE Giving evidence to the tribunal, the club's president had said a budget review process last October and November concluded that 'cutbacks' were needed at the club in 2025 and had 'looked at the complainant's position'. The club president said Bohemians had booked 'significant losses' in 2023 and had projected losses for 2024 - with a decision made at an early November 2024 board meeting that the role of 'recruitment' was not needed. After the board meeting, he instructed the club's director of football to tell Mr Henderson his 'services were no longer required and were being dispensed with'. Adjudication officer Christina Ryan said that when she questioned the club president he could not confirm the date of the board meeting. He also confirmed that Mr Henderson 'was not put on notice' of potential redundancies at the club, had no opportunity to take part in a consultation process and had 'no forewarning' of the phone call on November 30th ending his employment. Mr Henderson told the commission he had been involved with the club at various stages as player, scout and coach – and since 2023 had been head of recruitment, goalkeeping coach for the men's first team, coach for the women's team and chief scout for the Bohemian FC academy. He said the director of football first referenced 'a budgeting issue' when he phoned to remove him from his post. When he replied that this 'did not make sense', given all he did for the club for €250 a week, the director of football then mentioned 'anonymous verbal complaints and a historic letter of complaint', he said. Mr Henderson said he had been given 'no prior warning, investigation or opportunity to respond before his dismissal' and that 'multiple requests' for details of the allegations and 'supposed letter of complaint' had gone unanswered. Under questioning from the adjudicator, the club president admitted 'no letter of complaint ever existed'. Mr Henderson said he had such concerns for his reputation and professional standing, given he worked with underage and female players, that he wrote to the Football Association of Ireland's safeguarding department asking it to pursue the matter – with the FAI's child protection officer confirming there was no letter. He said if the allegations did exist then he wanted them formally investigated to ensure fairness to himself and any potential complainants. In her decision on the case, Ms Ryan wrote: 'These allegations were a gross fabrication designed to, for whatever reason, get rid of the complainant.' She said the club had not been able to 'substantiate the assertion that the financial position of the respondent was such that it would justify the redundancy or the role of recruitment'. It had, in fact, presented 'no documentary evidence' on its financial position, Ms Ryan said. 'It was apparent that the complainant remained involved in football at League of Ireland, college and grassroots level because of his love of the game of football. He was not only an employee of the respondent but a former player, and the treatment he was subjected to by the respondent was shocking,' she said. Ms Ryan said the dismissal was 'nothing more than a sham redundancy carried out in a ruthless and dishonest manner without a single thought for the personal damage the respondent was inflicting on the complainant'. She awarded Mr Henderson €26,000 in compensation – and said it was the 'upper limit' that she was in a position to award.
