Latest news with #UniversityofStAndrewsBusinessSchool
Business News Wales
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
IoD Launches Global Leadership Programme Featuring Erin Brockovich
The Institute of Directors (IoD) has launched a global leadership programme featuring keynote speaker Erin Brockovich. The Global Certificate in Company Direction has been created by the IoD in collaboration with the University of St Andrews Business School. It aims to equip directors with the knowledge, skills, and strategic insight to lead effectively. The programme combines governance expertise, academic excellence, and immersive board simulations. Environmental activist and consumer advocate Erin Brockovich will deliver an exclusive in-person session at St Andrews. Professor Mark Brewer, Dean of the University of St Andrews Business School, said: 'This collaboration brings together the academic excellence of St Andrews and the IoD's unmatched expertise in corporate governance. The Global Certificate in Company Direction is for leaders who want to drive meaningful change and excel in their boardroom roles. By combining real-world case studies, peer learning and cutting-edge research, this programme offers a transformative experience for directors worldwide.' Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the IoD, said: 'The IoD is an organisation that exists for the public good and is designed to support directors in effectively running businesses in the public interest. Better directors mean better-run businesses; better businesses mean a better economy. And a better economy means a better world.' The programme is delivered via in-person residential learning with virtual sessions. The residential session will take place at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews from October 18–24, 2025, followed by a virtual session from December 2–4, 2025 and the programme cost is £19,500. The programme has a limited number of available spots. To find out more visit the IOD website here.
Scotsman
10-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Who are winners and losers in the AI race?
A survey has spotlighted the use of artificial intelligence in Scottish SMEs Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Earlier this year we surveyed SME leaders across Scotland about artificial intelligence (AI) and the findings backed up what we've known for a while, namely that the question is no longer 'if' AI should be part of your strategy, but 'how'. The vast majority of Scottish SMEs said they expected AI to boost productivity, with 88 per cent of businesses saying productivity gains were their main priority for implementing AI. The survey showed that 57 per cent of companies had already invested in AI, with approximately 90 per cent planned to invest. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some may be surprised that only just over half of Scottish SMEs had invested in AI, but this was tempered by an overwhelming appetite for investing in AI. It supports the notion that AI is rapidly becoming the great enabler for businesses who have the ambition to innovate, scale, and outpace their competition. Darren Auld is an expert in 'special ops' software delivery IT systems (36 per cent), admin (29 per cent), and sales and marketing (21 per cent) came out as the main areas being targeted by SMEs in order to achieve productivity gains. Other findings from the survey included that 70 per cent of SMEs don't believe AI will lead to layoffs, one of the more contentious themes when it comes to narratives around artificial intelligence. What is certain is that AI has never been as accessible as it is today, and it will be even more so tomorrow. The survey revealed that only 20 per cent of companies had trialled AI before implementing it, and that was one of the bigger surprises to come out of the research, given that best practice recommends putting in place pilots before you adopt. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Adoption of AI by SMEs seems to be in the news on a regular basis these days. Last month, UK-wide SME research by the University of St Andrews Business School found that artificial intelligence has a significant positive impact on productivity levels for small and medium enterprises compared to non-adopters. The study, led by Professor Ross Brown, found that productivity gains ranged between 27 and 133 per cent. When we engage with clients and peers, we talk about a four pillar approach that helps to make the AI journey as effective as possible, while de-risking the investment to the greatest extent possible. Essentially, companies need to identify their core challenges, utilise high quality data, test AI via pilot projects, and then continually evolve AI within the business. McKinsey recently released its annual global survey on AI, revealing that larger corporations are starting to make organisational changes designed to generate future value from generative AI. These larger companies are beginning to take steps that drive bottom-line impact - for example, redesigning workflows as they deploy gen AI and putting senior leaders in critical roles, such as overseeing AI governance. SMEs should take heed. When we come to revisit our SME leaders in Scotland next time around, we expect to find much higher levels of AI adoption, the writing is on the proverbial wall as AI shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. And without doubt, there will be winners and losers in the AI race.
