WHILE not a household name across every part of Scotland, Martin Gilbert is well known in his hometown of Aberdeen and a titan of the UK business scene and of the investment world globally. In 1983, the same year that Aberdeen beat Real Madrid to win the European Cup Winners Cup, he started Aberdeen Asset Management. A fund manager, their role was to invest money as cleverly as they could on behalf of savers and investors.
READ MORE: Tesco CEO Dave Lewis to be replaced by Ken Murphy
They grew by consolidating other firms in Scotland and beyond, and by winning new business. Operating across the world, it went through many ups and downs. In 2017 it merged with another Scottish titan Standard Life and by 2018, was managing over half a trillion pounds of assets on behalf of pensioners and savers across the globe.
There was clearly something in the northeast air in 1983. The energy sector boomed, Alex Ferguson’s dandy Dons did too. And less famously for most Scots, one of the most successful firms in our country’s story was born as well. Gilbert left the company yesterday after more than a quarter of a century of leadership and work.
He will no doubt appear in new projects and boards and has always been ambitious for his country too. We should learn to celebrate people like Martin Gilbert more. Every leader has success and failure, it is how they navigate both that counts. He has done more than most to create jobs, wealth, success and a positive reputation for Scotland in London, New York and across the globe. We need more people with that ambition, gumption, drive and talent. Well done, and all the best for whatever comes next.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here