Live Keynote Arena

Gordon Beattie

NHS Scotland National Procurement Director

Steven Binnie

Alpha Solway Managing Director

Steven is the Managing Director of Alpha Solway®, a company which is part of the Globus Group®. Alpha Solway® is a UK-based manufacturer and supplier of world-class respiratory protection, eye protection, hearing protection, head protection and protective clothing solutions for over 30 years. Steven has an extensive background within the PPE industry background stretching back 25 years.

Robin Randall

Tradebe UK CEO Environmental Services

Robin joined Tradebe UK in 2016, after an international career in Courtaulds and AkzoNobel. In his career, Robin has managed finance, procurement, product development, marketing, and sales operations and a variety of CFO and CEO positions, with additional experience of managing joint ventures. Industry experience is in Chemicals and paints, as well as hazardous waste management.

Robin will be joined by Graeme Meldrum, NHS Scotland Contracts Manager, Chartered Waste Manager, with 10-year experience in Healthcare waste and 30 years in the wider waste sector. Emily McIntosh, HR Generalist, responsible for HR support at Bellshill for the NHS Scotland contract. Presented by Gillian Wilkinson, Senior Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator who joined Tradebe in 2012.

Tradebe operates in the hazardous waste sector, with a strong focus on its operational safety and the circular economy, and delivers growth based on collaborating with its customers.

Katie Sillars

Bidfood Supplier & Business Development Manager for Scotland

Katie heads up Bidfood Scotland’s local sourcing initiative Simply Scottish, working with over 100 Scottish food and drink businesses across over 700 product lines to procure the best local products for customers and develop suppliers in the food service industry. Katie also works across sales and operations to develop business for Bidfood Scotland in innovative ways. She was the recipient of Young Wholesaler of the Year at the UK Food Wholesaler and Distributer Awards.

Katie works with strategic partners in Scotland, like Scottish Government, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Tourism Alliance and Scottish Wholesale Association.

She is an advocate at Bidfood Scotland on sustainability activities and is a mentor for students hoping to enter the food and drink supply chain.

Alistair Kerr

The British Association for Supported Employment (BASE Scotland) Director & Chair

Alistair Kerr Director & Chair BASE Scotland. Member of AFSE - NASE network since 2002 prior to merger to BASE network 2006. BASE network supports Disabled & Disadvantaged people across UK & Europe utilising Sustainable Procurement legislation, supporting an Inclusive and ecconomic growth strategy to transform lives of Disabled or Disadvantaged people across Scotland. Alistair has held various Board & Chair positions within the three bodies since 2002. Recognised by UK Governments as a Champion of the Social Model of Disability – Sustainable Procurement 

In 2012 Alistair supported The First Minister in Scotland to launch the Supported Business Advisory Group in partnership with Senior Procurement Officials from Central Government Procurement Directorate. This Board is still in Operation today. In 2012 Supported the First Minister to launch a ground breaking Social Enterprise in Scotland in response to thousands of Disabled workers being made redundant in the UK.

Enabling The Scottish Governments Sustainable Procurement Strategy & Duty to be enacted for those who meet the EU Procurement definitions and Scottish Government two part test to tender for such contracts from both Public & Private Sector.

Enables Supported Businesses, Social Businesses to employ Disabled or Disadvantaged people across Scotland.

Supported Commissionaires too develop three Supported Business Procurement Frameworks, NHS Strategic Procurement, Scotland Excel, Central Government Procurement

Industry expert promoting Scottish Governments Sustainable Procurement Duty, Procurex Scotland, BASE National Executive Council & RI World congress, four examples of high profile annual events where Alistair is a voice for People who without such legislation would simply not have a chance to achieve individual goals & ambitions and ultimately transform their lives.

David Leven

Scottish Enterprise Head of High Value Manufacturing

David has a background in Town Planning and Development Surveying and held various Scottish Government roles since 1998. He joined Scottish Enterprise in 2005 and since then been involved in a wide range of economic development roles and initiatives, including the Edinburgh BioQuarter and the National Renewable Energy Infrastructure Plan. David moved to Shanghai in April 2016 to oversee Scottish Development International’s trade and investment operations across Greater China and to take on an energy sector lead role in Asia Pacific. He returned to Scotland in August 2019 to take on a role as Head of High Value Manufacturing and to provide leadership of efforts to advance Scotland’s capability for advanced manufacturing. Following the Covid pandemic, David has been overseeing Scottish Enterprise input to the resolution of critical supply shortages affecting the NHS

Paul Hornby

NHS National Services Scotland Head of Strategic Sourcing & Commercial

Paul joined NHS Scotland in 2002 and has extensive private sector experience across all types of procurement as well as within the NHS. Currently looking after the national arrangements for pharmaceuticals and medical devices his team of 35 have consistently developed and expanded the sourcing methodologies across a variety of sectors.

Detailed knowledge on the legislative process and rules are not really sufficient if you don’t understand your customers, the organisation, the market and the suppliers! And above all, it’s about managing relationships to get a solution that works for everyone.