In association with
DealTrack Scotland
DealMakers’ Breakfast
21 January 2026
8AM – 11AM
The Marcliffe, Aberdeen
DealTrack Scotland
DealMakers’ Breakfast
21 January 2026
8AM – 11:30AM
The Marcliffe, Aberdeen
About
We are delighted to announce that our first DealMakers Breakfast in Aberdeen will take place at the Marcliffe on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, marking the launch of our 2026 series.
We have with three compelling and high-profile DealMakers who will deliver insights into the complexity of green energy transition and share their experiences of delivering complex and innovative multi-billion-dollar projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
In addition to the expert panel, we will, for the first time at one of our DealMakers’ Breakfasts, hear from a political panel as they reflect on what has already been discussed and put forward their party’s ideas for energy and the North East. The SNP, Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative parties will all be represented.
Confirmed Speakers
Expert Panel
Dan McGrail, Chief Executive Officer, Great British Energy
Gerry McGurk, Managing Director, Rockall
Maggie McGinlay, Chief Executive, Energy Transition Zone (ETZ)
Kenny Kemp, Editor and Author, The Business
Political Panel
Stephen Flynn MP, Westminster Leader, Scottish National Party
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Malcolm Offord, Scottish Leader, Reform UK
Douglas Lumsden MSP, Scottish Conservative & Unionist
Why attend:
- Dan McGrail will explain GB Energy’s plans for Scotland
- Hear key insights into the underlying economic trends and fiscal volatilities affecting the Northeast and the wider UK
- What is their impact on the M&A markets and energy deals
- Learn from Gerry McGurk’s experiences delivering worldwide landmark energy projects
- How to balance investment in energy transition and the drive to net zero against high supply chain costs and commodity prices
- How to thrive following changes to the UK tax regimes following the Autumn Budget
- Hear from representatives from Scotland’s main political parties ahead of the election in May.
The morning begins at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast and a networking session. The panel discussion begins at 8:45 a.m. with brief presentations from the panel, followed by a question-and-answer session, during which a roving microphone will be used to gather questions from guests. The event finishes promptly at 11:30 am, allowing you to continue your daily business.
Who should attend:
- Senior executives from energy companies across renewables, upstream and downstream, hydrogen, wind and oilfield communities.
- Business leaders
- VC Investors
- Corporate funders
- Legal and Finance advisors
- Investors and lenders
Register
Tickets are £69.00 each, and you can book multiple tickets or tables of 10 soon via our booking site. Payment can be made online by card or by invoice. More information on the agenda and additional panellists will be coming soon.
A report will be featured in The Business quarterly magazine, which is distributed with the Sunday Times Scotland and read by over 67,000 of Scotland’s business leaders and influencers. The event will also be covered online on our website and social media network, with commercial opportunities available for digital marketing and advertising for your business. Please contact our Commercial Director, Eleanor Hunt, below for more information on commercial and sponsorship opportunities.
Commercial Director
Eleanor Hunt
eleanor@thebusiness.scot
AGENDA
21 January 2026 | Agenda - 2026 DealTrack Scotland Aberdeen Event
Breakfast & Networking
Expert Panel
Managing Director, Rockall
Gerry McGurk
Managing Director, Rockall
Editor of The Business, Event Chair
Kenny Kemp
Editor of The Business, Event Chair
Kenny Kemp is an author, editor, journalist, and Editor of The BUSINESS, distributed with the Sunday Times Scotland.
Kenny was the founding Business Editor of The Sunday Herald and Editor of BQ (Business Quarter) Scotland for five years from 2010 until 2015. He was a contributor and later Editor of Scottish Business Insider.
He was also the founding Editor of Panmure House Perspectives [Panmure House is the Edinburgh home of economist Adam Smith and is part of Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University].
He has been an Associate of the University of Edinburgh Business School since 2015.
Chief Executive, Energy Transition Zone (ETZ)
Maggie McGinlay
Chief Executive, Energy Transition Zone (ETZ)
CEO, Great British Energy
Dan McGrail
CEO, Great British Energy
Refreshment Break
Political Panel
Westminster Leader, Scottish National Party
Stephen Flynn MP
Westminster Leader, Scottish National Party
Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Scottish Leader, Reform UK
Malcolm Offord
Scottish Leader, Reform UK
, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Douglas Lumsden MSP
, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
, Scottish Labour
Kirsty McNeill MP
, Scottish Labour
Event Close
Speakers
Kenny Kemp
Editor of The Business, Event Chair
Kenny Kemp is an author, editor, journalist, and Editor of The BUSINESS, distributed with the Sunday Times Scotland.
Kenny was the founding Business Editor of The Sunday Herald and Editor of BQ (Business Quarter) Scotland for five years from 2010 until 2015. He was a contributor and later Editor of Scottish Business Insider.
He was also the founding Editor of Panmure House Perspectives [Panmure House is the Edinburgh home of economist Adam Smith and is part of Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University].
He has been an Associate of the University of Edinburgh Business School since 2015.
Gerry McGurk
Managing Director, Rockall
Maggie McGinlay
Chief Executive, Energy Transition Zone (ETZ)
Maggie McGinlay is an experienced leader within the energy sector and economic development.
As Chief Executive of ETZ, a private sector-led organisation, she is playing a key role in accelerating the North East of Scotland’s energy transition and maintaining the region’s global leadership in energy excellence.
Prior to establishing ETZ, Maggie was Deputy Chief Executive at Opportunity North East (ONE) with responsibility for digital and energy.
She is an experienced non-executive director, having spent eight years as a Governor with Robert Gordon University, and as part of ETZ’s board. She works at the interface with Governments and agencies, the private sector and tertiary education sector. She is a member of the Advisory Board at the University of Aberdeen Business School, and of the Scottish Government’s Offshore Wind Skills Working Group. She was a member of the Scottish Government’s Advisory Council for Economic Transformation.
Dan McGrail
CEO, Great British Energy
Dan was appointed in July 2025, having previously been Chief Executive at RenewableUK since May 2021. Previously, Dan was CEO of Siemens Engines. He joined Siemens UK in 2004 and worked in a variety of roles across the energy industry before becoming CEO in 2017.
Stephen Flynn MP
Westminster Leader, Scottish National Party
Stephen Flynn is the Scottish National Party’s Westminster Leader and the Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South, first elected to the UK Parliament in 2019. Prior to entering politics, he worked in the energy sector. In Parliament, he has focused on issues including energy policy, the economy, and matters affecting the North East of Scotland. He was elected Westminster Leader of the SNP in December 2022 and represents the party in the House of Commons.
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Alex Cole-Hamilton is the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh Western constituency. He was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016. Before entering parliamentary politics, he worked in the voluntary and social care sectors. In Parliament, his work has included a focus on health and social care, mental health, and education. He was elected leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in August 2021.
Malcolm Offord
Scottish Leader, Reform UK
Malcolm Offord is the Scottish Leader of Reform UK, appointed in January 2026. A former Conservative life peer, he was appointed to the House of Lords in 2021 before resigning his seat after leaving the Conservative Party to join Reform UK. He previously worked in financial services and served as a UK Government minister in the Scotland Office. His current role focuses on building Reform UK’s organisation and profile in Scotland ahead of national elections.
Douglas Lumsden MSP
, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Douglas Lumsden is a Scottish Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament representing the North East Scotland region, first elected in 2021. Born and raised in Aberdeen, he previously worked in the IT industry for more than 20 years and served as co-leader of Aberdeen City Council before his election to Holyrood. In the Scottish Parliament he has held roles in the party’s shadow cabinet, including as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Environment, engaging on energy policy—an area of particular relevance to Aberdeen and the north-east—alongside planning, public finance and community wealth issues. Lumsden’s work includes scrutinising government approaches to energy transition, regulation and economic impact for the region.
Kirsty McNeill MP
, Scottish Labour
Kirsty McNeill is the Scottish Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Midlothian, first elected in July 2024. She serves as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK Government, with responsibilities spanning community, economic and regional affairs. McNeill’s background includes senior leadership in the charity sector and work as an adviser in Downing Street; in Westminster she engages on issues including regional investment, community regeneration and social infrastructure.
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