In association with
DEALMAKERS' BREAKFAST
25 September 2025
The Merchants House of Glasgow
THE BUSINESS presents the DealMakers’ Business Breakfast and panel seminar in Glasgow.
The Event Format
The morning begins at 8am with breakfast and networking in The Merchants House, 7 West George Street entrance near George Square. The panel discussion begins at 9am with brief presentations from the panel before a question and answer session, with a roving microphone to take questions from guests. The event finishes promptly at 11.30am.
The Panel
Will Whitehorn has recently been awarded an OBE for services to the Aerospace and Space Industries. He is chair of Seraphim Space Investment Trust plc, the world’s first quoted space investment company.
Jim McColl is one of Scotland’s best known entrepreneurs. He will speak about the journey and launch of his new institution, Alba Bank, which will be assisting SMEs to find the essential capital for growth.
Calum Paterson is Managing Partner of Scottish Equity Partners (SEP), a leading growth equity which has undergone seven fundraisings and investments in more than 180 high-growth businesses.
A report will be featured online and in The Business quarterly, distributed with Sunday Times Scotland.
About
Our great Scottish city of Glasgow has always been a city brimming with energy, ideas and innovation.
The Business Dealmakers’ Business Breakfast event on Thursday 25th September will capture this vitality in a fascinating forum of open discussion.
This event is an unparalleled opportunity to hear four Scottish-born speakers with a treasure trove of international business experience talking about the pain and the pitfalls, and the opportunities in their various fields. This is a veritable masterclass of business excellence that should not be missed by anyone interested in enterprise in Scotland.
The panel is chaired by Kenny Kemp, the Editor of The Business. A full report will be featured online and in The Business, which is distributed with Sunday Times Scotland.
Please come along to hear about the activities and thoughts of a truly inspiring panel of business minds.
The panel will address a range of issues and questions from attendees:
- Each will open with an overview of their business journey;
- They will offer their insights into today’s sphere of enterprise;
- They will examine what makes a successful entrepreneur;
- How we fund and support great businesses in Scotland.
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.
Will Whitehorn
Chairman, Seraphim Space Investment Trust
Will Whitehorn has recently been awarded an OBE for services to the Aerospace and Space Industries. He is well-known in Glasgow for his work with AAC Clyde Space and with the SEC events campus. However, as President of UK Space, the trade body, he has ensured the UK’s commitment to the European Space Agency. Indeed, he managed to persuade the UK to increase its funding. He will also speak about the flotation of the world’s first quoted space investment company, Seraphim Space Investment Trust PLC, which he chairs.
Calum Paterson
Managing Partner, Scottish Equity Partners
Calum Paterson is Managing Partner of Scottish Equity Partners (SEP), a leading growth equity firm that backs innovative and ambitious software and technology companies across the UK and Europe. Calum co-founded SEP over 25 years ago and has been responsible for leading the firm since then, chairing its investment committee and partnership board, while overseeing seven fundraisings and investments in more than 180 high-growth businesses. He will speak about how to identify innovation that becomes commercially successful.
Jim McColl
Founder, Clyde Blowers Capital
Jim McColl is one of Scotland’s best known entrepreneurs. His company, Clyde Blowers Capital, have been investors and owners of a number of international engineering companies, which have been sector leaders in the United States, China and Europe. He will speak about the journey and the launch of his new financial institution, Alba Bank, which will be assisting SMEs to find the essential capital for growth.
Agenda
25 September 2025 | Agenda - DealMaking Opportunities in Glasgow
Breakfast & Networking
DealMaking Opportunities in Glasgow
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.
Chairman, Seraphim Space Investment Trust
Will Whitehorn
Chairman, Seraphim Space Investment Trust
Founder, Clyde Blowers Capital
Jim McColl
Founder, Clyde Blowers Capital
Managing Partner, Scottish Equity Partners
Calum Paterson
Managing Partner, Scottish Equity Partners
Event Close