Scottish Council for Development and Industry

The SCDI is a leading business lobbyist in Scotland. It set up the think tank the Scottish Council Foundation in 1999 as the Scottish Parliament was being created.
==History== 
The Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) says it is 'an independent, membership-driven economic development organisation. It was created in 1931. Today it is supported by around 1200 members across Scotland’s manufacturing and service sectors, universities and colleges, local government and enterprise networks, trade associations and professional bodies, arts organisations, churches and trade unions. As an entirely independent organisation, SCDI’s membership network seeks to strengthen Scotland’s economic competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by influencing Government policy at all levels (in Scotland, the UK, the European Union or globally).' SCDI website
:Today, SCDI is engaged in public policy issues, economic research and business information. It coordinates a network of 200 young engineers’ clubs to encourage young students interested in engineering, science and technology. SCDI also organises a sizeable programme of events from flagship conferences and dinners to informal networking opportunities. SCDI website
==Corporate networks==
The SCDI host an important series of events that readily attract sponsorship and participation by corporations. These events create space for exchanges betweenlobbyists and decision makers in Scotland. 
The SCDI's parliamentary affairs meetings are regarded by lobbyists as more useful than similar events on the somewhat crowded corporate circuit. Between 1998 and 2003 SCDI hosted over 30 MSP member meetings, and numerous political 'Influencers' dinners with elected representative and officials. The influencers dinners have been addressed by Jack McConnell (currently First Minister, then in his capacity as minister for education), Jim Wallace (deputy First Minister), Wendy Alexander (then minister for communities), Sarah Boyack (in capacity as transport minister), Helen Liddell (former Secretary of State for Scotland, then a minister of state for education), George Foulkes (then minister of state in the Scotland Office), Brian Wilson (twice, minister of state at the DTI), both Alex Salmond and John Swinney as leaders of the SNP opposition in Scotland, and John McKinnion, the Scottish Executive's chief planner. In addition to these exchanges the SCDI organises trade missions with the active participation of prominent politicians (including Helen Liddell, Secretary of State for Scotland), receptions, breakfast and lunch meetings with elected Scottish representatives in Edinburgh, London and Brussels and senior officials in the Scottish Executive. 
The SCDI's annual forum in 2002, examined the theme of Corporate Social Responsibility, and was addressed by Jack McConnell, First Minister, and Douglas Alexander, then minister of state at the DTI with responsibility for CSR. In 2004 the annual forum was again addressed by Jack McConnell. This event also featured presentations from senior public servants such as Peter Lederer, chair of VisitScotland, Professor Wilson Sibbett, chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee, John Elvidge, Scotland's most senior civil servant as Permanent Secretary at the Scottish Executive, and Mairi MacPherson chair of the influential Scottish Executive strategy unit. SCDI website. 
In addition to all this activity the SCDI stated on its website: 'There are, of course, many other SCDI events and meetings at which politicians are guests or participants but these are not listed'. The SCDI instigated a 'Meet the MSP' series of events where up to thirty members can interface with MSPs. Over thirty such meetings have taken place since March 2000. 
According to Hartwig Pautz 'This lobby group is made up of some of the largest corporations in Scotland. There is also 'a smattering of trade unions' on the SCDI's executive board. Pautz p.7 It seeks to 'strengthen Scotland's economic competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by influencing Government policy at all levels'.' Pautz p.7
==People==
===SCDI Board===
*President Mr David R Paton OBE - Aberdeen Harbour Board
 	 
*Chairman Ms Shonaig Macpherson
 	 
Directors	 
*Mr Robert Armour British Energy	 
*Mr Allan Burns 	Diageo 	 
*Mr Bob Christie 	COSLA
*Mr Gavin Don EQUITAS 	 
*Mr Donal Dowds 	BAA Scottish Airports - Past Chairman	 
*Mr Bill Drummond 	Brodies - Legal Adviser 
*Mr Iain McLaren 	KPMG - Financial Adviser 	
*Mr Joe Moore 	Scottish Natural Heritage - Chairman, H&I Committee 	 
*Mrs Esther Roberton Private Member	 
*Mr David Ross 	Scottish Chambers of Commerce 	 
*Mr Bill Speirs 	Scottish Trades Union Congress 
*Prof. Bill Stevely CBE Robert Gordon University - Chairman North East Committee
*Mr Brian Veitch Arup Scotland 
*Mr Alan Wilson 	Company Secretary
===Staff===
*Gerry Hassan is a former Head of Comunications
==SCDI Executive==
*Allan Alstead CBE	Mercy Corps Scotland
*Robert Armour	British Energy 
*Andy Baird	 Transport & General Workers' Union
*Bruce Black 	Homes for Scotland 
*Cheryl Black	Scottish Water
*Chris Blake	Marks & Spencer
*Stephen Boyd 	Scottish Trades Union Congress
*Sandy Boyle 	UNIFI 
*Jim Burberry	PricewaterhouseCoopers
*Allan Burns 	Diageo 
*David Caldwell	Universities Scotland
*Liz Cameron	Scottish Chambers of Commerce
*Craig Campbell	National Farmers' Union of Scotland 
*Bob Christie	COSLA
*Andrew Cort	 FMC Energy Systems
*Joe Costello	The Essentia Group
*Sandy Cumming CBE	Highlands & Islands Enterprise
*Dr Graeme Dear 	Nutreco
*Brendan Dick	BT Scotland
*Gavin Don	EQUITAS
*Anne Douglas 	Prospect 
*Donal Dowds	BAA Scottish Airports
*Bill Drummond	Brodies
*Margaret Forsyth	OCS Scotland
*Angiolina Foster 	Communities Scotland 
*Shona Frame	Junior Chamber Scotland
*Manus Fullerton	Lloyds TSB Scotland
*Crawford Gillies	Bain & Company
*Mike Hambly	Private Member
*Graeme Hartley	Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland 
*Gavin Hewitt CMG	The Scotch Whisky Association
*Des Hudson	Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
*Simon Innes 	Institution Of Civil Engineers 
*Ian Jardine	Scottish Natural Heritage
*Tom Kelly	Association of Scottish Colleges
*James Knowles	SLAED
* Afzal Khushi	Jacobs & Turner 
* Richard Laverick 	Ernst & Young 
* Stephen Lockley	Institute of Logistics & Transport
* Brian MacDonald	North Ayrshire Council
*Harry MacMillan	BP
*Ian McKay	Royal Mail Group
*Howard McKenzie	Association of Scottish Colleges
*Iain McLaren 	KPMG 
*Allan McLean	Alcan Primary Metal Europe
*Rory Mair 	COSLA 
*William Maltman	Eglinton Management Centre 
*Jim Martin	Logica CMG 
*Graham Meiklejohn	EWS Railway
*Neil Menzies 	Private Member
*Joe Moore	Scottish Natural Heritage
*Fiona Moriarty	Scottish Retail Consortium
*Kirk Murdoch	McGrigors
*Joe Parker	BAE Systems
*David R Paton OBE	President, Scottish Council for Development and Industry
*Audrey Ramsay	Diageo
*Philip Riddle	VisitScotland
*Esther Roberton 	Private Member
*Deacon Lewis Rose	Church of Scotland
*David Ross	Scottish Chambers of Commerce
*Alistair Scott	Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
*Alistair Shaw	West Lothian Council
*Martin Sime	Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
*Matt Smith OBE	UNISON Scotland 
*Ronald Smith 	The Educational Institute of Scotland 
*Alan Somerville	Grosvenor Estates
*Bill Speirs	Scottish Trades Union Congress 
*Prof. William Stevely CBE	Robert Gordon University
*Tony Strachan	Bank of England 
*Prof. Joan Stringer CBE	Universities Scotland
*David Valentine 	SLAED
*Brian Veitch	Arup Scotland
*Robin Veitch MBE
*Ian Wall	The EDI Group
*Peter Weanie	Dunfermline Building Society 
*Alan Wilson	Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Development and Industry 
*Charlie Woods	Scottish Enterprise
*Canon Dr Kenyon Wright CBE	Inter-Denominational Churches
==External links==
 SCDI website
==Notes==
Category: ScotlandCategory:Water: Advocates for Privatisation of Scottish waterCategory:Scottish Corporate Lobby Groups
Category: Water