Scottish Development International

According to its own website:

Scottish Development International (SDI) was formed in 2001 to attract direct foreign investment to Scotland as part of the Scottish Executive’s new "Smart Successful Scotland" strategy for Scotland’s international economic development. Scottish development International replaced the former inward investment group Locate in Scotland and the former export promotion group, Scottish Trade International.

With its headquarters in Glasgow, SDI is funded entirely by the government, and is controlled by both the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise. In order to best draw foreign investment to Scotland, SDI has offices throughout the UK, mainland Europe, North America and Asia.

International Advisory Board

According to SDI:

In August 2002 Scottish Enterprise established the International Advisory Board (IAB) which comprises senior business figures who are Scots or people with a strong affinity to Scotland. Members were invited to join in recognition of their experience, positions of international prominence and influence in their respective industries and their willingness to contribute to Scotland's wealth creation agenda.

Chaired by Sir John Ward, the International Advisory Board complements the role of the Scottish Enterprise Board by contributing international business advice and market development perspective to Scotland's economic development drive.

The track records and achievements of the members of the International Advisory Board offer a uniquely exciting opportunity to advance Scotland's economic development in a manner that is practical, innovative and inspiring.

The reader may or may not be inspired by the members of the board:

IAB Member Biographies

• Euan Baird Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,Schlumberger Ltd.
• Mark Bamforth Senior Vice President Corporate Operations, Genzyme Corporation
• Crawford Beveridge Executive Vice President, People & Places and Chief Human Resources Officer, Sun Microsystems Inc..
• Paul Doyle Chief Executive, Financial Reporting Council
• Don Cruickshank
• Philip Carmichael
• Christopher Forbes
• Crawford S Gillies
• Dr Dennis Gillings
• Hugh Grant
• Professor Gordon Hewitt
• Donald MacLeod Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, National Semiconductor Corporation
• Robert L. McDowell
• Sir Tom McKill-op
• Helen Sayles
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
• Kevin Sneader
• Sheridan G. Snyder
• Lord Stevenson of Coddenham
• Sir Jackie Stewart
• John Stewart
• Sir John Ward

HELEN SAYLES Senior Vice President – HR & Administration. Liberty Mutual Group

Helen SaylesHelen Sayles is Senior Vice President and Manager of Human Resources and Administration for Liberty Mutual Group. She began her career with Liberty Mutual in the information systems area and her career has encompassed a broad range of functions and responsibilities.

Helen is responsible for human resources policy development and implementation, including human resource development, compensation, benefits, employee relations, employment and health services. As a long-time advocate of performance measurement and rigorous, business-linked human resource processes, she has been responsible for implementing such initiatives as strategy-driven metrics and web-based human resource technology that supports employee and manager self-service.

Her responsibilities also include development and implementation of the company’s real estate and administrative services strategy. Recent initiatives include a comprehensive restructuring of the delivery of these services to the organization to ensure more direct management accountability, and the implementation of technology-based processes to ensure effective and competitive service.

Helen was born and brought up in Scotland and educated at Kilmarnock Academy, receiving her BA in Business from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAW Chairperson and Managing Director, Biocon India Limited

Kiran Mazumdar-ShawKIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAW has steered Biocon's transition from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated biopharmaceutical company recognised as India's pioneering biotech enterprise.

As Chairperson and Mission Leader of CII's National Task Force on Biotechnology she has led several delegations to propel India into the global super league of biotech trailblazers. She chairs Karnataka's Vision Group on Biotechnology and also serves on the Board of Science Foundation, Ireland. Co-author of several patents in Biotechnology, she been instrumental in bringing government, industry and academia together to chart a clear growth path for Biotechnology in India.

She is the recipient of several prestigious awards including Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences and Healthcare, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Her most cherished award is the PADMASHRI, presented to her by the erstwhile President of India, for her pioneering efforts in Industrial Biotechnology.

She is married to John Shaw, a Scotsman and Indophile, who has since joined Biocon as Director, International Business.

KEVIN SNEADER Director, McKinsey and Company

Kevin SneaderBASED in McKinsey's New Jersey Office, Kevin Sneader's work is primarily in the retail and packaged goods sector in the Tri-State area and its North American grocery practice.

His work with a range of clients is primarily in the retail sector and has covered major strategic assignments in the US, Asia, the UK and Europe.

Kevin holds a First Class Law degree from Glasgow University and won a Kennedy Memorial Scholarship to Harvard where he received an MBA with High Distinction, was a Fulbright Scholar, was designated a Baker Scholar and was awarded the Dean MacMillan award for Outstanding Leadership. While there, he worked in the strategic planning unit at PepsiCo.'s world headquarters in New York.

Kevin is married with two children and lives in Manhattan. His interests include football where he eagerly awaits the resurgence of the Scotland team.

SHERIDAN G. SNYDER Chairman, Upstate

Sgeridan G. SnyderMR. SNYDER has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Upstate since 1995. Upstate develops innovative cell signaling products, technology platforms and services to accelerate life science research and drug discovery efforts, employing nearly 250 employees.

He is a 40-year veteran start-up entrepreneur, having founded up to 12 companies. In 1989 he founded Biotage now part of DYAX (NASDAQ: DYAX), a supplier of large scale chromatography systems. In 1981 he also co-founded and served as President - CEO of Genzyme.

He created a new form of novice tennis competition for inner cities with Arthur Ashe and Charles Pasarell in 1968. This organization is in 110 cities, services 250,000 youths annually and is now administered by the United States Tennis Association.

He is a member of the Ivy Charitable Foundation (formerly known as W. Alton Jones Cell Science). He received his Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of Dundee in 2002 and his B.A. in French from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lord Stevenson of Coddenham

SIR JACKIE STEWART OBE President, British Racing Drivers' Club

Sir Jackie StewartJACKIE 'The Flying Scot' Stewart was born in Dunbartonshire in 1939. Before entering the world of motor racing he was an Olympic class clay shot and competed for Scotland and Great Britain. He was recruited by Ken Tyrrell for Cooper in 1963 and in 1965 he entered the Formula One scene by joining Graham Hill at BRM. He won his first race at Monza and finished third in the World Championship.

He re-joined Tyrrell in 1968, won his first World Championship in the following year, his second in 1971 and his third in 1973, setting a record of racing victories that would stand for 14 years.

Sir Jackie has been inducted into Scotland's Sports Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He was one of the earliest major advocates for improved safety in motor racing and remains an eloquent spokesman for the sport.

In 1997, he returned to the sport as chairman of Stewart Grand Prix, which he created with his son. The Team won its first Grand Prix victory in only its third season and finished forth in the Constructor's World Championship in the same year. The Team was bought by Ford Motor Company in 1999.

Sir Jackie is on several boards and is President of the British Racing Drivers' Club, the owners of Silverstone.

SIR JOHN WARD CBE Chairman, Scottish Enterprise

Sir John Ward was appointed by the First Minister for Scotland as Chairman of Scottish Enterprise in February, 2004. Educated at Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College, Sir John is a Chartered Accountant who gained significant business experience with a number of appointments during his long career with IBM UK.

He has since held a number of public appointments including the Chairmanship of CBI Scotland, Quality Scotland Foundation and Scottish Homes. Current appointments include Chairmanship of Dunfermline Building Society, the SQA and European Assets Trust NV – a listed company based in Holland.

Sir John was awarded the CBE in 1995 Birthday Honours and received a Knighthood in 2002 New Years Honours for Services to Public Life in Scotland.