Journalist and commentator Bill Jamieson is the winner of the Scottish Financial Services Awards for 2012. Bill was awarded last night, at Scottish Financial Enterprise’s annual dinner, for providing expert commentary and analysis of the financial services industry over many years.
The award, which is an initiative from SFE and sponsored by Ernst & Young, has been won previously by Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life Investments. Bill is the first individual to win the award.
Receiving the award Bill Jamieson said:
“I am thrilled to receive this award. I owe a huge debt to The Scotsman of which I continue to be proud, and the many helping hands who spare me from catastrophe on a daily basis. It is also true that a journalist is only as good as his contacts. And here I am indebted to SFE for the best contacts I have had in a lifetime.”
SFE Chairman Ewan Brown said:
“Congratulations to Bill on this most deserved award. I can think of few individuals who have contributed quite so much to the analysis of markets and the financial services industry in Scotland as he has done over the years. Sometimes challenging but always intellectually rigorous, it is right that his insightful and often entertaining commentary and reporting are given the recognition they deserves.
“All of those nominated have contributed enormously to the industry in Scotland and it is heartening to see such a wealth of dedication, innovation and diversity throughout our industry.”
Peter Wallace, Head of Financial Services, Scotland, Ernst & Young added:
“Bill is a true titan of the newspaper world. Upfront, astute and always engaging, his columns remain a real source of perceptive and penetrating debate for everyone in the industry and we hope that remains the case for many years to come.
“Congratulations must also be afforded to the remainder of the finalists whose continued contributions to the development of Financial Services in Scotland remains vital.”
The other finalists were:
Avaloq: for commitment to Scotland through establishing its first major centre outside Switzerland in Edinburgh, and creating 500 high value jobs in the city. As a developer of banking software solutions Avaloq also contributes greatly to the home grown financial sector.
The Chartered Banker Institute: for leading the establishment of the Chartered Banker Professional Standards Board with the support of the UK’s leading banks, and developing a Code of Professional Conduct.
Citi: for continued investment into Scotland’s financial services industry and promotion of Scotland as an international business destination through on-going job creation, development of its leading derivative administration centre and the acquisition of Scottish Friendly’s wrap platform.
Edinburgh Green Investment Bank Group: for bringing together a diverse mix of companies, public sector agencies and political leaders to successfully lobby for Edinburgh as a location for the Green Investment Bank
Scottish Equity Partners: for consistent success in investing Growth Equity and Venture Capital Funding in innovative companies to help them exploit their market opportunities to deliver long term value.
NOTES
The Scottish Financial Services Awards replaced the previous Innovators awards in 2010.
The awards scheme, led by Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) and sponsored by Ernst & Young, judges entrants on their contribution to Scotland's standing as a financial centre, long term perspective, benefits for customers, innovation and imagination. The judging panel was chaired by previous SFE Chairman Mark Tennant and members were drawn from the SFE Board (Jim Coyle of Lloyds Banking group, SFE Chief Executive Owen Kelly Colin Stewart of Citi and Michael Polson of Dundas & Wilson), supported by independent assessors Jill Farrell of Scottish Enterprise, Jeremy Peat of the David Hume Institute and Peter Wallace of Ernst & Young
Scottish Financial Enterprise is the representative body for Scotland's financial services industry, with members ranging from global companies headquartered in Scotland to small, locally-based support businesses.
Contact: Elaine Ravenscroft at SFE on 0131 247 7700