Business leaders from across the north-east will be gathering on Monday for Robert Gordon University’s 2011 entrepreneurship dinner.
Called Opportunities In Recession, the event will include keynote speeches from Martin Gilbert, chief executive at Aberdeen Asset Management, and Nigel Wilson, regional manager for the North Sea and West Africa at Premier Oil.
The gathering, now in its 16th year, will culminate in a panel discussion which will include Neil Bruce, executive director and chief operating officer for Amec, and will be chaired by Deirdre Michie, of Shell in Aberdeen.
The panel discussion will focus on the challenges and prospects facing Premier Oil and Aberdeen Asset Management covering energy and finance industries.
Professor Rita Marcella, dean of Robert Gordon University’s Aberdeen Business School, said: “Reflecting on the current economic situation and appraising the challenges in two diverse industries should make for a very lively and interesting debate. “Both Nigel and Martin boast a wealth of experience in their sectors and I’m sure the audience will benefit greatly from hearing their insights.”
Mr Bruce added: “”It is vital in a recession to see where opportunities can present themselves in order to sustain businesses and encourage growth of both existing and new ventures.
“We need to build on the spirit of entrepreneurship long into the future, and I’m very keen that we keep learning from our experiences along the way.”