“Be bold, outgoing and connect with good people.”

Today, we say hello to Professor George Yule, Chairman of SCOTGRIP INTERNATIONAL.

George is an established entrepreneur; qualified mechanical engineer with four decades of experience as a Senior Executive, in the offshore energy sector, plus holds an honorary professorship from the University of Aberdeen. George joined the team, one year ago, and is focused on driving SCOTGRIP INTERNATIONAL’s global growth aspirations and advancing sustainability and innovation initiatives as a carbon neutral organisation.

Q: How did you get started in your career in entrepreneurship?

GY: In 1998, I could see that environmental awareness was going to be a big thing and so I formed an environmental company called ‘Clean Ocean’, with £1 million of funding from a private equity company so that was how I started.

Q: Have you always been interested in sustainability?

GY: Well, I figured the most practical way forward was to put the Environmentalist in the same office as the Engineer and to come up with the best practical environmental solution…I founded Clean Ocean with this approach in mind. But, the company was probably 15 years ahead of its time; the industry wasn’t ready for it.

Q: What do you enjoy about the work you do at SCOTGRIP INTERNATIONAL?

GY: I can summarise that in two words: “making progress”. Any way you look at it. Whether it’s sales growth; making the company more efficient or improving our brand. It’s making progress.

Q: Which product are you most proud of and why?

GY: The new modular flooring. On the one hand, it’s very flexible and also more environmentally-friendly. It also lends itself to being an item we have in-stock, rather than made to order, which means a faster lead time for customers.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work?

GY: My colleagues are so positive and supportive of change. The company is 30 years old and, in a year, brought in a number of changes but they’ve backed me all the way. So, working with my colleagues is the most rewarding aspect.

Q: What is a typical working day like for you?

GY: My working day is a mixture of projects, business development, people and sales.

Q: What advice do you have for the next generation who aspire to work in the industry?

GY: Ensure you get your timing right. You can have the world’s best product but if the timing isn’t right, and there’s no demand for it, then it’s worthless. Secondly, you’ve got to surround yourself with good people.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

GY: It would range between playing golf, driving, charity work and being with my family.

Q: Are there any particular goals that SCOTGRIP INTERNATIONAL has set for the next few years?

GY: The headline goal comes under the title of growth and that involves a blend of innovation and sustainability initiatives.

Q: What advice would you give yourself for when you first started in business?

GY: I would say: be bold, outgoing and connect with good people. So, it’s about building a good network and not being afraid to take manageable risks.

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