Business leaders from across Tayside and Fife have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours.
Dundee businessman Tim Allan has been awarded a CBE alongside his Scottish Chambers of Commerce colleague Dr Liz Cameron.
Paul Durrant, chief executive of the UK Games Fund, becomes an OBE.
Fife textiles stalwart Angus Nicoll and Jacqueline Maxwell, head of customer relations for Perth-based SSE, are both awarded MBEs.
Services to business, charity and the arts
Mr Allan, chair of V&A Dundee and president of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, has been recognised for services to business, charity and the arts.
Prior to his career in business, Mr Allan served all over the world in the Royal Tank Regiment.
His property company, Unicorn Property Group, transformed Dundee’s City Quay area, building 200 homes and created 125,000 sq ft of office space.
In 2011, he was a founding shareholder of Motor Fuel Group, which is now the largest operator of petrol stations in the UK.
He has been the Scotland chair of Young Enterprise and on the committee of the Big Lottery Fund.
Mr Allan is also a member of court at the University of St Andrews.
He is a past president of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce and is the current president of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
His passion for the development of Courier Country saw him appointed chair of V&A Dundee two years ago.
In this role he has secured a new relationship and funding from the Scottish Government.
When the pandemic hit, Mr Allan brought together Dundee’s five main cultural organisations for a joint fundraising campaign that raised £1 million.
V&A chair ‘profoundly grateful’
Mr Allan said he was “thrilled” to have received “such extraordinary recognition.”
He said: “Contributing to the business, arts and culture sectors has been a privilege.
“I am absolutely thrilled and surprised.
“I had no idea and I was just absolutely chuffed to bits.
Mr Allan added he was “profoundly grateful” and thanked his colleagues for their “unwavering support, guidance and expertise”.
His Scottish Chambers of Commerce colleague Dr Liz Cameron has also been recognised with a CBE.
Ms Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, has been recognised for services to the promotion of Scotland and UK international trade.
It follows her 2014 honour as she was made an OBE for services to business and commerce.
‘Deeply honoured and humbled’
Ms Cameron said: “This is a tremendous accolade.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled.
“I am truly thankful to my family, my colleagues and my friends for supporting me throughout my career.”
Ms Cameron said she was proud of how Scottish businesses and Scottish Chambers of Commerce have continued to forge ahead.
She added: “This award is a tribute to all businesses who, even in times of crisis, push the boundaries of innovation and trade, and continue to seize the opportunities.
“I will continue to champion Scottish and British businesses to the world.”
Textiles stalwart ‘thrilled’ with recognition
Mr Nicoll, who until last year served as managing director of Peter Greig & Co, has been honoured for services to the textile industry.
The firm closed Scotland’s last surviving linen mill in April 2020 and Mr Nicoll said the award was “bittersweet”.
But the 61-year-old said he was “absolutely thrilled”.
“It has been a long time in textiles, but I am just one part of the whole thing.
“It is very much a team award for everyone who worked in the factory. I am absolutely delighted.
“It was an amazing surprise.”
Mr Nicoll initially started working in the linen mill before he and his siblings took over the family-run firm.
He added closing the mill last year was a decision made with a heavy heart.
Mr Nicoll said his career in textiles had been a “labour of love”.
‘I am so lucky’, says gaming boss
Mr Durrant, from Broughty Ferry, has been awarded an OBE for services to the games industry and education.
He is director of UK Games Talent.
While working with Abertay University, Mr Durrant established embreonix, one of the UK’s first graduate enterprise incubators.
It spawned successful local businesses Digital Goldfish (now Ninja Kiwi), Waracle and JAB Recruitment.
He is also a trustee of the Bread for Good Community Benefit Society based at St Monans in Fife,
He said: “I’m delighted to have received such generous recognition.
“I am so lucky to have worked with many wonderful people in video games and in education over the years.
“I hope my award also helps to demonstrate the continuing recognition of the UK’s early-stage games development sector as a creative and economic powerhouse.”
