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View from the street: the value of optimism in challenging times

Malcolm Robertson

Founding partner 

Sir Angus Grossart often used to warn that activity is not the same as performance. Just looking good and being busy is not enough – there must be a purpose and fulfilled promises, whether you’re running a country, a business, or a civic institution.

On Friday, I was one of hundreds of people who gathered in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh to say goodbye to Angus, who died in May. The memorial service was beautiful; there was music and laughter and there were tears of sadness, but in the celebration of a long life and a business and philanthropic career spanning many decades of social and economic change and upheaval, there was much perspective to be found.

You will (hopefully) notice something different about us today. It is easy – even inadvertently – to be self-indulgent about fonts, colours and logos, so I will not do that. All I will say is that the brilliant work our team has done, with the help of some clever people at Edinburgh’s Touch Agency, is an expression of change, purpose and optimism during challenging and uncertain times. That is the real essence of a brand, though we do love our new look (there’s also a new website) and hope you like it too.


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