Highland

Business Gateway Manager

Danny

Danny Gallagher is a private and public sector manager with over 30 years’ experience. A former managing director with Scotland’s leading commercial radio group for over two decades. A winner of multiple UK and Scottish radio awards. He also lectured in media, PR and radio for six years. Danny has also run his own small business for more than a decade.

Danny has headed up the Business Gateway Highland team for over six years. His role includes managing and maximising efficient use of the operational budget; steering the experienced team; reviewing internal and external processes; overseeing robust monitoring of KPIs; supporting partnership working; and representing Business Gateway Highland at all levels including with the media, trade associations and government bodies.

Senior Area Business Manager

Mark

Mark is our Area Business Manager for Inverness and Nairn and is based in our Inverness office. The area Mark covers is across to the east of the Highlands and the all-important capital of the Highlands which has a significant amount of commercial activity, from retail and tourism to training and professional services. Mark has worked for Business Gateway Highland since 2009 and has helped start up more than 1200 businesses. His business experience is extensive with a significant background in banking.

Area Business Manager

Emma

Emma is our Area Business Manager for Lochaber, Skye, and Lochalsh. Emma is based at various locations, including Fort William and Broadford. Emma’s area is vast, from the vibrant towns of Fort William, Lochaber to Portree in Skye. It can also be remote and demonstrates a good mix of businesses from Food and drink to many outdoor sports activity businesses. Emma has a fantastic knowledge of all business sectors, from central to rural. Emma’s specialism is HR and has worked for Business Gateway Highland for almost a decade.

Area Business Manager

Jennifer

Jennifer is our Area Business Manager for Caithness and North Sutherland and is based in various locations, including Wick and Thurso. The far North of Scotland from coast to hills is dramatic and dynamic, the business sector is very similar. From Gin businesses to manufacturing and Tourism. It takes in the world renowned NC500 with all the associated businesses along the route and beyond. Jennifer has worked for Business Gateway Highland for more than a decade.

Area Business Manager

Marianne

Marianne is our area Business Manager for Ross-shire and Sutherland. Ross-shire has close links with engineering and industry as well as Breweries and IT, whilst Sutherland’s landscape is stunning with many tourism and small manufacturing businesses. Marianne has worked in employability for a number of years, her specialism is HR. Now firmly part of the Business Gateway Highland team. With first-hand experience in family business, Marianne understands all the challenges of running a successful rural business.

Area Business Manager

Lloyd

Lloyd is our Area Business Manager based in the Inverness Office which also covers the Badenoch & Strathspey area and the area around Loch Ness. The area is rich in culture and myths. From Monsters to mountains, it has it all. With businesses large and small from outdoor adventure and sport sectors to manufacturing and more.

Lloyd is an Accountant with diverse and extensive business experience. He also has an entrepreneurial background having set up a number of successful businesses over the years.

Lloyd has worked with Business Gateway for over ten years.

Start-up Business Adviser

Dianne

If you’re thinking of starting a business, Dianne Swanepoel is our start-up business adviser. There’s not much Dianne doesn’t know about starting up in business, she’s run her own business with over 100 employees for over ten years. You should complete our Planning To Start tool, which is vital to assist you with support. Once completed you can expect contact from Dianne who will assist with getting your business off the ground. There’s help with business plan templates, information about tax, support through our webinars, workshops, a start-up grant and much more.

Business Growth Adviser

Ally

Ally is our business growth adviser at Business Gateway Highland. Having experience working within the hospitality sector, a degree in accountancy and also business development in financial services, Ally is well suited to help your business grow. For growing businesses there are a number of support services, including grants, specialist advice in HR, digital, financial planning and we could help you fund taking on employees and/or graduates as the business grows.

Highland Investment Manager

Hagen

Hagen is the Investment Manager for Highland Opportunity (Investments) Limited. In the past, he was co-founder and finance director of a number of start-up companies and has also several years’ experience as bank branch manager and private investment manager. He holds a master’s degree in international management and is a specialist in business loans as well as alternative funding options. Hagen works closely with all Business Gateway Highland advisers and is responsible for the Highland Region area, where he has provided finance advice to several start-ups and existing businesses in the past.