Emerging Leader Programme + Q&A with Megan Burnside

Our Emerging Leaders have just completed a session on "Developing and Owning Your Brand", which is part of the "Create Purpose" focus area of the programme. Developed by our Talent and Leadership Partners Ashley Baxter and Marc Muir, the session focused on identifying and defining participants' distinctive brands and value propositions, as well as recognising the necessity of extending their brand's influence.

The session was fittingly held at citizenM in Glasgow - a new breed of hotel. A brand full of attitude, showcasing a strong but fun personality, citizenM is a "hybrid hotel that isn't just a place to sleep, but somewhere to work, relax, and play. To meet like-minded people and get inspired. Somewhere to feel at home the moment you walk through the door."

Did you know that the UK has an estimated 53 million active social media users? And on average, each user spends approximately 110 minutes of their day interacting with these digital platforms? With this data in mind, our Marketing Specialist, Kirstin Gault, joined the session to demonstrate that when building a personal brand, your presence on social media needs to create the right impression - how you professionally show up in person should also be reflected digitally.

Thank you to our guest speaker, Derek McNab, Managing Director of Mabbett, who shared a presentation of the importance of embracing personal values, being authentic and being mindful of the footprints each and every one of us leave on others. Packed with advice, tips, best practice, business case studies, and strategic insights, Derek also gifted our Emerging Leaders with a copy of "Embrace the Space: Inspirational insight from a decade of delivering social media training to businesses that give a damn!" by Gary Ennis and Colin Kelly.

Session Feedback

Session feedback from some of our Emerging Leaders;

"Really enjoyed Derek's talk - very inspirational."

"Ashley was very engaging and interactive - interesting topic."

"Good blend of learning (presentations, questions, and activities)."

"Really well presented as always. Social media outlook was interesting, and good talk and interaction with Derek."

"I found the information on social media really interesting and the speech from Derek was enlightening and informative."

Q&A With Emerging Leader, Megan Burnside

Tell us about you… what’s your work history to date?

"I’m Megan Burnside and I work within the group tax team as Group Tax Consultant at the Henderson Road office in Inverness. Having really enjoyed business and management in school I decided to go to University, where I completed a degree in Business and Management with Finance. As I progressed throughout my degree I began to realise that a number orientated career was definitely for me. After graduating in 2017 I joined Global as a Tax Trainee, where I was given the opportunity to complete my Association of Taxation Technician qualification. I have now been with the company for nearly 5 years."

Who or what inspired you to peruse the career you have today?

"In terms of focusing my career in finance, specifically tax, I owe the credit to my mentor at University. She was always encouraging and someone I learnt so much from, both personally and professionally. To this day I still have a fantastic relationship with her, she always takes an interest in how I am getting on."

Can you provide details of a professional accomplishment in the group that you are proud of?

"I’m delighted to have gained a place on the leadership programme. The programme is encouraging me to step out with my comfort zone and the knowledge I am gaining is immense. I’m proud to be involved in such a great opportunity."

What inspires you, and do you have any personal goals that you are hoping to achieve?

"I enjoy supporting people where I can to help them accomplish their goals. I find this motivates me to aim towards my own goals. I am always looking to expand my knowledge and experience. A goal I am hoping to achieve is completing my ACCA qualification and developing my role at Global."

What motivates and energises you at work?

"I enjoy working as part of a team. My colleagues at work are always supporting and looking out for one another, something I feel is so important in a workplace. Having great people around me on a daily basis definitely motivates me at work."

Which of our Core Values means the most to you and why?

"Demonstrate integrity and respect. Being an honest, trustworthy and approachable person I feel is important in everyday life. I’ve always been a believer of “treating people the way you would expect to be treated”."