Scottish entrepreneurs forge strong transatlantic links through US trade delegation

06/11/2018
Ross Stupart
Ross Stupart

Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has collaborated with Entrepreneurial Scotland to host a delegation of Scottish businesses in San Francisco to facilitate transatlantic trade.

The 17-strong cohort of entrepreneurial leaders including Craig Johnstone, founder and CEO of Giglets Education and Claus Marquordt, founder and CEO of RD Graphene, attended an event at RSM’s San Francisco office led by audit partner Ben Shappell, who recently spent two years in the UK.

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The event focused on trading in the US, managing working capital and the funding and tax environment to arm early stage businesses and Scottish entrepreneurs with key intelligence into the market to help support international growth.

The trade mission brought together Scottish businesses and Saltire Fellows (part of Entrepreneurial Scotland’s leadership development programme) looking to expand into the US with businesses, including Spire Global, a venture capital backed space data and analytics company with five international offices; and key US intermediaries including RSM business advisers and local attorneys.

Once the delegation returns to the UK, RSM UK will work closely with Entrepreneurial Scotland to provide further support to the cohort of businesses and business leaders as they embark on their local and international growth plans.

Ross Stupart, tax partner at RSM in Edinburgh, said: “Entrepreneurism in Scotland continues to build momentum, and it’s been great to partner with Entrepreneurial Scotland to link up with our colleagues in the US to provide the opportunity for current and future Scottish entrepreneurs to explore and realise transatlantic opportunities.”

Ken Whipp, director of Executive Education at Entrepreneurial Scotland said: “I am exceptionally grateful to the team at RSM for hosting a visit to their San Francisco office and for providing the opportunity for our delegation to gain valuable insights into trading in the US market. I look forward to collaborating with them further.”

Ben Shappell, audit partner at RSM US said “While going global remains the goal of a variety of emerging businesses, the complexities of doing so often goes overlooked or identification of issues comes too late. Given Entrepreneurial Scotland’s forward-looking Saltire fellowship Scotland’s emerging entrepreneurs will be able to focus on business expansion rather than dealing with avoidable challenges.”

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