Man (Andy Lothian) sitting at desk. Writing on wall behind reads: We keep passing unsees through little moments of other people's lives - Robert M Pirsig

Insight’s Andy Lothian named Courier Entrepreneur of the Year

Graeme Thomsonblog

Andy Lothian, the CEO and founder of Insights Learning & Development, a people development company that provides solutions to the world’s leading organisations, has just been named Entrepreneur of the Year, through a special award at the prestigious Courier Business Awards. Andy Lothian said,

“It’s a huge honour to have been given this special award at the Courier Business Awards. I’m proud that Insights’ international headquarters is in Dundee and that we are part of the city’s continuing growth as a major player in the business world. It has been a brilliant year for Insights and this award represents the ambition, creativity and drive of Insights teams across the globe, I’d like to thank them for their part in the continuing success of the business.”

The company has secured a range of awards in appreciation of:

  • Insights’ learning solutions and client partnerships
  • Insights’ internal employee development programs
  • Insights’ executive leadership
  • Insights’ internal business functions

Insights’ client programmes were recognised in September when the organisation was a finalist in the Chartered Institute of People Development’s (CIPD) People Management Awards, in the category of Best Human Resources/Learning & Development Supplier. The nomination highlighted Insights’ specific work with global engineering client, Technip, and its partnership to improve the organisation’s global health, safety, environment (HSE) climate by enhancing the workforce’s interpersonal skills.

Insights’ employee programmes were acknowledged this month (October), when the organisation was announced as one of the 2016 winners in the Association of Talent Development’s (ATD) Best Awards The accomplishment represents the organisation’s enterprise-wide achievements as an outcome of employee talent development – a skill that is not only taught to client companies, but simultaneously practiced by Insights.

Insights’ Executive Team was recognised in June when Insights’ CEO was named Ernst and Young’s (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year for Scotland. Chosen as an overall winner from a group of 35 successful entrepreneurs who were finalists, Andy Lothian went on to represent his country in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for the whole of the UK in early October. He is also a finalist in the Scottish Business Awards in the category of “Entrepreneur of the Year”, with winners to be announced in November.

Insights’ internal business functions were recognised when the organisation’s in-house Communications Team received a silver “Stevie” award in the American Business Awards (ABA) in March and the organisation’s Customer Insight Team competed as a finalist in the UK Customer Experience Awards in September. Both distinctions were in support of the execution of the organisation’s Chosen Customer Model and Customer Voice Programme.

Talking about the range of awards Insights has received and been nominated for across the year, he said:

“We are honoured to receive recognition that acknowledges so many different parts of our collective global business.”

Andy Lothian said: “It has always been our goal to have an inside-out approach to our work. When what we do for ourselves is just as good as what we do for our clients, we are showing that in no uncertain terms that we ‘practice what we preach’.”