Neil Henderson Email & Phone Number

Lerwick, Scotland, United Kingdom

Lerwick, United Kingdom

Following a Council restructuring project, I have taken on a general business development management role at Shetland Islands Council. This role involves dealing with and processing applications for financial assistance, strategic project work and film location promotional services. I still very much retain my professional interest in the area of marketing.

Lerwick, United Kingdom

As part this role I managed development of contract tendering and administration of the Council’s ‘Promote Shetland’ initiative. I continued to be involved in organisation of large scale industry and community events, both within and outwith Shetland, together with administration of business grant schemes. In September 2012 I devised and gained Council approval for a Shetland Seafood Marketing Scheme. This involved liaison with the fish processing sector in Shetland, Marine Scotland and the Scottish Government State Aid Unit. This role involved representing the Council and Shetland at events, meetings and initiatives in Shetland and nationally. Within this role I regularly negotiated with film production companies seeking to locate a filming project in Shetland.

Lerwick, United Kingdom

During this period, I professionalised my marketing qualifications in gaining a Masters Degree in Marketing (with distinction) and becoming recognised as a Chartered Marketer.This was a new post, driven by the Council’s desire to promote Shetland more successfully to the world. Through this role I oversaw management of a large annual budget which increased over the period and contributed to the generation of strategic policies for the service.I was involved in leading and expanding a small team to undertake coordination of Shetland’s presence at many trade and consumer events in the UK and Europe including the European Seafood Exposition, North Atlantic Fish Fair, Offshore Europe, the Cannes Film Festival and London Boat Show. I secured over £80,000 in external funds for the Council and led introduction and strategic direction of the Promote Shetland service in 2009 – presenting Shetland positively to the world as a place to work, do business, live in and visit. I led establishment and coordination of the launch of the www.shetland.org Shetland website portal in 2008 and assisted in the creation of the highly successful ‘Land in Shetland’ campaign which helped to increase fishing boat landings at Shetland’s ports. I also led creation and development of the Shetland Events and Festivals Strategy, preparing a detailed Shetland festivals development action plan for Shetland Islands Council.

Lerwick, United Kingdom

My primary function in this Shetland Islands Council role was operation of the Council’s Marketing Development Programme. This initiative provided financial support to both individual businesses and recognised trade associations. As part of this role I also undertook survey work and became actively involved in reviewing the effect of marketing support arrangements offered by the Council to businesses throughout Shetland.

Chartered Marketer status is the mark of an up-to-date, experienced and qualified marketing professional.

Lerwick, United Kingdom

I established, managed and promoted a new business information source in Lerwick as a specialist information service for the Shetland community.

Lerwick, United Kingdom

This role involved managing and promotion of LEADER II and PESCA, both European funding initiatives; the latter aimed specifically at the fisheries sector. I established a project management system to support project work, assessed applications for grant assistance, advised on project criteria and measured and reported on project impacts to the central EU desk at Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Lerwick, United Kingdom

I was responsible for assessing business and community applications for grant assistance against established support scheme priorities. This involved meeting potential applicants, discussing projects, advising on scheme criteria, gathering data and producing reports for in-house approval by the Boards of Shetland Enterprise Company and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. In addition, I oversaw customer care, leading the efforts to achieve recognition for Highlands and Islands Enterprise through the Citizen’s Charter Mark as a public service exemplar. I also coordinated the company’s successful ‘Investors In People’ programme application, which resulted in Shetland Enterprise’s recognition as the first Shetland organisation to achieve the award.This role involved preparing press releases for circulation locally and beyond and responding to media enquiries.

Sullom Voe, Shetland

This one-year work placement was part of my 3rd year BA Business Studies University Course, located within the Materials and Contracts Branch at BP, Sullom Voe Oil Terminal. I performed duties as part of team responsible for procuring all items required for use at the terminal: managing ‘blanket’ orders; placing individual item orders; assessing price/value ratios; and investigating re-order levels.

Master'S Degree, Marketing, Distinction

Bachelor Of Business Administration (Bba), Business Studies, Distinction