Brian Williamson

A professional businessman, award-winning entrepreneur and a veteran of five recessions, GCU engineering alumnus Brian Williamson’s career breathes innovation.

As an aspiring young boy, he wanted to build a career for himself and he did at a fast rate, climbing the management ladder within Weir Pumps until he looked after a department at 21 years old. Before long he was off to be the Managing Director of a company at the age of 26.

He said: “I believe there are only two outcomes in life: success and learning. The deepest learning often comes from mistakes where the pain is greatest.”

Be audaciously aspirational

“I was the son of a foundryman and a waitress born into a tenement flat in Stirling, and I mention that because anything is possible from any background, especially in today’s world.”

Many accolades have come with Brian’s career success and one of them includes being named one of 30 Mavericks in Scotland by Business Insider.

Brian’s life pivoted in 2015 when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and he thought he was going to die. However, a successful operation and post-op chemo gave him the ‘all clear’ and a chance to review what to do with his life.

Deep discussions with his wife ensued and she told him to do what made him happy and that they decided was his life of entrepreneurship.

Since then, Brian has been recognised by WeDo entrepreneurs with a lifetime achievement award and by the Institute of Directors as Non-executive Director of the year.

Talking about one of his most recent ventures, Brian said: “I recognised overcrowding in a marketplace which made it difficult for buyers of services to make judgements, classic market failure. So, I set up Your Research and Development Advisory Board which is a free service for companies to use. It gives them much-needed independent support.

However, more importantly, my wife and I agreed we wanted to show everyone what a 67-year-old entrepreneur and his wife of undisclosed age can do from a standing start. We both believe that our choice is not to give into age and keep expanding our horizons.”