Seonaidh MacDonald

A street-smart Chairman, CEO, Boardroom Advisor, keynote speaker and GCU graduate, Seonaidh MacDonald is leading tech brands into the future we have all imagined.

As Chairman of four companies, Seonaidh is overseeing teams that are pioneering the use of automotive holographic technology and manufacturing of microLED display chips for augmented reality glasses.

His career started after graduation with various quality and manufacturing engineering roles working his way up to senior management in companies such as IBM and Babcock International Group PLC.

He later went on to lead a start-up, known as mLED Ltd, to achieve what most start-ups aspire to – a trade exit to a major household brand, in this case the US based social media giant. He had made it a world leader in micro-displays technology for augmented and virtual reality products, at the time.

Seonaidh said: “I want to inspire new leaders with a total can-do attitude. I feel really really proud and really really fortunate to have managed to come through Glasgow Caledonian University. I did my undergraduate degree and then did my MBA at GCU. So, I think I was very fortunate to get that opportunity and I think it led to, what I considered, a wonderful career in business over the next 30 years.”

Your time is your greatest resource

When asked what advice he’d give as a chairman of multiple companies, he said: “It’s definitely demanding having four chairman roles, time is definitely an issue, and you never feel you have enough time. But, with careful time management and being really disciplined including saying “no” to meetings unless they have clear goals, purpose and outcomes, it is possible to maximise your effectiveness. Your time is so precious so planning and organising how to use it best are key to success.”