About Otherhand
Otherhand starts from the practical experience of board room and senior executive experience rather than any management textbook. Every day, senior execs and non-execs are meeting friends and colleagues and discussing the issues they are facing in their organisations. A lunch time chat can easily become an analytic session offering possible solutions and strategies. The difference is that the analysis and advice is from a trusted source with a track record in leadership. At Otherhand we believe this personal trust based approach is more valuable than any number of manuals, useful as those are.
Otherhand offers capacity building, facilitation and mediation services within the context of board room level consultation and advice. We take the view that most issues facing companies at board room and senior exec level are people issues. Our specialisation is in helping small to medium sized companies build their capacity to promote growth. We also offer confidential and experienced help for senior leadership and board room level issues that don't fit neatly into any text book definition but need to be tackled effectively.
About Ian McKay
Ian is the owner of Otherhand Ltd. His work with Otherhand is undertaken alongside a number of Board and non-exec leadership positions. His experience comes from a career in both the public and private sectors and senior positions on both sides of the industral relations table and this expertise was recognised with the award of the title of Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling Management School where he has chaired and is currently a member of their International Business Advisory Board.
Ian has a background in teaching and skills development and is a qualified mediator. He was previously the Director of Scottish Affairs for Royal Mail Group in Scotland, and held senior positions with the Educational Institute of Scotland and at Stevenson College Edinburgh.
Ian has been a leading member of the Institute of Directors in Scotland for some years, serving as both Scottish Chairman and as a UK Council and Nominations Committee member.He was also a longstanding member of the Scottish Council of the CBI and SCDI Council.
Ian is currently the Senior Independent Director on the Board of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy - the national rail and logistics company of Kazakhstan. He chairs the Remuneration & Nominations Committee and is a member of the Strategy Committee and Audit Committee. The company is a central part of the development of the transit potential of Kazakhstan and global infrastructure integration. It carries out railway and sea transportation, provides services of transport and logistics centers, as well as a seaport, airport, and road infrastructure.
Previously Ian was Independent Chair of the Scottish Police Negotiating Board, the regulatory body that considers a range of matters relating to police officer terms and conditions in Scotland, and also chairs the Scottish Police Consultative Forum. This involvement was complemented at UK level where Ian was a Board member of the Security Industry Authority, which is responsible for regulating the private security industry across the UK.
Ian's recent private sector involvement included Board membership at Critiqom Ltd, a leading print and mail services provider alongside membership of the Scottish Advisory Committee for Ofcom, the telecomms regulator.
Ian was inaugural Chairman of the Board of Edinburgh College, the largest FE college in Scotland, and a Board member at Colleges Scotland where he chaired the Employers Association for the sector. Elsewhere, Ian served for six years as a member of the UK NHS Pay Review Body and has in the past been a Board member at Lothian Buses plc. the Scottish Business Crime Centre, the Centre for Confidence and Well-Being, Arts & Business Scotland, and the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust.