The Big Issue founder Lord John Bird will be the keynote speaker at the Scottish Wholesale Association’s annual conference, being held at Crieff Hydro in Perthshire from 10-12 June.

Booker’s Stewart Gilliland is one of the speakers.

Representing the cash & carry/wholesale trade will be Bidvest Foodservice chief executive Andrew Selley; Booker group non-executive chairman Stewart Gilliland; Batleys/Bestway trading director Martin Race; Iain Hill, managing director of the eponymous Renfrewshire-based delivered wholesaler; and Jim Cummiskey, joint managing director of Glasgow-based wholesaler Fáilte Foods.

On the rostrum from the manufacturing sector will be Peppi Cremona, sales director (off-trade wholesale and convenience), AB InBev; Rez Hassan, vice-president sales, Mars Chocolate UK; Andy Stevens, head of sales UK, JTI; Nigel Paine, Britvic sales director; Mark Winter, sales director of United Biscuits; and Jonathan Kemp, AG Barr commercial director.

Other speakers will include Craig Stephenson, chief executive of Braehead Foods; Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association; and Katie Hemmings, director of researcher him!

SWA president Eddie Lynagh will open and close the conference and vice-president Julie Dunn will open the Saturday programme and introduce participants in the Association’s mentoring scheme.

Referring to the conference programme, SWA executive director Kate Salmon said: “Again we have secured an outstanding group of high-profile speakers who will inspire and motivate our members and share best industry practice.”

SWA members operate 78 depots, employ 6,900 people and have annual turnover of over £3 billion.

Tel: SWA 0131-556 8753