Lennoxtown businesswoman takes top award

Karen Cairney, CEO of Cairney & Company, triumphed at The National Business Women’s Awards held recently in London.

Recognising hardworking and enterprising Business Women, the prestigious award was given to Karen for her work in the Higher Education and Not for Profit sectors since setting up her fundraising consultancy business in 2016.

Karen said: “To take home Scottish Business Woman of the Year was just incredible.

"It has been a wonderful journey so far with Cairney & Company, and this award is testament to our wonderful team of consultants and partners who work so hard every day.

"I can’t wait to see what the next five years bring. As my favourite quote says: ‘If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together’.”

After 10 years as the Director of External Relations at Edinburgh Napier University, where Karen successfully launched their inaugural £100m fundraising campaign, she set up Cairney & Company.

Karen said: “I had seen first-hand the difference my work and that of my team had made to communities and lives, and I wanted to take my expertise and support other organisations to make the same difference.

"Having the funds to allocate to areas such as capital builds, scholarships, history and heritage, as well as research excellence shouldn’t be taken for granted.

“Today, it’s more important than ever that charities and universities have the reassurance of an experienced practitioner advising them to make informed decisions on philanthropic goals and campaign objectives that will have the greatest impact on society.

"We work primarily with universities and schools, as if we get it right through education, we can transform lives.”

Since its inception five years ago, the firm has gone on to become a global fundraising consultancy working with Higher Education and Not for Profit organisations around the world, including the University of Glasgow and UNICEF.

It offers a personalised and bespoke approach to achieving and maximising philanthropic and income generation goals. Clients include The University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, and UNICEF