Sir Tom Hunter: Lessons and Learning in Philanthropy
Among our activities towards the end of the year were events small and large, but one of the most convivial took place down a hidden cobbled street in the West end of Edinburgh….
On the evening of November 18, we hosted our third Mistakes in Philanthropy event, featuring Scottish philanthropist and powerhouse Sir Tom Hunter as our keynote speaker.
The venue, kindly donated for the evening by Professor Russell Napier, was the Library of Mistakes, described as being dedicated to ‘the study of financial history, so that both professionals and the investing public can avoid the mistakes of the past.’
Sir Tom came along to discuss the successes, challenges, and lessons learned in his long and fascinating career.
A renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sir Tom has committed over £150 million through The Hunter Foundation since his first business exit in 1998. His foundation focuses on supporting visionary leaders and fostering disruptive innovation in philanthropy.
The evening explored Sir Tom’s unique approach to blending entrepreneurial thinking with philanthropy. Guests gained valuable perspectives on impactful partnerships, strategies for challenging the status quo, and fostering a new generation of leaders (his advice for other philanthropists was ‘Give your kids enough to do something, but not so much they do nothing…’).
The format of the evening saw Sir Tom in conversation with host Mairi Mickel, with guests being actively encouraged by Sir Tom to interrupt him at any time with questions, allowing them to delve deeper into his experiences, knowledge, motivations and yes, mistakes, which have all shaped his philanthropic vision.
The event also encouraged intergenerational participation, inviting attendees to bring younger family members or friends to engage in the discussion.
The evening proved to be an inspiring and enriching experience, underscoring the power of collaboration and reflection in driving meaningful change.
His final words of advice?
Pull entrepreneurs together, bring people together – it’s that shared experience, journey, knowledge and support – that’s real secret sauce stuff.