Our Team


David Stott, Non-executive Chairman

David has substantial publishing experience culminating in the position of Deputy Managing Director of Morgan-Grampian. He founded Spearhead Exhibitions Limited in 1969 and developed the company into a major and highly regarded force in the international business-to-business exhibition business prior to its sale to PGI Inc. David was a council member of the Association of Exhibition Organisers.

Paul Stott, Managing Director

Paul has worked in senior finance positions in a number of large organisations including Enterprise Oil plc and the Royal Dutch Shell Group of Companies. In 1994 he moved to Madrid as Finance and HR Director of Shell España. In 1998 he formed Bear Publishing S.L. in Madrid, and in 1999 moved back to the UK to form Media Generation Limited. He was a non-executive Director of Spearhead Exhibitions between 1986 and 1995.

Ian Harper, Publishing Director

Ian Harper graduated from Lancaster University and has extensive publishing, editorial and communications experience gained with Reed, Morgan-Grampian, EMAP and the Financial Times group. He was news editor of Financial Adviser from 1988 to 1990 and personal finance editor of The Scotsman from 1990 to 1994. From 1994 to 2000 was in charge of public relations at CGU Life.

Mark Beaumont, Business Development Director

A graduate of University of Natal, South Africa, Mark formed a company called IFA Events Ltd in 1991, organising touring financial services events throughout the UK, sponsored initially by EMAP and then by Financial Times Magazines. Between 1994 and 1996, he organised a number of successful franchising exhibitions in Glasgow, Cardiff and Dubai. Latterly he has worked for ITE and Spearhead-PGI and has organised events in several overseas locations including Azerbaijan and Greece.

Judith Patten, Senior Events Consultant

Judith Patten has over 25 years experience of the exhibition and conference industry through her association with Spearhead Exhibitions, both as member of staff and as a contractor and she has promoted major shows worldwide. She has an extensive press and public relations background and proven organisational and sales ability. Judith has previously worked for Good Relations and The Hamlyn Group and since 1969 has been running her own firm, JPPR, with a wide range of clients including magazine publishers and exhibition organisers.

Brian Beecher, Non-executive Director

Brian Beecher is an experienced publisher. He was a main board director of Morgan-Grampian with responsibility for consumer magazine, local newspaper and business-to-business publishing. The company expanded into the US where he worked for three years as Executive Vice President and President. On return to the UK in 1978 he was Managing Director of all Morgan-Grampian’s operating companies. In 1979 he started his own publishing company, Techpress Publishing Limited, which he ran for 11 years, three of which were in collaboration with Sir Gordon Brunton who was the company’s Chairman. Brian has been a member of the American Business Press, the Periodical Publishers Association and the British Business Press, and was a Director of the Audit Bureau of Circulation.