Peter Williams - Face to Face

FACE TO FACE

A tradition of the Rotary movement is that within the first year of membership (or thereabouts) new members give a talk in which they share some aspects of their background.  This is called a Face to Face: an informal process which helps members develop closer bonds.

At the meeting of the Bridge of Allan and Dunblane Rotary Club on Thursday past, it was the turn of Peter Williams to give his Face to Face.

Born in Lancashire, Peter moved at an early age to Edinburgh.  After leaving school, he took a degree in economics at Aberdeen University.  With a view to realising his ambition to travel, he then worked to gain qualification as a Chartered Accountant.  Thus qualified, he then spent some 40% of his career overseas, including significant time in Spain, South America and Norway, with periods in Australia and Canada and elsewhere.

Talking about the effects of his experience outside the United Kingdom, he suggested that they had greatly broadened his attitude to the benefits of cultural diversity, and the need to avoid unthinking prejudice.  Quite apart from these admirable benefits, he had greatly enjoyed the variety of lifestyles he had experienced and the opportunities to enjoy the varied approaches to life in the different countries.

His career as an auditor and, in due course, as a Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers, had given entry to major businesses including Balfour Beatty and Courtaulds, with, latterly, an extended period with the food industry, including salmon fishing.  In this role he was analysing various business propositions and setting out his conclusions on development proposals.  

Peter has now largely retired, though he maintains his interests as a Governor of Beaconhurst School and as a non-executive company director.  This has given him more time to enjoy family life, and to develop his lifelong interest in golf and walking.  Membership of Rotary has made an important contribution to broadening his circle of friends, and finding ways of making a contribution to the community.

Speaker’s Host Colin Smith congratulated Peter on an excellent Face to Face that had been both informative and interesting, and members joined in endorsing this.