Progressive & Regenerative Business
With a history and a catalogue of business experience from large corporates to family businesses, Marie has a wealth of business acumen through experience, hard work, tenacity and a passion to make a difference for clients and communities.
Transforming Communities
Well respected and decorated with multiple accolades in recognition of her personal and business achievements, Marie is constantly pro-active within the business eco-system – inspiring future entrepreneurial activity and investing in progressive innovation with sustainability at the front and centre.
From the Klin Group to The HALO Urban Regeneration Ltd, Marie and her team have embarked on a progressive mission to regenerate brownfield sites in deprived, economically challenged, communities. It was under Marie’s leadership that the Klin Group introduced the first Morrisons supermarket to Scotland in 2003 in Kilmarnock, part of a £100 million redevelopment package.
This investment included the transformation of two historic category B listed derelict town centre properties, one the former headquarters of Andrew Barclay & Son, a world-leading steam locomotive manufacturer, the other a derelict Victorian Opera house. With numerous regeneration developments across Scotland Marie thrives within the regeneration of local communities – creating bespoke community led initiatives that bring life, hope and opportunity to many.
Revitalising Urban Landscapes
As Founder and Executive Chair of The HALO Urban Regeneration Company, Marie has been the architect and visionary of the HALO LIVE, WORK, LEARN AND PLAY model. THE HALO brand is an imaginative, innovative and inspirational urban regeneration initiative to revitalise vacant land within communities experiencing economic challenges. HALO’s biggest economic asset is the untapped social capital of local communities which have a huge beating heart.
Phase one of the first HALO project was completed in April 2022, The HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre, a dynamic commercial, educational, cultural, leisure and lifestyle hub in Marie’s hometown of Kilmarnock, Scotland. The multi-award-winning development is home to American PRA Group’s European Headquarters – providing over 400 jobs specialising in executive and digital operations for this NASDAQ corporation.
It is also the home of The HALO #RockMe Trading Floor, a flexible dynamic workspace for businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive and rock the economy. Those based on the Trading Floor not only benefit from the inspiring space, but also from the multiple partnerships that Marie has established to help businesses Fastrack their success. Scottish Power and Barclays have been steadfast supporters of this initiative. Plans are under way to expand The HALO#RockMe concept to Northern Ireland, in Belfast and Ballymena, and to Blackpool in England.
Working with UK, Scottish and International Governments at Ministerial and Cabinet level, Marie has built trusted relationships that have created a bottom-up economic growth strategy based on current policies within her developments, including UK Industrial Strategy 2017, UK Government Growth Deals, UK Government Levelling Up 2023 and USA Inflation Reduction Act 2022 and others that drive Employment, Education and Skills. Marie’s dynamic approach and vision have led to well-known international brands and PLCs lending their support, time and resources including NASA, Barclays PLC, Iberdrola and Rice Space Institute.
Sustainable Redevelopment
As a test bed 28-acre site for emerging green tech and one of the most sustainable buildings in the UK, The HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre is several years ahead of the Paris 2015 Climate Agreements and provides visitors and guests with a suite of sustainable and innovative infrastructure from EV Charging to Platinum WiredScore Wi-Fi. The only platinum site in Scotland. In its short life the building has been:
- BCO UK Corporate Workplace of the Year 2022
- Finalist in the ‘Commercial, Industrial, Infrastructure & Retail’ category of the Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) Design Awards 2021.
- Best Regeneration Project at the Scottish Property Awards 2022.
- Featured in RIBA, (Royal Institute of British Architecture) “Reworking the Workplace.” Book publication 2023.
The HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre is at the forefront of sustainability:
- Powered By 60000Kilowatt Solar panels 140 in total
- 50-Kilowatt battery Storage
- EV Bus, Cars and Bikes Hub
- Test bed site for Iberdrola and Scottish Power
- Net Zero Green Accelerator for Green Businesses