Border Biscuits
Tina Cunningham, CEO of Border Biscuits, shares her experience managing a business through leadership changes, increasing material costs and a new growth strategy.
"Border Biscuits was founded in 1984 by John Cunningham. Before taking over as CEO, I worked alongside the business, successfully running our award-winning charity, Border Biscuits Community Support.
Practical training for leadership skills
"Border Biscuits has always been a family business, with deep community values and a commitment to excellence for our product and customers, but also for our people.
"Every leader needs to bring their own authenticity and perspective, and even though I ran our charity before stepping into the role of CEO, I knew that running the company as a whole required a lot of new knowledge.
"The Scottish Enterprise team's support and funding has been crucial in my transition to CEO and our speedy expansion into new markets. We’ve been able to boost our skills and fill knowledge gaps with the help of external consultants and leadership training."
Nurturing existing potential
"I love to develop potential - to identify individuals who could be trained into more senior roles. When I started this role, my target was to get funding to develop the people we already employed who had the natural skill and knowledge but just needed the tools.
"We’ve now trained six people into more senior roles. The funding has allowed the company to grow while staying true to our values and history."
Capital investment for leadership
Chief Executive of Border Biscuits, Tina Cunningham, talks about the company's investment in leadership to drive productivity.
Three ways we've developed our workforce
- Strategic leadership team support and executive coaching
- Grant-supported by Scottish Enterprise in 2023-2024
- A new development programme for our middle management
- Grant-supported by Scottish Enterprise in 2024-2025
- A place on the Leading with Change Programme 2024
- Our engineering manager graduated from the course with the skills to lead the company's sustainability culture and practices
Creating a culture of accountability
"Leadership isn't about your job title. It's a capability we all have. We just need to learn how to apply it effectively. The training has created a sense of ownership and responsibility that's spread into every area of our business.
"For example, there could be a chocolate spill in the factory. This would be a crisis in terms of safety and because chocolate is a precious commodity (now five times as costly as it was 10 years ago).
"The person on the floor at that time – whether they're a manager, a director, or an operative – needs to take the lead and do the right thing."
Encouraging sustainable change
"I’ve tried to build a deeply mindful operation here, in all departments of the business. I encourage our procurement team to research suppliers in detail. It's crucial for those we work with to share our net zero credentials, workplace values, and our positive impact on the local economy.
"As well as leadership support, Scottish Enterprise has allowed us to streamline operations and protect the planet by funding a place for our Engineering Manager, Kenny McIntosh, to develop his knowledge at the Net Zero Academy.
After making a 90% reduction to plastic packaging, the academy has provided us with tools to capture, calculate, and decrease our emissions on our journey to becoming a net zero business.
"Everyone is deeply conscious of our impact as an organisation. Our team's passion for doing good is awe-inspiring and a fundamental value of our company, now and always.
"We hope that our experience will inspire other businesses to engage with the many opportunities and services Scottish Enterprise can provide."
Learn more about Border Biscuits – visit border.co.ukopens in a new window.
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