BGL Asset Development
Chartered Management Consultant & Business Agent
Brian Gowans is a highly skilled entrepreneur, Sub Sea Design Engineering professional and experienced Chartered Management Consultant with extensive expertise in business development, asset development and executive management across diverse sectors including oil, gas, renewable energy, hospitality, and infrastructure. With a proven track record in board-level roles and as an independent non-executive, Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and strategic insight to every project.
Business & Asset Development
With over two decades of experience as CEO of Burnside Group and Founder/CEO of The Business Group Scotland Ltd., Brian has demonstrated a remarkable ability to transform small investments into substantial assets, including hotels, infrastructure projects and residential developments. His proficiency in hotel acquisitions, infrastructure design and renewable energy projects underscores his capability to maximise value and drive sustainable growth.
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Brian holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Business Management and Global Economics and has authored a thesis on Carbon Capture and Storage. He is actively involved in professional organisations such as the Chartered Management Institute, Institute of Consulting, and Institute of Environmental Management Assessment, where he serves in various advisory and mentoring capacities.
Brian designed the first ever Liquid Fuel furnace to natural gas, conversion and successfully commissioning on first application for his employers Cameron Iron Works Livingston in 1974.
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
Brian’s career spans executive roles in the Middle East oilfield services, business consultancy and property development. During his tenure as Regional Sales and Contracts Manager in Abu Dhabi, he managed multi-million-dollar portfolios and secured high-profile contracts with major corporations. Brian’s leadership extends beyond the corporate realm, as evidenced by his involvement in mentoring programmes, advisory committees and his previous role as Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Football League, not to mention his own period as a professional footballer.
Aside from business consultancy and development, Brian founded and sponsored his own football club, Cameron, in the Abu Dhabi Oil & Gas sector league, named after his parent Company, partners, Cameron Iron Works Houston, USA. Cameron triumphed in the league for five of its first six years and reached the semi-finals in four consecutive Gulf Tournaments.
OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
Major Corporation Negotiations
Brian Gowans was involved in the selection of the Sadiyat Island O&G Offshore Workshop site, incorporating an HP Test & Repair facility for the Cameron Blowout Preventors USA MEOS JV, which included a technology license to service all CIW Middle East Projects. He also managed the construction, installation, and testing of the MEOS CIW Offshore O&G 10,000 sqft Workshop facility. Additionally, he oversaw the technology upgrade of the MEOS 20,000 sqft Onshore Service and Repair Musaffah Abu Dhabi UAE facility, ensuring compliance with new business licenses and JV partner requirements for various equipment.
Furthermore, Brian managed the ADNOC Zakum field SBM supply and installation, securing Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports as a JV partner for a ship-to-shore telecommunications and bunkering system. He provided technical and commercial project evaluation to the MEOS Board, confirming ADNOC’s reduction in drilling programs for the period. Brian also served as a Strategy Consultant to Hudson UK, based in Aberdeen, where he developed the Hudson O&G Portfolio and coordinated purchasing for Hudson’s London Supply Chain and Tripoli offices in Libya. During his tenure, he secured various acquisitions and contracts, contributing significantly to the company’s operations and growth.
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE: PIONEERING THE FUTURE
Brian Gowans (back left) and his team in the 1970’s at the Cameron Iron Works (CIW) in Livingston, where they developed the Heat Treatment Furnace used for tempering Rolls Royce RB211 jet engine parts to generate the thrust required for modern flight.
This dedicated team, including a future leader in subsea installation and maintenance, played a vital role in the high-precision machining process licensed from Rolls Royce—a testament to the innovation and technical skill that was driving the era’s industrial advancements.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Innovative Financial Opportunities
Brian’s commitment to sustainability is evident in his innovative approaches to eco-development, including carbon capture solutions, solar farm design, and waste-to-hydrogen processes. His projects such as Innis Parks, Heartlands, and Auchenkilns exemplify his dedication to creating environmentally conscious and financially lucrative ventures.
Brian Gowans undertook the project management of seven Water Well Submersible pump installations at the Telfer Gold Mine Construction site in the Northern Territories, Australia. He also oversaw the installation and implementation of a typhoon security system for 41 detached bungalows at the same location.
In addition, Brian conducted research on Carbon Capture and Storage economics in the UK for Edinburgh Napier University. He served as the Champion for Scotland at the CMI Institute of Consultants and was a member of the CMI Institute of Consultants UK Advisory Board From 2015 to 2018. Furthermore, in 2020, Brian was involved in a joint venture project focusing on Waste to Hydrogen Process Design.
INFRASTRUCTURE & HOSPITALITY
Planning & Design Engineering
Brian Gowans played a pivotal role in various infrastructure projects, including the design and planning consent acquisition for 60 units on a 10-acre field in Polbeth, West Lothian, formerly a 1930s open-cast mining site. He established the Burnside Development Group in 1994, focusing on societal infrastructure design and planning consent over NCB Polkemmet Colliery in Whitburn, securing planning consent for 60 homes and extending the town boundary to incorporate an industrial park and M8 motorway access spur. In 1997, Brian purchased the Broxburn Snooker club with 1100 members for £550,000, converting it into an international sports and entertainment venue, which saw membership rise to over 3600 annual fully computerized members. Later, the venue was sold as the Broxburn Entertainment Venue for £1.72 million.
In 2018, Brian secured a contract to convert a golf course into a 250-homes care village and sought an investment partner for the client. Additionally, in 2019, BGL designed a 100-acre infrastructure site as a Solar Farm, projecting a £3 million annual revenue for Horizon Energy’s business office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Brian was business and technology advisor to InterContinental Hotels Corporation (IHC) UAE sponsor for the construction of Abu Dhabi Inter-Continental Hotel in Abu Dhabi Khalidiya.
BGL CORE SERVICE PROVISIONS
POLITICAL-ECONOMICAL-SOCIAL-TECHNOLOGICAL-ENVIRONMENTAL-LEGAL
Business Agent
Non-Executive Director
Chartered Management Consultancy
Business Research Expert PESTEL
SWOT – Risk Management
Mergers and Acquisitions
Asset Management & Development
Development and Project Management
Portfolio Structure & Management
Site Finding and Evaluation
Unlocking Potential, Maximising Success
ETHOS & VALUES
I value integrity and transparency in everything I do, in order to build trusting, long-term and valuable relationships with my clients. My ethos is all about giving back and adding value to Scottish businesses who want to develop their strategies to achieve more. Everyone works differently. Whether you’re a large company with a strong culture, or a smaller business looking to get off the ground, Brian strongly believes in being flexible with regards to time, cost and tailoring his services to suit your individual needs.