Champion for diversity in the workplace and owner of her own consultancy in Asia and Scotland, Lisl MacDonald is a formidable force. Find out how she shares her expertise as a GlobalScot.

Lisl MacDonald set off for Strathclyde University to study marketing and law and quickly determined that law wasn’t for her. Marketing, on the other hand, was the perfect fit. She received sponsorship for her dissertation, which was very unusual for a student. This brought her to the attention of BT and kick started her career.

She moved to London and cut her teeth working for multinationals like BT and Virgin and Ogilvy. After 10 years learning from the best, she decided to pack up and do what she hadn’t done during university – go backpacking for a year. Her adventures eventually took her to Thailand and Lisl still lives in Bangkok today - splitting her time between Asia and Scotland.

With clients such as IT service management company DST Systems, OMD and Amadeus, across markets including India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, Lisl has extensive experience in working with and maximising international relationships. She is well-practised in developing strategy, managing multi-million pound budgets, delivering brand and revenue targets in various industry sectors across Europe and Asia.

“I was very keen to be of use where I possibly could. After having such great education opportunities growing up in Scotland, I relished the chance to give something back.”

Becoming a GlobalScot

Lisl first found out about GlobalScot through GlobalScot Team Leader Kate MacInnes and as soon as she heard the details, Lisl thought it sounded like an excellent thing to do – and her marketing expertise brings something crucial to the table for startup and scaleup businesses looking to internationalise.

While many businesses may know that they need the best financial and legal advice they can access, as well as help with regulatory or sector specific advice, they often don’t understand and appreciate the power of viewing their business through a marketing lens. Lisl can bring tools, techniques and approaches that help companies look at what they’re trying to do through a consumer lens or a business lens, which helps bring commercial goals into focus.

She is very aware of the opportunities available in Asian markets (there is a domestic market of 60 million people in Thailand alone) and says there is plenty of scope for Scottish companies to better understand and take advantage of these opportunities, from clean energy, food and drink, to the creative industries.

Helping businesses get a foothold in Asian markets

When Lisl first arrived in Thailand, she started out as a business lecturer, which was a perfect way to learn about the culture, and continued consulting on the side. Eventually, her consulting work grew to such an extent that she had to set up a company to deal with the size of contracts she was getting. The business grew organically, all through word of mouth.

Her love of languages, including Thai, German and French, helped. She could see the way that her efforts to speak, and think, in an Asian context helped businesses and individuals warm to her. It’s important to remember that the Western way of looking at things is not universal and that opening yourself up to other languages, cultures and ways of engaging can reap big rewards.

Lisl explains that “meeting people halfway is a really great way to be successful, and to open up conversations that result in positive outcomes for all parties.”

Where Scottish businesses have an opportunity to shine

For Scottish businesses hoping to reach an international stage, there are both pluses and minuses. Scots are known as inventors and there’s a history of excellence in engineering and finance and in the food and beverage sectors.

However, Lisl recognises challenges when it comes to breaking into other industries, where businesses don’t have a reputation to trade on. These can range from issues with funding to dealing with logistical or regulatory challenges in a new market.

In those instances, she says it’s especially important to think about relationships not only as sales or franchising opportunities, but also as ways to foster co-development, R&D and collaborations. She suggests reaching out to local professional bodies with the help of a member of the local GlobalScot network, to access foreign direct investment and export markets.

“I’m passionate about helping businesses in Scotland understand the different types of relationships possible and how they lead to new markets and products, rather than simply seeing each connection as an international sales opportunity.”

Diversity, neurodiversity and mentoring

For Lisl, diversity is also incredibly important. Addressing systemic issues like misogyny, racism, ageism and ableism is core to her working practice. She invests in female and diverse start and scaleup businesses and mentors a limited number of people and senior executives, as a way to help them overcome barriers they face. She says: “There are so many talented people out there who have a lot to offer. And when you get to my stage in your career, I think you start to look back and see how you can help people up the ladder.”

Lisl also believes a lot of people need to hear that it's okay to have some variety in their career path. And that a range of transferable skills can show how adaptable and valuable an individual can be.

How to make the most of a GlobalScot introduction

She advises being savvy about when to approach a GlobalScot. Rather than only trying to leverage a connection to access an event or sales opportunity, she suggests approaching the network at either an earlier or later stage.

This offers the opportunity to look beyond a single win and the chance to gain insight into greater potential opportunities. She also advises doing some research before getting in touch and giving plenty of advance warning, as most GlobalScots have packed schedules. She adds: “Scottish companies need to be more confident that they have these fantastic products and services. Look abroad, look internationally. You have great things to offer, believe in yourself.”

“As a GlobalScot, I want to make a difference and move the needle a little for people, business or communities.”

Think speaking to someone like Lisl could help you visualise new opportunities for your business? Sign up today for the chance to make valuable connections and accelerate your business.