Junior curling stars from rinks across Scotland became the consultants as colleagues from business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael underwent an intensive training session at Curl Aberdeen.
Robin Brydone, 21, who plays with Airleywight at Perth; Euan Kyle, 20, who represents Leswalt at Stranraer; and Molly Keen, 18, of Moray Junior Curling Club at Elgin; were among the young players who gave the team from Johnston Carmichael advice on draw weight, delivery and sweeping technique.
The accountancy and business advisory firm was headline sponsor of the Scottish Curling Junior Championships, 2018, held in Aberdeen from January 24-28, and is major sponsors of the forthcoming 2018 World Junior Curling Championships, also in the Granite City in March.
The Scottish championships saw teams battle it out for the opportunity to represent the home nation at the Worlds.
Niall Farquharson, managing partner of Johnston Carmichael’s Aberdeen office, says: “There are real parallels to be drawn between the work of our teams and these junior curlers – to be successful, we all have to work closely together and respond quickly to changing circumstances to ensure the best possible outcome.
“Employing the correct strategy is vital to the skip and the team’s chances of securing the best position on the rink, and our colleagues take a very similar approach to working with our clients, evaluating the options and helping to deliver results in very competitive business markets.
“Developing talent, sharing knowledge, building long lasting relationships and showing dedication and commitment to our work are vital components of Johnston Carmichael’s own strategy.
“I’ve certainly learned a lot from this very talented group of young men and women, whose talent and focus bodes well for the future of the game in Scotland, and we are very pleased to have been able to lend them our support.”
Jane Mitchell, business advisory senior manager at the firm’s Inverurie office, said: “While I’ve curled before, learning from this group of young players has been a real pleasure – their commitment and drive to succeed shines through.”
Louise Fotheringham, a business solutions assistant at Johnston Carmichael, has been an amateur curler for three seasons. “The commitment we have made as a firm to sponsoring the Scottish and world championships is excellent recognition of the effort put in by these young players, who have the chance to become the future of one of Scotland’s most successful sports,” she said.