Values are the Backbone of any Good Business: Benny Higgins, Adviser

For Benny Higgins, the pandemic has highlighted and emphasised the importance of wellness in our lives. With a busy schedule, he says, it’s easy to get caught up with various projects and take physical and mental health for granted. 

That’s why he’s joined 8 Dimensions Ventures (8DV) as an Adviser. It’s not that he didn’t have enough to do. After a lengthy career in banking, Benny sits on a wide range of boards, including the National Galleries of Scotland. He was recently a strategic adviser on the creation of the Scottish National Investment Bank. 

8DV appeals to Benny because it provides an opportunity to make a difference in the well-being of people and the planet. As an Adviser, he will be working with startups that adhere to the 8 Dimensions of Wellness as their founding principles. They are: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, Occupational, Financial and Environmental. A business must address at least two to garner support from 8DV, and strive to diminish negative externalities from one Dimension to other.

“When considering an opportunity, I ask myself whether I would be proud to tell my kids that I am working on it and whether the organisation has good values,” Higgins says. “Values must serve as the backbone of a business – they can’t be put in a drawer and left there.” 

At 8DV, he plans to leverage his vast experience in finance to help create a better and healthier society. Whilst he considers socialised medicine to be paramount, he also believes there is a key role for private companies to play in the wellness of citizens. 

“Before committing to a role, I always ask myself whether I can make a valuable contribution,” Higgins says. “With 8 Dimension Ventures, I am excited to be able to help startups to improve the lives of people everywhere.”