Hogmanay 1999. On the eve of the new millennium it wasn’t bottles but magnums and the firework display in Edinburgh was spectacular. Amidst the golden bubbles and the screeches across the night sky an idea was falling into place for Kirsty Regan. She knew her core skill: the ability to deliver information accurately and quickly, gained from a background in press cuttings. How could she most usefully apply this in the digital age?

The new century was rolling in on a wave of collective expectation. Edinburgh’s skyline was illuminated by yet another cascade of fire: a silhouette of history and hope. Who holds the key to a country’s aspirations? Yes. She would create a company that acted as a conduit between parliament and Scotland’s collective constituents in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

On the first Sunday of the new millennium she sat down to email her first potential client. But this conduit had no name. She tapped her fingers on her mouse mat. Beside which was her chequebook: a leading bank, a contemporary brand. An unfocused stare transformed into an eureka moment. That’s it! The tapping fingers transferred to the keyboard. NewsDirect was born.