A father and son have worked together to inspire the next generation of students at an Aberdeen school.
Standard Life Aberdeen co-CEO Martin Gilbert and his son Jamie delivered the annual orations at this year’s Robert Gordon’s College Founder’s Day.
The tradition dates back to 1934 and involves a procession from the school through Schoolhill for a service at the Kirk of St Nicholas.
While initially held in April to commemorate the death of Robert Gordon in 1731, the service moved to the autumn to coincide with the Aberdeen holiday weekend.
Mr Gilbert left the school in 1973, and co-founded investment firm Aberdeen Asset Management ten years later.
This year, the company completed an £11billion merger with Standard Life to create Europe’s second-largest fund manager, overseeing £670bn in assets.
During his speech, Mr Gilbert told pupils he was a keen hockey player, but admitted he was a “late developer” when it came to the academic side of school life.
He said: “My advice would be to not fear failure and build a good network of people that support you.
“Embrace every opportunity to make the most of what is available to you.
“I enjoyed hockey and rugby at school, but I also pursued other activities.
“All these experiences helped me develop the skills which are essential in supporting your overall success.”
Jamie also attended the school, graduating in 2004.
He spoke to the junior school and S1 pupils about his infrastructure investment work in Africa and South Asia, marking the first time a father and son have been orators on the same Founder’s Day.
Simon Mills, head of Robert Gordon’s College, added: “We have been privileged to hear Martin and Jamie Gilbert share their significant experiences, both in school and beyond with the current pupils.
“Founder’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to unite and inspire the next generation whilst remembering the mission set out by Robert Gordon, encouraging our pupils to be the best they can be.”