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Scottish Enterprise Talent Nation

Sampson gears up to defend TalentNation liquidation order, but wins Ronaldo app task and works as vice chair of Colin Montgomerie charity

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

August 22, 2011 | 3 min read

The move by Scottish Enterprise to put TalentNation, a social media platform in which it has a £1m stake, into provisional liquidation is to be resisted by its founder Steve Sampson in the Court of Session, Scotland’s Supreme Court.

In June the regeneration body successfully petitioned the Sheriff Court for a provisional liquidation honour, citing concerns about the way the business’s finances were being managed.

The move was made as several former staff prepared to sue TalentNation for unpaid salaries and fees. They included former Olympic athlete, Brian Whittle, who claimed in court papers that £500,000 was transferred out of the business into an the personal account of Steve Sampson and his wife Elisabeth, shortly after Scottish Enterprise made their investment.

Said Whittle in the closed record of the case which was due to go before Hamilton Sheriff Court: “Within a few days of Scottish Enterprise making the investment of £1m, £500,000.00 was transferred from the TalentNation bank account to the Joint account of Mr Sampson and his Wife.”

This was strenuously denied by Sampson, who texted Gordon Young, editor of The Drum shortly after the story appeared online: “You will be served with a writ for £500k for gross defamation. Nice round sum. This is now going viral as well. Mistake my friend.”

No writ was forthcoming.

According to Sampson’s LinkedIn profile (which lists diplomacy as one of his specialties) he now, “heads up a portfolio of digital assets in online and mobile with connections in the UK and US which include Cristiano Ronaldo. He is vice chairman of Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie's cancer charity, currently working to raise £3m for a cancer ward near Glasgow.”

The profile goes on to say that his relationship with Ronaldo will see him creating a mobile app. However, it contains no mention of TalentNation.

A spokesperson from Scottish Enterprise said: "We are continuing to pursue this Court action with our legal advisors. It would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this stage.”

A representative for administrator Grant Thornton told The Drum that the case would go ahead at the Court of Session on 16 September.

At the time of writing, Sampson had not responded to The Drum’s request for a comment.

Updated:

A spokesperon for Colin Montgomerie's charities has contacted The Drum to deny that Mr Samson is involved with his cancer charity.

Scottish Enterprise Talent Nation

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