Carrie Armstrong is a Partner in AG's Real Estate team and is based in Edinburgh.

Five years ago this month she became a Partner at the firm, having started as a trainee at HBJ, and was planning how to help grow the new business in Scotland.

'5 years ago I never thought I would…'

See the growth which we anticipated and planned for following the 2017 merger continue to be sustained. 

Over the course of the last five years we have had double digit growth year on year, with our growing teams across all our divisions working on interesting mandates which are complex, high value and strategically important for a really stellar list of international and national clients.  

In 2017, we identified a plan for growth across a number of key sectors including energy, digital, transport and real estate. I have been supporting the growth of the transport sector in my capacity as a real estate partner, with a focus on how that sector can navigate the transition to Net Zero.  

Working across AG's divisions has been a truly rewarding and collaborative experience for me, as we have been involved in deals which are front and centre of Scotland's Road to Net Zero challenge. Five years ago I am not sure I would have anticipated that our projects team led by Suzanne Moir would work on Aberdeen City Council's procurement of a £215 million joint venture partner to deliver the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub or that I would work on the leasing and land arrangements to facilitate the Port of Dundee supporting the development of the NNG wind farm.   

Our teams have grown across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen but from my perspective as the graduate partner for Scotland (from 2014-2021), I did not anticipate that we would more than double our trainee numbers so quickly post-merger and it has been all the more rewarding to have seen such strong retention rates at NQ level as we have continued to invest in our future talent.  

I can see that everything we have done in the last five years to invest in our people and in our teams is making all of the difference and it is exciting to be looking forward to the next five years at AG.  

The merger has been a catalyst for my own career development as the firm has such a strong emphasis on providing everyone with the tools and opportunities that they need for their own personal growth and advancement.  Our new Irish colleagues, following our merger earlier this year with Eugene F Collins are all very excited about the future – as they can see from the experience in Scotland, the opportunities are vast.