Bus tycoon Brian Souter will be one of the keynote speakers during Perth and Kinross Business and Enterprise Month.
The multi-millionaire Stagecoach boss revealed recently that he avoided losing a fortune in the 2008 banking collapse thanks to a financial adviser he compares to a prophet.
Perth-born Mr Souter is a member of the evangelical Christian Church of Nazarene and is a regular attender at its Trinity building in York Place.
Delivering a sermon at Destiny Church in Glasgow, he spoke of the sound advice he received from Colin McLean, who runs Edinburgh-based Scottish Value Management.
“He told me: ‘The banks don’t understand their own balance sheets, they don’t have any idea about the problems they are facing. There’s going to be a liquidity crisis and the Scottish banks will probably not be here in 12 months’ time,’” Mr Souter told churchgoers.
“He didn’t claim to have the gift of prophecy but that was prophetic. After that, I thought, I’m not going to buy any more bank shares.”
Others were not so fortunate.
Mr Souter added: “Most of my friends filled their boots with the banks and lost an absolute fortune.”
Mr Souter, who shares an estimated £730 million fortune with his sister, Ann Gloag, was expected to launch Perth and Kinross Business and Enterprise Month yesterday but had to pull out.
A council spokesman, who organised the launch, said: “At the last minute, he couldn’t go.”
The programme was instead unveiled by the council’s enterprise and infrastructure committee convener John Kellas.
He said: “Business and Enterprise Month will be a great opportunity for Perth and Kinross businesses from all sectors to be inspired, entertained, challenged with new ideas and encouraged to consider new ways of thinking.
“The programme of content throughout the month has been specifically designed to assist, encourage and inspire local businesses to grow.
“Businesses will also be made fully aware of the range of local support available from the council and other agencies to help them achieve their objectives.”
The series of events, including a talk by bus tycoon Brian Souter, will run for a month, from October 26 to November 22.
The full timetable can be found at pkbem.co.uk.