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Dr. Robert Kilgour

Founder & CEO

Dow Investments Plc

London, UK

Robert Kilgour

Willow Laboratories

Warrington Asset Management LLC

Robert Kilgour’s Biography

Robert Kilgour is an entrepreneur, investor, property developer and Founder & CEO of Dow Investments Plc. Born in Edinburgh and raised in Fife, he divides his time between London and Scotland.

Robert's first venture after university was the purchase and renovation of an Edinburgh hotel, increasing its turnover by 400% before selling. In 1989, he founded Four Seasons Health Care, which grew to become the UK's 5th largest care home operator. He left in 2000 after orchestrating a £127mn public/private takeover of Crestacare Plc, a deal with an enterprise value of £127mn involving Alchemy Partners. He made his final exit in 2004.

Robert’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found CamVista, a webcam business that earned him a place as a finalist in the EY Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year Competition. In 2004, he co-founded NW Security Group Ltd and established Renaissance Care (Scotland) Ltd.

Robert has been involved in $37mn worth of property deals in New York, and £13mn in London, as well as care home consultancy services in Australia. In the 1990s he opened an office in... Robert Kilgour is an entrepreneur, investor, property developer and Founder & CEO of Dow Investments Plc. Born in Edinburgh and raised in Fife, he divides his time between London and Scotland.

Robert's first venture after university was the purchase and renovation of an Edinburgh hotel, increasing its turnover by 400% before selling. In 1989, he founded Four Seasons Health Care, which grew to become the UK's 5th largest care home operator. He left in 2000 after orchestrating a £127mn public/private takeover of Crestacare Plc, a deal with an enterprise value of £127mn involving Alchemy Partners. He made his final exit in 2004.

Robert’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found CamVista, a webcam business that earned him a place as a finalist in the EY Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year Competition. In 2004, he co-founded NW Security Group Ltd and established Renaissance Care (Scotland) Ltd.

Robert has been involved in $37mn worth of property deals in New York, and £13mn in London, as well as care home consultancy services in Australia. In the 1990s he opened an office in Siberia which arranged sporting and business exchanges between Russia and Scotland.

He is an NED of Morphose Ltd and Storii Global Inc as well as an Advisory Council Member of Jobs Foundation and Taxpayers Alliance, and an Advisory Board Director of E2E Enterprise Ltd.

Robert's other business interests include founding the Scottish think-tank ‘Think Scotland’, and ‘SBUK’ to campaign against Scottish independence. He co-founded Local Recovery and The Museum of Prime Minister.

His philanthropic efforts include chairing the Fife Macmillan Appeal, raising £1.75mn for hospice care. He has also personally funded Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Centres in London and Edinburgh. He became the first Macmillan Cancer Support Ambassador in 2018.

In 2023, Stirling University awarded Robert an honorary doctorate for his contributions to entrepreneurship and philanthropy. READ MORE VIEW LESS

Robert Kilgour’s Newsfeed

Forces News

Lib Dem leader wants Scotland to do more to help Ukraine with its war effort

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Laing Buisson News

People not politics

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Robert Kilgour’s Background

Dow Investments Plc

Founder & CEO

May 1990 - Present

London, UK

An general investment company established in 1990.

Renaissance Care Group

Founder & Executive Chairman

Dec 2004 - Present

Edinburgh, UK

Renaissance Care is a care home operator with 18 care homes in Scotland, employing approximately 1,400 staff.

NW Security Group Ltd

Co-Founder & Non-Executive Director

Oct 2004 - Present

Hoylake, UK

A leading provider of high-performance video and security systems.

My Care Staff Ltd

Founder & Director

Mar 2017 - Present

Kirkcaldy, UK

A website that will put carers and nurses looking for work directly in touch with care homes and hospitals looking for staff, thus cutting out the agencies to the financial benefit of both parties involved.

Four Seasons Health Care

Founder & Managing Director, latterly joint Chief Executive/Group Commercial Director

Jul 1987 - Jan 2000

Robert Kilgour founded FSHC with one care home in Fife and developed it into the UK's fifth biggest care home operator.

Kingdom FM

Founder Shareholder & Non-Executive Chairman

Feb 2007 - Mar 2019

Robert was a founder-shareholder, and eventually Chairman, of Kingdom FM, Fife's local radio franchisee employing 13 staff. In 2019 he engineered the sale of the radio station to publisher DC Thomson.

CamVista Ltd

Co-Founder & Chairman/CEO/Deputy Chairman

Jan 1999 - Nov 2002

CamVista is a leading webcam portal website which was sold to a large security company.

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Robert Kilgour’s Gallery

Current Board Positions

The Social Care Foundation

Founder & Chair

Jul 2023 - Present

London, UK

A UK wide, cross-party think tank and pressure group focused on reforming social care.

Museum of the Prime Minister

Co-Founder & Chair

Oct 2022 - Present

London, UK

Plans are underway to create a new museum dedicated to the Prime Minister, the highest-ranking democratic office in the United Kingdom, aiming to collect and showcase items related to Prime Ministers that aren’t applicable to existing museum collections.

ICHS Group

Founder & Chair

Sep 2022 - Present

Musselburgh, UK

Independent Care Homes Scotland is comprised of over 10 care home operators. These organisations will work together to help to ensure all areas of the independent care sector are fully represented within the national public inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Scottish Business UK

Founder

Mar 2017 - Present

Edinburgh, UK

Business and industry in Scotland are facing up to the challenges posed by Brexit. SBUK understand the importance of recasting Scotland's relationship with the EU based on free-trade and new forms of co-operation.

Think Scotland

Founder

2006 - Present

Edinburgh, UK

Established as a virtual think tank in 2006, to encourage greater discussion in Scotland about economic, social & constitutional policies – from the perspective of mainly Scottish Conservative authors.

Lifelinked Ltd (StoriiCare)

Non-Executive Director

Jan 2017 - Present

Glasgow, UK

StoriiCare understand how photographs can help to recover memories for those living with dementia. They developed a new approach to person-centred care. StoriiCare is a care management system with life stories at its core.

Morphose Capital Partners (FCA)

Non-Executive Director

Jul 2015 - Present

London, UK

London-based specialists in M&A advisory, brokerage and refinancing.

Hamilton Kilgour Ltd

Non-Executive Director

Jan 2009 - Present

London, UK

Hamilton Kilgour Ltd provides advice on regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering and corporate governance.

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Previous Board Positions

Borland Private Clients

Non-Executive Director

Mar 2018 - May 2024

Edinburgh, UK

Borland is a privately-owned independent insurance broker, established in 1995. Borland Private Clients provides specialist insurance advice and coverage for individuals with high-end homes, valuable assets, and premium motor vehicles.

Cochrane McGregor

Non-Executive Director

1992 - 1994

Edinburgh, UK

Current Advisory Roles

The Jobs Foundation

Advisory Council Member

Jul 2023 - Present

London, UK

The Jobs Foundation is a registered charity working with businesses across the UK that are dedicated to providing training and jobs to those unemployed and in poverty.

E2Exchange

Advisory Board Director

May 2011 - Present

E2E is a global community of over 24,000 successful entrepreneurs and creates an exchange between entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and professional service providers.

Philanthropy

Macmillan Cancer Support

Ambassador

Dec 2018 - Present

Robert Kilgour became Macmillan Cancer Support’s first Ambassador in December in 2018. Over the last 30 years he has helped to raise over £2,000,000 for the charity.

Macmillan Cancer Support

Fundraiser

2007 - 2009

Robert Kilgour part funded and opened the new Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Centre in 2009 at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. He also part funded the establishment of the first Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Centre in the UK at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, North London in 2007.

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Interviews

YouTube

Interview | Global Roundtable Pod | Inside the Mind of a Long-Term Entrepreneur

Jan 2026

In this interview, Robert explores the idea that entrepreneurship involves more than just daring actions; it also encompasses the resulting consequences. He joins the Global Roundtable Pod to reflect on how a single early decision influenced his entire business journey, sharing valuable lessons learned, mistakes made, and surprising results encountered throughout.

YouTube

Interview | Robert Kilgour, Founder of Renaissance Healthcare

Sep 2025

Following the release of the Social Care Foundation's report on the future of social care, Robert Kilgour reflects on his experiences in the industry, from establishing Four Seasons to his current position as the founder of Renaissance Care. He outlines the necessary steps to ensure a sustainable future for the care sector and shares valuable insights.

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Awards & Recognition

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

Regional Finalist, Scotland

2024

Edinburgh, UK

University of Stirling

Honorary Doctorate

Jun 2023

Stirling, UK

Former University of Stirling student, Robert Kilgour, received an honorary doctorate from the university, acknowledging his outstanding contribution to business and philanthropy.

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Pro Bono Work

Local Recovery

Ambassador

Mar 2022 - Present

Robert Kilgour is an Ambassador for Local Recovery, an organisation dedicated to ensuring that UK and Scottish governments prioritise local priorities as communities recover from the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Robert Kilgour’s Education

University of Stirling

Economics & History

1975 - 1978

Loretto School

1970 - 1975