Forth Green Freeport has named Dame Susan Rice as its first chair, taking over from Forth Ports’ group chief executive Charles Hammond, who has been in the role on an interim basis. An experienced banker, Rice was chair and chief executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland, managing director of Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, the founding chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and a former president of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry.
She steps down as chair of Scottish Water this year. Forth Green Freeport, a consortium of public and private organisations with a vision to act as a catalyst for new green technologies and renewable energy manufacturing around the Firth of Forth, is preparing its outline business case to submit to the Scottish and UK governments.
A successor to Glenn Gordon as chief executive at William Grant & Sons has been named. Søren Hagh, Heineken’s president for Europe, will take over in January. Gordon will remain as a non-executive director on the board at the distiller, which owns Hendrick’s Gin, Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Grant’s whiskies and Drambuie liqueur. Before joining Heineken a decade ago, Hagh worked with L’Oreal and Lego. He has an MBA from Insead, as well as a master’s and bachelor’s degree from Aarhus University in Denmark.
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has elected Ian Fergusson to be senior partner as George Brewster steps down from the position after 16 years. Managing partner Fergusson, a past chair of RICS Scotland and chief surveyor of SBVS which acts for lenders panelling valuation work across the UK, will lead the firm’s network of 39 offices. Fergusson joined Shepherd – which was founded in Scotland in 1880 – as an associate in the Stirling office in 1992.
Arvind Balan will join John Wood Group as chief financial officer (CFO) and executive director in April 2024. He will succeed David Kemp who will retire after the transition. Balan has been CFO of the civil aerospace business of Rolls-Royce for the last two years and before that he held executive financial leadership roles at Shell where he worked for 14 years. Balan, a chartered accountant who has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, will be based in London.
Craig Nicol has been appointed chief executive of EQ Accountants. He has worked with EQ, which has offices in Dundee, Forfar and Glenrothes, as a non-executive director for the last 14 months. Previously a managing partner of Thorntons Law, Nicol is director of Dundee Museums Foundation.
He will work with the firm’s new chief operating officer, Caroline McKenna, who joined this
autumn.
Donald MacDonald has been appointed as Macphie’s operations director, overseeing the development of its two production sites – Glenbervie near Stonehaven and Tannochside in North Lanarkshire. MacDonald joins from the Scottish Salmon Company and brings more than 20 years of experience from operations, supply chain and engineering roles in the food industry. Ed Widdowson, the former site director and one of the fourth generation of the Macphie family, has become strategy and sustainability director.
Macphie produces a wide range of products across its core categories of sauce, bakery and ice cream inclusions, as well as offering plant-based and gluten-free options.
Former chief executive of housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel, Ed Monaghan, joins PErceptive Communicators as a non-executive director. Clients of the Glasgow-based communications consultancy, which specialises in the built environment, technology and science, include Clyde Gateway, Cruden Group, hub South West, Lost Shore Surf Resort and Homes for Scotland.
Law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn has brought a former Ofgem deputy director on board to strengthen its regulatory practice. With more than 20 years’ experience in both private practice and industry, Jamie McRorie joins as a partner in its regulation and markets practice. At Ofgem he worked at the forefront of energy regulation, enforcement and consumer protection.
Aberdein Considine’s chief financial officer Julie Thomson will join the board of Aberdeen Cyrenians. As one of seven board members, Thomson will support Aberdeen Cyrenians’ leadership team to ensure the north-east social inclusion charity’s resources are used effectively and efficiently. Thomson is a chartered accountant and joined Aberdein Considine in 2022 from energy company Proserv where she was group chief financial officer. Started by Aberdeen University students as a soup kitchen, Aberdeen Cyrenians has been working in the community for more than 50 years.
BrewDog has named James Taylor as chief financial officer. Replacing Niall McCallum, Taylor joins the Ellon-based brewer from Mayborn, the childcare company whose brands include Tommee Tippee. James Arrow, a former managing director of Boots Opticians, was appointed BrewDog’s chief operating officer in September.
Packaging group McLaren Packaging has appointed Peter Lederer as its chair. Former chair of Visit-Scotland and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Lederer was managing director and chair of Gleneagles Hotels. His current roles include non-executive director of Baxters Food Group and chair of jeweller Hamilton & Inches. Lederer will oversee the strategic development of the Port Glasgow-based family business, which is a key supplier to the UK food and drinks sector.
Glasgow-headquartered mining technology company Weir Group has appointed Brian Puffer as chief financial officer. He succeeds John Heasley who steps down on November 30 to become finance director of Anglo American. Puffer joins Weir from BP where he was chief financial and risk officer of integrated supply and trading, having moved to BP in 2009 from PwC.
