This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Caledonian MacBrayne
04/05/2006
Transport Minister Tavish Scott today announced the appointment of three new Non-Executive Directors to the Board of Caledonian MacBrayne Limited (CalMac).
Mr Scott also confirmed the reappointment of Alex MacDonald and Peter Timms for a second and third term in office respectively with effect from April 1 and July 1, 2006.
Mr Scott said:
"I am pleased to announce the appointments of Lorne MacLeod, Ian Gillies and David McGibbon to the Board of Caledonian MacBrayne. It is also good news that Alex MacDonald and Peter Timms have agreed to serve a further three-year term in office.
"This intake of new members, alongside the experience of the current members will help the company through the current difficult process of restructuring. The skills and knowledge they bring with them to CalMac will benefit not only the company, but also importantly the passengers and businesses who rely on our vital ferry services."
The new three-year appointments are effective from 1 May 2006, are part-time and attract a remuneration of £7,034 p.a. for a time commitment of two days per month.
Lorne Macleod is a Chartered Accountant by profession, an independent business consultant and a Director of a Skye-based retail and distribution company. He is also Chair of the Highlands & Islands Community Energy Company Limited and, until October 2005, was a member of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. He currently lives in Oban, but has lived and worked throughout the Highlands & Islands area. He retains an interest in a number of island issues through his role as Director of the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust.
Ian Gillies is an Estate Factor and Councillor for Tiree and Coll on Argyll & Bute Council. He also holds several public sector posts representing island interests and is a past Chairman of the Shipping Services Advisory Committee (South) - the body that Caledonian MacBrayne consults on operational matters affecting part of its network. Being based on Tiree, Mr Gillies has strong local knowledge of the issues affecting island communities and the important role CalMac has to play in maintaining a lifeline ferry service.
David McGibbon is a qualified accountant and an independent business consultant. He served as Chairman of the London Stock Exchange, Scottish Council from 1998 - 2001. He has worked in both the public and private sectors and is a former Finance Director and Company Secretary of Grampian Holdings plc, the then parent company of the Malcolm Group (WH Malcolm). He was appointed as a Non-Executive to the Board of Historic Scotland in January 2005 and currently Chairs the Board's Audit Committee. His remuneration for this post is a daily rate of £165 plus £800 per annum for chairing a Board sub-committee.
Alexander MacDonald lives in Stornoway and is an ex-civil servant with over 30 years experience as a meteorologist. In May 1999, he was appointed Convenor of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) and prior to this, he was Chairman of the Council's Transport Committee for 13 years. As an Independent Councillor and Convenor, he has gained considerable experience representing the Council at local, national and international level particularly on issues affecting transportation within the Highlands and Islands area. He was the first Chairman of the Highlands & Islands Integrated Transport Forum and a Member of the Western Isles Health Board from 1990 to 1994.
Peter Timms lives on Bute and has been Chairman and Managing Director of Flexible Technology Limited, a company based in Rothesay, since 1981. He previously worked at senior management level with AFA-Minerva (Thorn-EMI) Ltd in London and with IBM (UK) Ltd in Greenock. He is a former member of Highland and Islands Enterprise Board, retiring from that position in 1998. He is a member of the Board of Argyll & the Islands Enterprise and is a former member of the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board. He was first appointed to the CalMac Board in July 2000 and re-appointed in July 2003. Following a competitive process, he has been appointed from July 1, 2006.
Calmac provides a vital link in the delivery of subsidised lifeline ferry services to the Inner and Outer Hebrides and in the Firth of Clyde. The company is wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers and provides the main ferry network of 26 routes on the West coast of Scotland. These subsidised services are currently being tendered to bring the subsidy arrangements into line with European Union law.
There are seven Non-Executive Director positions on the CalMac Board including the post of Chair. The new appointments and the reappointments were made in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS).
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. All the appointees declared that they had not undertaken any declarable political activity in the last five years.