The economic development body for the Highlands and Islands has appointed four new members to its board for three-year terms.
Crerar Hotel Group boss Paddy Crerar; former Highlands Council chief Alistair Dodds; Giles Hamilton, chief executive of Forres-based Accunostics and Donald MacRae, the chief economist of Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, have all joined the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) this month.
Mr Crerar, chief executive of the hotels group that owns Thainstone House in Inverurie, was born and raised in Oban and retains strong family, business and personal ties throughout the region. He also owns and operates two agricultural enterprises and is currently a board member of tourism body VisitScotland.
Mr Dodds is originally from Kelso and moved to the Highlands in 1991. He held senior management positions in the Highland Council over a period of 18 years and was chief executive for more than six years until August 2013.
Mr Hamilton is the chief executive of Accunostics in Forres, which specialises in diabetes monitoring systems.
HIE said he brings with him “a wealth of experience having amassed 20 years’ board experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors”.
Mr MacRae was born and educated in the Highlands and currently works at Lloyds. He is also a former director of TSB Bank, Scottish Homes and Scottish Enterprise. He was awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to business and rural development.
HIE said Jim Royan and Professor Mary Bownes stood down from the board at the end of March, each having served two terms.
The new appointments run from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2017.
The appointments are part-time with a time commitment of up to two days per month. The appointments attract a remuneration of £419 per day.