Back to HOMEPAGE National Trust for Scotland:
Chief Executive Resigns
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie, Perthshire
Filed 14 Sep 08
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There seems to be little stability amidst the top brass at NTS (National Trust for Scotland).
Six months after taking over the chairmanship of NTS Shonaig Macpherson also became the organisation's chief executive. At least for the time being.
That was because Robin Pellew had left suddenly,saying that he had failed to get to grips with the huge financial problems that faced the trust (1).
Mark Adderley was duly appointed as Chief Executive. Now he has equally suddenly left.
The NTS released the following news statement:
Chief Executive steps down from Trust
10/09/2008
Statement from the National Trust for Scotland's Chairman Shonaig Macpherson.
In a statement the National Trust for Scotland Chairman Shonaig Macpherson said:
“The Board and management of the National Trust for Scotland have been implementing a three year plan to ensure the Trust’s long term financial health.
“The first phase of financial planning to put measures in place to reduce the deficit of the Trust has been completed. The Board and the senior management team have agreed that the focus now needs to be turned to implementation of other key aspects of the Trust’s strategy, which will enforce the Trust’s position as an important and relevant charity at the heart of the nation.
“Having put the foundations in place, the Board and Chief Executive have collectively identified the leadership skills now required to take the Trust forward in its next phase of development. This is therefore an appropriate time to seek new leadership for the organisation.
“Mark Adderley left the Trust on 8 September 2008. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark for his contribution to the Trust during his tenure as Chief Executive which has seen us begin the process of modernising the Trust and improving our systems and processes. We all wish him well in his future career.”
Somehow such a statement seems to lack conviction. It seems to me that someone else has also failed to get to grips with the financial state of NTS. Perhaps it is time for NTS to cut back on some of the vast acres of land that it owns, and realise that perhaps others could look after it better and more economically. Perhaps they do not need to occupy so much of the south side of prestigious Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, or indeed any of it.
If they cannot afford to promote mass public access to sensitive sites which they cannot maintain, perhaps they should confine their public promotions to the sites that they can maintain.
It is hardly reassuring to be formally told on 10th September2008 that the NTS has begun "the process of modernising the Trust and improving our systems and processes". While it is all very fine and good to look after Scotland's old buildings etc, shouldn't they have been using modern systems long before now when trying to do so?
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1.Linklater, Magnus (2006). Linklater's Scotland. The new executive chairman of the National Trust for Scotland. Poisoned chalice or holy grail?
This article was originally published in the Spectrum magazine of Scotland on Sunday
on 26 March 2006.It is reproduced on Land-Care with the kind permission of its author and of the newspaper.
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 26 Mar 06, www,land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
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