The chair of the representative body for Scotland's financial services industry is to quit the role.

John McGuigan has announced his intention to stand down from Scottish Financial Enterprise.

His proposed successor has been named as Sue Dawe and this is expected to be confirmed at an extraordinary general meeting next month.

Mr McGuigan took on the SFE role in November 2022, after joining the board in 2016.

He was appointed chair of Scottish Rugby in 2023 and chair of mutual insurer Scottish Friendly earlier this year.

He previously spent nine years with Standard Life and Phoenix Group as group customer director, as well as time in Munich as managing director of sales and service for Telefonica.

The board "has completed a selection process to appoint a new chair and will propose to an upcoming EGM that Sue Dawe be appointed".

Ms Dawe is EY Scotland managing partner for financial services as well as SFE deputy chair, having joined the SFE board in 2019.

Sandy Begbie, SFE chief executive, said: "On behalf of SFE and our members I’d like to thank John for his leadership and direction, both during his tenure as chair and since joining the SFE board.

"He has brought a wealth of experience and insight to the SFE board and while I am sad to see him go, John’s leadership has helped build the strong, diverse and committed board that will continue to drive our organisation as we deliver on our strategy.

"John has presided over continued growth for our organisation both in terms of our membership and our profile in championing the interests of Scotland’s financial and professional services sector. He has been very supportive to me, and leaves SFE with our very best wishes."

First spirit flows at new Scottish distillery

 

The first spirit has begun to flow at the Benbecula Distillery in the Outer Hebrides as its owner brings a 130-year-old recipe back to life.

Angus A MacMillan has realised a dream by developing the multi-million-pound distillery at a disused salmon processing plant at Gramsdale, at the northern end of the island. The project involved the addition of a glass-walled extension in the form of a lighthouse to house a copper pot still, which has become “new landmark on the wild, rolling landscape of an island with a long and proud maritime heritage”.

Accountancy giant reveals new head of Scottish business

 

KPMG has appointed a new head of its operations in Scotland.

Vishal Chopra, who most recently led the firm's Scottish tax team, will head a team of more than 900 people across KPMG’s offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen.

Mr Chopra takes over as senior partner for Scotland on October 1 when he succeeds James Kergon, who is relocating to lead the firm’s transaction services team across Leeds and the north-east of England.