22June2016
Appointment of the Chair of the Board of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
The Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, FergusEwingMSP, today announced the appointment of DrMike CantlayOBE as the new Chair of the Board of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited(HIAL). The Cabinet Secretary said:
“I’m delighted to announce DrMikeCantlay as the new Chair of the Board of HIAL. He has a wealth of experience to draw upon and I have no doubt that both his knowledge and expertise of the tourism industry from his time with VisitScotland and his commercial experience from his long and successful business career will prove invaluable assets.
“I look forward to working with DrCantlay and wish him every success in his new post.”
DrCantlay said:
“It’s an absolute privilege to join the fabulous staff at HIAL, serving the communities that depend on our 11airports.
“Air links are vital to our future prosperity and I look forward to starting this new role and building on the strong foundations that are already in place.”
DrCantlay is currently Chair and CEO of William Glen Limited which operates tourism, leisure and retail interests in Scotland, Canada and the USA. He was previously Chair and Managing Director of highland dress specialist HectorRussell and also retail chain The Whisky Shop.
DrCantlay has undertaken a number of public appointments and was, until recently, Chair of the Board of VisitScotland. He served on the VisitScotland Board from1997 until2005. He subsequently became Chair in2010 leading the organisation through events like The Ryder Cup and The Commonwealth Games, with a budget of about £50million per year. Between2006 and2011, DrCantlay served as Convener of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, having been a Member of the Authority since2002. He also previously held positions on the Board of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, the Board of VisitBritain, and was Chair of the Board of Forth Valley College.
In2014 DrCantlay received an OBE for services to tourism.
Appointment
The appointment will be for threeyears from 1July2016 to 30June2019.
The appointment is part-time and attractsremuneration£22,320per annumfor a minimum of sixdays per month.
The appointment is regulated by theCommissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland.
Ministerial Appointments
DrCantlay does not hold any other Ministerial appointments.
Political Activity
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last fiveyears (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.
DrCantlay has not undertaken any political activity in the last fiveyears.
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited(HIAL) is a public body wholly owned by Scottish Ministers. The Company operates and manages 11airports in the Highlands and Islands (Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick) and Dundee. These airports are vital to the social and economic welfare of the areas they serve and enable the communities to stay connected.
None of HIAL’s airports operates commercially and the Scottish Government provides subsidy to HIAL to close the gap between commercial revenue and operating costs to allow services to be maintained.