Highland Council Appoints 3 Assistant Chief Executives

1st May 2024

Photograph of Highland Council Appoints 3 Assistant Chief Executives

Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.

Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. I wish them every success in this next stage of their careers with The Highland Council."

Leader of the Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner added: "Congratulations to Kate, Malcolm and Allan.

"The new senior management structure will initially deliver savings of £310,000, as part of the budget savings agreed by Council in February. It is anticipated that savings will eventually equate to around 20% of senior management team costs as part of a more streamlined management structure."

Under a new Council structure consisting of three service clusters, they will each manage a service reporting directly to the Chief Executive, Derek Brown.

Kate Lackie has been appointed as Assistant Chief Executive of People - combining Health and Social Care, and Education and Learning.

Malcolm MacLeod has been appointed as Assistant Chief Executive of Place - combining Community and Place, Housing and Property, and Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

Allan Gunn has been appointed as the Assistant Chief Executive of Corporate - combining the existing Depute Chief Executive Service, Performance and Governance, and Resources and Finance.

Malcolm MacLeod was previously the Council's Interim Depute Chief Executive from February to September 2023. In October 2019 he was appointed as Executive Chief Officer - Infrastructure and Environment. Originally from Stornoway in the Western Isles, Malcolm has been the Council's Head of Planning and Environment for the last 7 years and has worked in the Highlands for over 20 years.

Kate Lackie was Interim Chief Executive from February to September 2023, prior to which she was Acting Depute Chief Executive (appointed November 2021), and Executive Chief Officer Performance and Governance (appointed 2019). For over 10 years she was the Chief Executive's Business Manager and Parliamentary Officer, prior to which she was Private Secretary to two Secretaries of State before relocating to the Highlands to join the Council.

Allan Gunn - from Kingussie - was previously appointed as Executive Chief Officer - Communities and Place in April 2022 having been Interim Executive Chief Officer - Communities and Place since January 2022. Alan's previous roles included Executive Chief Officer - Transformation (from 2020) and Chief Officer Resources (Care and Learning) from 2019-2020. He was Head of Service with the Council from 2011 - 2019 in three roles of Business Support, Revenues and Customer Services.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Today : Local Authority

Almost £500,000 awarded to community transport groups across the Highlands

Community transport groups across the Highlands have been awarded grants totalling £498,000 to support local transport services in 2027/28.   The grants will support 34 community transport providers, including seven new recipients, whose services play a vital role in helping people access services, connecting communities and addressing local transport challenges.  

11/11/2026 : Local Authority

High Life Highland Shows What Can Be Achieved: £43 Million in Council Savings While Expanding Services Across the Highlands

Highland Council is facing continuing financial pressures, with difficult decisions about services, staffing, facilities and future investment.  Yet one organisation delivering a substantial range of council services appears to have found a way of expanding its reach while reducing its reliance on council funding.  

11/11/2026 : Local Authority

Highland Education Budget: A Modest Overspend Hides Some Much Bigger Financial Problems

Special schools, pressure on individual school budgets, delayed savings and growing costs of additional support raise questions about how sustainable Highland Council's education finances really are.   At first glance, Highland Council's latest Education and Learning budget monitoring report might not appear particularly alarming.  

11/11/2026 : Local Authority

 
Rewiring Government: Could Scotland Be Heading for Its Biggest Public Sector Shake-Up in Generations?

Dame Antonia Romeo, the UK's Cabinet Secretary, has delivered a speech setting out plans to fundamentally change the way government operates.  Her message is that traditional government structures, departmental boundaries and bureaucratic procedures are no longer suitable for the challenges facing the country.  

10/11/2026 : Local Authority

Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal delivers £412.98 million investment across the region

The Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal has delivered public and private investment across the Highlands totalling £412.98 million, according to its 2025/26 Annual Report, supporting major investments in housing, tourism, innovation, and infrastructure.   Highlights from the 2025/26 Annual Report include the start of the Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement project, the completion of 234 affordable homes across Highland communities, and the opening of The Inverness Castle Experience, which has welcomed more than 107,000 paying visitors since opening.  

9/11/2026 : Local Authority

Wind Farms, Councillors and Freedom of Speech: Is Scotland's Planning System Silencing Local Dissent?

The growing number of wind farm developments across the Highlands has created an increasingly difficult question for local democracy.  How far can elected councillors go in expressing concerns about renewable energy developments before they risk being accused of bias and excluded from decisions affecting their own communities? That question has now been brought into sharper focus by Highland councillor Matthew Reiss, who has approached the Ethical Standards Commissioner seeking clear guidance on councillors' conduct when publicly expressing views about renewable energy.  

7/11/2026 : Local Authority

Are Chromebooks Taking Over Our Classrooms? Highland Schools Face Questions About Digital Learning

The use of Chromebooks, laptops and other digital devices in schools was once widely regarded as an important step towards modernising education.  Giving every pupil access to technology promised to improve learning, widen access to information and prepare young people for a world increasingly dependent on digital skills.  

6/11/2026 : Local Authority

Secret HQ Move: Is Highland Council Chasing Savings or Just Shuffling the Deck?

A storm is brewing behind closed doors at Glenurquhart Road.  Recent private discussions have revealed plans for Highland Council to potentially abandon its historic headquarters and relocate to Great Glen House, the current £13 million base of NatureScot.  

5/11/2026 : Local Authority

Committee to consider 1 April 2027 start date for Short-Term Let Control Areas

Members of The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee will be asked to agree that Short Term Let Control Areas (STLCAs) for Inverness City and Highland Rural come into effect from 1 April 2027.   The recommendation to the Committee follows the decision by Scottish Government Ministers on 26 October 2026 to approve designation of the STLCAs, which are an important tool to manage future loss of housing stock, support sustainable communities and balance housing needs with the visitor economy.  Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: “Following Scottish Government approval, the Council can now move forward with implementing these STLCAs, which will help us strike a better balance between supporting tourism growth and protecting much-needed housing for local people.  

6/11/2026 : Local Authority

Key decisions made to improve Highland Bereavement Services

Members of the Communities and Place Committee have made key decisions that will improve affordability and choice within Highland bereavement services at Inverness Crematorium; and introduce stronger governance and transparency for charitable funding applications through the crematorium metal recycling scheme.   Members also approved the adoption of a standardised burial management plan across Highland which will ensure compliance with new national burial management legislation.