Highland Council Appoints 3 Assistant Chief Executives
1st May 2024
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
Following a process of review, including extensive stakeholder engagement, The Highland Council has completed an options appraisal on the future of Thor House in Thurso. The Council can now confirm that it intends to reinstate the property as a short break house for children with disability.
At the Education Committee today (Thursday 12 September 2024) Members agreed to the recommendation to transfer Youth Work and Adult Learning to the Council from High Life Highland. The final contract review report will come to the Committee in November 2024 for consideration.
The Education Committee met today (Thursday 12 September 2024) and agreed the Community Learning and Development Plan 2024-2027. Community Learning and Development (CLD) plays an important role in ensuring individuals, families and communities reach their potential, through lifelong learning, mutual self-help and community organisation, ensuring support and opportunities are community-led and built around people's individual and collective aspirations.
Specialist expertise will be utilised to help boost development and green energy opportunities in Scotland. The Planning Hub will support planning authorities to improve their resourcing, skills and capacity to deliver planning determinations promptly.
A process for responding to community requests for the creation of Firework Control Zones in The Highland Council area has been approved by Members of the Communities and Place Committee. The option of using a Firework Control Zone is one of the tools available to respond to serious firework misuse and the Council will work with communities and key partners to consider appropriate and proportional response to local firework issues.
The Highland Council is reaching an important milestone in the preparation of introducing a visitor levy in Highland. Following an extensive consultation in 2019 - in which 6,600 residents, businesses and visitors responded.
The Highland Strategic Local Action Group who met during August, considered, and agreed funding for 49 projects submitted to the Community Led Local Development fund (CLLD), which makes up part of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Funding (CRF) programme. Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said: "It is the third year in a row that we have been successful in securing a large allocation of CLLD funding from the Scottish Government.
Fiona Duncan, Fiona Grant, Fiona Malcolm, Alison Clark and Finlay MacDonald have been appointed as Chief Officers with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council Cllr Bill Lobban said: "Congratulations to all three Fiona's, Alison and Finlay on their appointments to Chief Officers.
The Highland Council welcomes the positive Care Inspectorate Inspection report following a recent unannounced inspection visit to Pennyland ELC, Thurso. Following the inspection, Pennyland ELC received the following: How good is our care, play and learning? - 5 Very Good How good is our setting? - 5 Very Good How good is our leadership? - 5 Very Good How good is our staff team - 5 Very Good.
The Highland Council's Climate Change Committee has approved this week a report outlining the Council's commitment to aligning its operations with the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill. The report highlights the positive impact of the circular economy on reducing waste, promoting resource efficiency, and contributing to the Council’s ambitious net zero emissions targets.
