Highland Council appoints James Welsh as Chief Officer - Enterprise and Investment

14th January 2026

Photograph of Highland Council appoints James Welsh as Chief Officer - Enterprise and Investment

The Highland Council is delighted to announce that James Welsh will be joining the team as Chief Officer - Enterprise and Investment. James brings a wealth of experience in planning, development and inward investment, with a proven track record in both the public and private sectors.

Currently employed by Associated British Ports as Masterplanner, his work focuses on aligning port infrastructure with future market requirements. Prior to this, he held key roles with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, focusing on planning, economic development and inward investment. His private sector experience brings further knowledge of socio-economics, development planning and strategy development grounded in commercial reality.

James holds a BSc (Hons) in Town and Regional Planning and is a corporate member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He is passionate about driving growth and unlocking opportunities across the Highlands and is excited about getting started and contributing to its continued success. James will join Highland Council on 1 April 2026.

The appointment of James Welsh completes the new senior management structure of the Council's Place service cluster under the leadership of Malcolm MacLeod, Assistant Chief Executive - Place. As outlined in Highland Council’s budget plan for 2024/25, the new senior management structure was approved by the Council on 14 March 2024. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers rather than three, bringing Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.

Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban, said: "I would like to congratulate James on his appointment and welcome him to The Highland Council. He brings with him a wealth of experience and leadership that will be a fantastic asset to the Council and support our strategic plans for the future."

Leader of the Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner, added: “I am pleased to see the Council’s senior management structure now complete with the appointment of James Welsh. The new structure is forecasted to initially deliver savings of £370,000 as part of the budget savings agreed by Council in February 2024 and will help the Council to deliver the priorities in its Programme, Budget Strategy and Delivery Plan while achieving better outcomes for local communities.”

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