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Appointments to the new education funding council

01/09/2005

The appointment of the Chair and members of the new single funding body for Scotland's colleges and universities was announced today.

Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen announced John McClelland CBE as the Chair of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFHEFC).

Mr McClelland has extensive experience gained across the private and public sector. As well as a former Vice President of Worldwide Operations for IBM's personal computer company, he was Senior Vice President of Digital Equipment Corporation.

Mr McClelland is a former Chairman of the Renfrewshire Enterprise Company and a former member of the Higher Education Funding Council. He is currently Chairman of Technology Ventures Scotland Limited and was formerly Chairman of CBI's Technology and Innovation Committee.

Announcing the appointments during a visit to Jewel & Esk Valley College, Mr Stephen said:

"This is an exciting and very important appointment. Leading the future funding of Scotland's colleges and universities is a very big responsibility.

"John McClelland is a highly respected industry leader who is totally committed to lifelong learning. He has an impressive track record and is the right person for this job. There is no doubt his enthusiasm and ambition will inject new momentum into the development of higher and further education in Scotland over the next few years."

"Scotland's institutions already have a world class reputation. Student numbers are growing significantly. The creation of a single funding body which can make decisions for both sectors will make it easier for learners to move from one sector to another and encourage collaboration between universities and colleges.

"This is an exciting time for further and higher education. I look forward to working with John and his team of Board members as they drive forward with major new investment in higher and further education in Scotland."

John McClelland said:

"I am delighted to have been appointed Chair of the new merged Scottish Funding Council and am looking forward to working with Scotland's Colleges and Universities to ensure that we work together to deliver the best education system possible for students, staff and Scotland's social and economic wellbeing."

The Deputy First Minister also announced the appointment of to the new Council. The new appointees are:

Chair - John McClelland

John McClelland was Vice President of Worldwide Operations for IBM's personal computer company before joining Digital Equipment Corporation in 1995 where he was a Senior Vice President. Following an appointment to the Board of Philips Consumer Electronics as Global Chief Industrial Officer he joined 3Com Corporation in 1999 and was latterly President of its Business Networks Company. He is Chairman of Technology Ventures Scotland Limited and was formerly Chairman of the CBI's Technology and Innovation Committee. He is currently engaged in a review of public sector procurement in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive. He is a former Chairman of the Renfrewshire Enterprise Company and a former Member of the Higher Education Funding Council. He also chaired its Quality Assessment Committee. In 1994 he was awarded a CBE for his services to industry and education. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a former Governor of the then Paisley College. He is a former Chairman of Rangers Football Club and has been a member of the Board since November 2000. He is also a member of UEFA's Club Forum Board and its Competitions Committee. Mr McClelland holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Members

Ian Adam became Chairman of the Britannia Building Society in 2004 having been its non-executive director since 1998. He is also a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland. Mr Adam holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Professor Peter Holmes is Vice-Principal (Research) at the University of Glasgow where he has had a key role in the development and implementation of the University Research Strategy. An internationally recognised veterinary scientist, most of his research career has been devoted to the study and control of parasitic diseases of domestic animals with a particular emphasis on tropical infections. Professor Holmes holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Rowena Arshad OBE is Director of the Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland and a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. She is also Commissioner for the Equal Opportunities Commission in Scotland which is a Ministerial appointment and is remunerated at £164.00 per day for up to 30 days per year. Ms Arshad has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Ian Ritchie CBE, FREng, FRSE, FBCS,CEng is a non-executive director of Scottish Enterprise, Channel 4 Television Corporation, IPlay, and EPIC Group plc. He is also Chair of the Interactive University. An Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University, he was awarded a CBE in January 2003 for services to Enterprise and Learning. Mr Ritchie's position at Scottish Enterprise is a Ministerial appointment attracting remuneration of £9,892.00 per annum. He has another Ministerial appointment as a member of the National Museums of Scotland, but is not remunerated for this post. Mr Ritchie has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Ian H Murning TD is currently Principal of a small private practice firm of Chartered Surveyors. He also serves as a Governor of George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and is a member of the Merchant Company of Edinburgh and the Society of High Constables of Edinburgh. Mr Murning was with the Territorial Army for 35 years, retiring from the active list in 1997 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Dr Jennifer Rees is currently Executive Director, Access, at Glasgow Caledonian University. A graduate in Mathematics and Statistics from Edinburgh University, she is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, a member of the Institute for Learning and Teaching, and a member of the Chartered Management Institute. She is a member of the Board of Glasgow Metropolitan College where she chairs its Learning and Teaching Committee. In her spare time she chairs the Board of Penumbra, a mental health charity. Dr Rees holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Alan Tripp is a non-executive director of Cedalion, an Edinburgh based software company. He sits as an adjudicator for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel and serves on the board of the Scottish Further Education Unit. Alan is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and the Institute of Directors. Mr Tripp is also a member of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. Mr Tripp holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Mervyn Jones is a Partner in Maple Jones, supporting organisations in both private and public sectors to develop their activities through the human potential of their workforce. He was formerly with BP, holding a number of commercial business responsibilities both in the UK and abroad, and was a board member of Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley and Chair of the Grangemouth Development Group. He has been involved in the development of many partnership programmes to enhance aspiration and attainment in post-16 education. Mervyn is a non-executive board member of TTE (Scotland) Ltd and lives with his family in Edinburgh. Mr Jones holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Jim Martin has 20 years senior executive and Board experience in the public and private sectors in the UK and abroad. He is currently a Director of Causeway Consulting - a leading management and communications consultancy. He is also the Scottish non executive Chairman of Logica CMG - one of the UK's leading IT and management solutions companies. Mr Martin holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared that he has canvassed for Labour at elections during the past five years.

Dr Janet Lowe CBE BA MBA Ed.D has just retired after 10 years service as Principal of Lauder College, Dunfermline. She completed her doctorate with the University of Stirling in 2005. She is currently a member of the independent Local Government Finance Review Committee and of the Court of the University of Dundee. Dr Lowe was awarded the CBE in 2003 for services to further education. Dr Lowe holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

Jim Gallacher is Professor of Lifelong Learning and Co-director, Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning, Glasgow Caledonian University. His recent and current research interests include further education and social inclusion; FE/ HE Links; widening access to further and higher education, work-based learning, and credit and qualifications frameworks. He is a member of the Forum for Lifelong Learning, and is Vice Chair of the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning. Professor Gallacher holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared that he has canvassed for Labour at elections during the past five years.

Professor Tariq S Durrani OBE is Deputy Principal at the University of Strathclyde. He is a Director of the UK Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, the Institute for System Level Integration and the Kelvin Institute. He is also a Member of the Council for the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Executive Vice-President of the IEEE Engineering Management Society, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the West of Scotland Knowledge Transfer Partnership. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the UK Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), and the US Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE). Professor Durrani holds no other Ministerial appointments and has declared no political activity over the past five years.

All the appointees take up appointments which run from October 3, 2005. The Chair appointment will be for a four year term ending on October 2, 2009 involving a commitment of two days per week and attracting remuneration of £42,680 per annum.

The terms of appointment of Ian Adam, Ian Ritchie CBE, Ian Murning, Dr Jennifer Rees and Mervyn Jones will run from October 3, 2005 to October 2, 2007. Professor Peter Holmes, Rowena Arshad OBE and Alan Tripp are appointed for three years until October 2, 2008, while the appointments for James Martin, Dr Janet Lowe, Professor Jim Gallacher and Professor Tariq Durrani are for four years, running from October 3, 2005 to October 2, 2009.

Council membership will attract a remuneration of £13,790 per annum for a time commitment of approximately four days per month.

These Ministerial public appointments were made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's Code of Practice.

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 to be made public.

The new Council will be established formally in October 2005, and will be responsible for providing funding for learning and teaching, research and other relevant activities in Scotland's 65 colleges and higher education institutions (HEIs).

The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFHEFC) will replace the two existing funding councils (The Scottish Further Education Funding Council, and The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council) as from October 3, 2005.

The Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 enables the establishment of a new funding council by merging the existing two separate funding councils for colleges and universities. The Act received Royal Assent on June 1, 2005.

Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Nicol Stephen was today visiting Jewel and Esk Valley College in Edinburgh where he met with students and staff and heard about the College's major estate redevelopment plans.

Page updated: Thursday, September 1, 2005