This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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National Museums Scotland
24/01/2007
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Sport today announced the appointment of Mr Iain Watt to National Museums Scotland.
Mr Watt is a non-executive director of Edinburgh Dragon Trust plc a large Far Eastern Investment Trust. He is also a Director of Harvey McGuires Ltd and a member of the General Purposes Committee of The Queen's Nursing Institute in Scotland. He was Chief Executive of Edinburgh Fund Managers Group plc and he was also an executive director of The British Linen Bank. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland. Mr Watt does not hold any other Ministerial appointments.
The appointment will be for four years and will run from January 15, 2007 to January 14, 2011.
The post is part-time and is not remunerated. Board members are expected to prepare for and attend six Board meetings a year and may be involved in additional meetings and events.
National Museums Scotland has over 3 million objects in its care, gathered over two centuries - priceless collections of national and international importance. The Museums have a staff of 400 and a budget of £26 million for 2006-07. The organisation has an ambitious programme of expansion to reach a larger and wider audience, supported by significant modernisation. Committed to innovation and excellence, National Museums Scotland has been working hard to become more user-focused, effective and efficient. In the next decade two major redevelopment projects - the transformation of the Royal Museum building at the National Museum of Scotland and the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian - will create a visitor experience to compare with the best internationally.
This Ministerial public appointment was 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 (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Within the last five years, Mr Watt has not been involved in any political activity.