DiFOLLOWING a recent recruitment process, we are pleased to announce today the appointment of four new directors for Creative Scotland.
This is the first step in a restructuring process for the organisation, and a refocus of roles, that aims to improve the way we operate across all aspects of our work.
Leonie Bell has been appointed as director of Arts & Engagement; Philip Deverell has been appointed as director of Strategy; Gerard Kelly has been appointed as director of Funding Operations; and Ian Stevenson has been appointed as director of Finance.
The director of Strategy post is a fixed-term appointment for 12 months and represents the only entirely new post in our structure.
A further post of director of Film & Media is still to be filled and the recruitment process continues. An announcement regarding this post will be made in due course.
Janet Archer, Creative Scotland’s chief executive, said of the appointments:
“I am delighted to announce Leonie and Ian’s appointments and to welcome Gerard and Philip to Creative Scotland. They bring a high level of experience and expertise in their respective fields and an ambition and passion for the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland. All are excited at the prospect of working for an organisation that champions the intrinsic value of arts and culture as well as the commercial creative sectors.
“The number and calibre of applicants for the posts was tremendous and, as a result, the recruitment process has been inspiring. I want to thank everyone who took the time to apply.
“These appointments further strengthen our senior team, enabling us to better serve the people and organisations that we are here to support.
“I very much look forward to working closely with them as we continue to work towards a positive future for both Creative Scotland and for everyone in the arts, screen and creative industries.”
Leonie Bell and Ian Stevenson will take up their posts with immediate effect while Philip Deverell will take up his post on 6th January and Gerard Kelly on 13th January.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
1. New director biographies:
Leonie Bell: Leonie has worked across the arts and creative industries for over 16 years. She began her career at Glasgow: UK City of Architecture & Design in 1999. She then moved to The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design & the City where she became programme director. In 2008 Leonie moved to the Scottish Arts Council where she took up the role of creative programmer for the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad in Scotland. Within this role, she was responsible for developing and delivering a Scotland-wide strategy that spanned the cultural programme for London 2012 and the development of a national cultural programme for Glasgow 2014.
In May 2013 Leonie became interim director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland with responsibility for Audience Development, Participation and Equalities, Capital, Education, Learning and Youth Arts, National Events, Visual Arts and Public Art. Leonie has a broad knowledgeable of the arts in Scotland and she is a highly experienced and strategic individual with a strong set of professional relationships and networks.
Philip Deverell: Philip has a broad knowledge of the arts and creative industries spending the last five years at Arts Council England (ACE) as director of Grants for the Arts, the organisation’s major Lottery funded grant programme. In that time he led the design and implementation of the national grant centre supporting individual artists and arts organisations from across the UK. He helped develop ACE’s funding programmes for major regional museums, libraries, and touring.
Prior to this, he was the project manager for decibel providing opportunities for artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, deaf and disabled artists to develop and produce their work. Philip had a long and extensive career in the theatre before joining ACE. Starting as a stage manager he moved on to be a production manager, and producer in both the commercial and subsidised theatre sectors, touring major theatre productions around the country.
Gerard Kelly, director of Funding Operations: Gerard has considerable expertise in corporate governance and strategy development. Most recently, he has been working with the University of Strathclyde’s Business Engagement Group and prior to this he was interim operations director at the Advanced Forming Research Centre, a collaborative venture between the University of Strathclyde, global aerospace companies and the public sector.
Between 2000 and 2012, Gerard established and then led Scottish Enterprise Investments and The Scottish Investment Bank, following two years as assistant director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in Scotland.
In August 2013 Gerard was appointed vice-chair of the newly formed West College Scotland, the second largest Further Education College in Scotland.
Ian Stevenson: Ian is a Scottish chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience in a variety of audit and senior finance management roles in both the private and third sectors.
Ian was a board member of Edinburgh’s Telford College and is now on the board of Places for People Scotland Care and Support, a charity which supports people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, acquired brain injury, the elderly and the young. The charity also produces innovative films which address the issues faced by the people they support. He also volunteers as an independent examiner, supporting small, non-profit organisations with their financial reporting.
Ian has been acting director of Finance since April 2013 with responsibility for all aspects of financial management plus the running of the organisation’s properties.
The new directors join Janet Archer, chief executive; Iain Munro, deputy chief executive; Kenneth Fowler, director of Communications; Caroline Parkinson, director of Creative Industries; and Karen Lannigan, director of Human Resources as part of the senior team at Creative Scotland.
2. The Recruitment process:
The announcement of a new structure for the senior team at Creative Scotland, and the recruitment of five posts, was made by Janet archer on 2nd October 2013 (http://www.creativescotland.com/news/statement-from-janet-archer-ceo-creative-scotland-02102013).
Only one of these posts, the director of Strategy (a fixed term post for 12 months) is in addition to the existing staff headcount.
This was followed by recruitment going live for the director of Arts & Engagement, director of Strategy, and director of Film & Media on 9th October 2013 (http://www.creativescotland.com/news/creative-scotland-recruitment-now-live-09102013).
The recruitment for the director of Funding Operations and the director of Finance went live on 28th October (http://www.creativescotland.com/news/creative-scotland-recruitment-now-live-28102013).
Interviews were held in November and December in Edinburgh.
The recruitment panel for all posts consisted of Janet Archer (chief executive), Iain Munro (deputy chief executive) and Karen Lannigan (director of Human Resources).
The panel was joined by an external expert at each interview, namely: Matt Baker, artist (director of Arts & Engagement interviews); Agnes Robson, RSNO board director (director of Strategy interviews); Paul Welsh, Film Producer (director of Film & Media interviews); Duncan Hendry, chief executive Kings and Festival Theatres, Edinburgh (director of Funding Operations interviews); and Kenneth Osborne, RSNO director of Finance & Corporate Services (director of Finance interviews).
3. Creative Scotland is the national development agency for the arts, screen and creative industries. www.creativescotland.com
For further information, please contact:
Kenneth Fowler
Director of communications
Kenneth.fowler@creativescotland.com
07979557960
PRESS RELEASE issued by Creative Scotland. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka Press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Contact: Sophie Bambrough
Phone: 0131 523 0015
Email: sophie.bambrough@creativescotland.com
Website: http://www.creativescotland.com
