THE head of a leading Scottish public relations consultancy has been appointed to the senior team of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the move considered a sign of the increasingly important role of PR advisers in the Scottish business community.
Nora Farrell, of Weber Shandwick, takes the position of vice-chair, along with fellow vice-chair, Professor Bill McIntosh, principal of Lauder College. Norman Quirk, current president of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and former head of Glasgow radio station, Saga 105.2FM, becomes chair.
Following on from public relations being granted chartered status two years ago, Farrell’s appointment is being viewed as a sign that the industry is being taken seriously in Scottish boardrooms.
She said: “I am delighted to be joining the Scottish Chambers team and I’m looking forward to the challenges we face in ensuring that business plays a key role in the development of the Scottish economy.
“Other professionals such as accountants and lawyers occupy prominent boardroom positions but, until recently, it has been rare for those same positions to be held by public relations professionals.
“I hope that my appointment demonstrates the increasing role of the public relations industry in Scottish business life.”
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Farrell was voted Scottish Businesswoman of the Year five years ago. She is chair of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Group and also a finance committee board member of the National Trust for Scotland.
Weber Shandwick has four offices in Scotland: Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
