Malcolm Cannon will have good cause to remember his first official engagement as director of the Institute of Directors Scotland.
The former Cricket Scotland boss, who takes over at the IoD from David Watt today (16 September) will make his first public outing at the organisation’s annual conference at Gleneagles on 31 October – the day Britain is scheduled to leave the EU.
Hundreds of delegates will converge on Gleneagles for this year’s event which is built around the theme Architects of the New Scottish Economy which may take on special responsibility as the implications of the Brexit talks reach a climax with no one yet knowing if the UK will be in or out, or whether a deal will be reached.
The Brexit topic is bound to be hotly debated alongside sessions from keynote speakers on how to build an economy “fit for the modern age”. Among them is former Pringle chief Kim Winser, founder and CEO of Winser London, and David Cutter, a supply & procurement officer at Diageo.
In a statement from the IoD, Mr Cannon’s responsibility include leading the organisation through a transformative era to establish “greater autonomy in IoD Scotland” which suggests the organisation is beefing up its operations north of the border.
He said: “With only 45 days until the Brexit deadline, businesses have never faced such confusion and uncertainty – and this is without the ongoing discussions currently taking place in Westminster.
“Having been involved with some of Scotland’s and the UK’s best-known businesses over the last 20 years, and in my various roles on boards, I can appreciate the struggle being felt by all those in leadership roles in Scotland.
“My priority as National Director Scotland is to meet with as many of our members over the length and breadth of the country to understand their concerns and what value I can provide to them post-31 October.
“I want the IoD in Scotland to be the pre-eminent voice that represents Scotland’s brightest business leaders and directors. A significant part of this is truly understanding the issues that make them tick and guaranteeing a voice in Westminster and Holyrood.”
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