The Board of the Scottish Exhibition Centre Ltd, owner of the SECC venue, has appointed Will Whitehorn as Chairman of the company, following the retirement of Sir Ian Grant who has held the position for 11 years.
Whitehorn will take on his new role at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on 1 January 2014, where he has been a Non-Executive Director since November 2010.
“I am thrilled to be stepping into the position of chairman of the SECC,” said Whitehorn. “The company has permed extremely well in recent years, most noticeably with the opening of The SSE Hydro – a venue which is set to bring many exciting opportunities to Scotland. I am privileged to follow in the footsteps of Sir Ian Grant, whose guidance and leadership has taken the business to where it is today.”
Formerly President of Virgin Galactic, Whitehorn previously founded Virgin Trains in 1996 and acted as a spokesman for Sir Richard Branson before establishing the project to build the world’s first commercial spacecraft.
Whitehorn is also a Non-Executive Director of Stagecoach Group; Chair of The Transport Systems Catapult (at The Technology Strategy Board); a Fellow of The Royal Aeronautical Society; and Chairman of Speed Communications.
He was previously Chairman of Next Fifteen Communications Group, Brand Development and Corporate Affairs Director of Virgin and a Non-Executive Director of CA Coutts Holdings.
“Will played a major role overseeing The Hydro project as a Non-Executive Director of the Board and is a fantastic asset for the company,” said SECC Chief Executive John Sharkey.
“I am confident that his insight and inspiration will prove even more valuable in his role as Chairman. His proven track record and rich career history will play a large part in driving the business forward. 2014 is set to be a busy year for Glasgow and we are privileged to have him at the helm.”
Sir Ian Grant said: “Being chairman of the SECC has been an exceptional experience at an exciting time in the company’s development. I am proud of the progress that has been made over these past years and I am sure that Will’s leadership will continue to ensure the value of the SECC not just to Glasgow, but to Scotland as a whole.”
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