New governance structure at charity
Cancer Support Scotland has announced the appointment of Michael MacLennan as interim CEO.
He joins the organisation from Covid Aid, a charity he founded in 2021 and in which he remains as chair.
MacLennan’s appointment comes at an exciting time as the charity strengthened its board following the recent appointments of Jacqui MacDonald as vice-chair, James Gow as treasurer alongside Peter Chong, Rebecca Scott, Dr Katrina Knight, Ron Montgomery and Colin Leslie as trustees.
He replaces Rob Murray, who resigned after four years at the helm, to take up a new position in the third sector.
Announcing the appointment, Suzanne George, chair of Cancer Support Scotland, said: “Michael brings exceptional skills to deliver our strategy which includes nurturing and developing our talented team, fundraising, communications and marketing.
“Through his establishment of Covid Aid, he has shown strong vision and, importantly, the organisational and commercial skills to take that vision to reality and build a sustainable charity. We are all very excited to work together to help even more people who need us, when they need us most in 2023 and beyond.
The board would also like to thank Rob for all he has helped Cancer Support Scotland achieve this past four years. He has shown tremendous resilience in leading the charity through the pandemic and driving innovation including digital counselling to extend our national reach and accessibility, while maintaining a clear focus on our vision and strategy.”
As MacLennan joined the team on his first day at the Calman Centre, he commented: "I'm delighted to be joining Cancer Support Scotland at the beginning of this important new phase, as it looks to continue and boost the support it provides to people across the country affected by cancer.
"It's a testament to Rob and the team that the charity is in such a strong position at the beginning of the new year, and I can't wait to work with them, the board, and the wider Cancer Support Scotland community to together achieve our charity goals for 2023.
“It feels like the need to be here for anyone in Scotland affected by cancer could not be greater than at this time."
