Morag McNeill succeeds Mark Batho, who served eight years on the board and three as chair
The Robertson Trust has announced a new chair of its Board of Trustees.
Morag McNeill will take on the role from the start of January 2025, steering the trust’s work as an independent funder whose mission is to prevent and reduce poverty and trauma in Scotland.
She succeeds Mark Batho, who served eight years on the board and three as chair.
Morag is currently chair of Scottish Event Campus Limited and Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited.
She has held a number of non-executive roles and was previously chair of court at Heriot-Watt University and vice-chair of Social Investment Scotland.
Morag spent her career as a corporate lawyer and was a partner in McGrigors (now Pinsent Masons) and latterly as General Counsel with Forth Ports plc.
Commenting on her appointment, Morag said: “I am honoured to be joining The Robertson Trust as its new chair. The trust is a fantastic organisation which makes a significant difference to the lives of many people in Scotland facing hardship and restricted opportunities. It has a wonderful group of dedicated staff and trustees who I am very much looking forward to working with.”
Paying tribute to her predecessor, Morag said: “I would like to thank Mark for his contribution to the trust over the last eight years and particularly as chair over the last three years.
“He has ensured the trust has had a laser focus on its core mission of preventing and reducing poverty and trauma and during his time the trust has continued to significantly increase its funding. He has also been a wonderful ambassador for the trust and I am very conscious that his are very big shoes to fill.”
Mark Batho said: “It has been a privilege to steer The Robertson Trust through a sustained period of risk for our grantholders. The trust launched an ambitious ten-year strategy at the height of the pandemic in 2020. But since then we have seen acute cost of living pressures bearing down hard on the people and places we are here to serve.
“I am proud that the trust has been able to increase flexible funding to an average of £25 million per year and created a new Social Impact Investing allocation of up to £29m.
“During my time as chair, fellow trustees and the staff team at the trust have shown focus, belief and commitment around our mission. In passing the baton to Morag, I am confident the trust will accelerate progress made in recent years towards lasting solutions to poverty and trauma in Scotland”.
Jim McCormick, chief executive of The Robertson Trust, added: “We are fortunate to have a talented, diverse board to steer us. With Morag’s appointment, we will have a highly experienced and committed new chair, whose values align strongly with the trust’s mission. I look forward to getting started on the next phase of our work together in the new year.
“Mark has made a vital contribution to the trust’s work since 2016, overseeing an ambitious delivery plan that runs to March 2025 and successfully bringing on six new trustees to the board during his time as chair. In addition to his consistently wise advice on how to navigate the risks facing our partners, he has enabled our governance to be strengthened, deepened our relationship with Edrington and guided us to seize new opportunities to fund, support and influence change.”
