Advice body names first permanent chief executive since forced restructure
Derek Mitchell has today been named as Citizens Advice Scotland’s (CAS) new chief executive.
Currently one of 11 chief officers at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), Mitchell (pictured below) has spent most of his working life in government in a variety of management and public policy positions particularly in housing, homelessness and social work.
Prior to joining Cosla in 2005, he worked for the Scottish Government as a policy advisor in the homelessness team helping shape the previous administrations policy in achieving its ambitious homelessness targets.
Mitchell said he would relish the new role.
“I am looking forward to working with the CAS board to ensure the organisation and the member bureaux can build on their strongest assets – their staff and volunteers," he said.
“Refreshing, renewing and emboldening this relationship with citizens, CABs, and partners will be at the heart of my agenda as chief executive.”
Rory Mair, chair of CAS added: “He is an experienced manager, practitioner and policy maker, is strongly committed to the ethos of the Citizen’s Advice network, bringing a strong set of values based on social justice and public service to the position.
“He is also very experienced in managing complex stakeholder relationships and is well-known and respected within government and the sectors we engage with.”
Mitchell will be the seventh person to lead CAS since Kalian Lyle retired in 2009. Last year the charity faced a governance upheaval after an internal review exposed a catalogue of failings.
It listed 32 recommendations – 13 of which were classed as high priority – and called for an overhaul of the board’s structure and practices with a new board and chairman to be appointed.
It culminated in the resignation of CAS’s controversial former chair Dominic Notrangelo who was described in the review as having an “overbearing influence” on the charity.
A restructure has since taken place and former Cosal chief executive Mair appointed as chair of the charity.
Mitchell will take up the post on 28 August with Anne Lavery continuing as acting chief executive until then.
