The Crichton Trust is delighted to start 2021, with news of a new Chief Operating Officer role at The Crichton and to welcome Craig Renton, who has recently been appointed to take on this new role from Mid-January.
This vacancy, originally planned for 2020 following a senior leadership re-structure, attracted a number of high calibre candidates, all eager to help shape the strategic direction of the 85-acre parkland estate at The Crichton in Dumfries. The appointment comes at a crucial time as The Crichton Trust and partners emerge from the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
Craig, who lives locally with his family, is extremely passionate about the region and in creating opportunities that will enable and encourage all generations to live, learn, work and thrive in Dumfries and Galloway. Craig has held various executive leadership roles and has extensive experience in leading teams, delivering change programmes, reviewing business and IT systems and processes, training and development, governance, project and financial management, strategic and operational performance and in developing and sustaining significant partnership and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
Chief Executive of The Crichton Trust said: “I am delighted to announce the recent appointment of Craig Renton as the new Chief Operating Officer at The Crichton Trust. Craig has an excellent track record in strategic leadership and management in various sectors and will be a welcome addition to our existing Executive Team. This appointment comes at a time when our strategic and operational leadership needs to be at its very best. 2020 was a challenging year for everyone including The Crichton Trust, we continue to adapt to meet those challenges and we are determined to successfully lead The Crichton Trust out of this pandemic and to build on the legacy of The Crichton to ensure it continues to thrive and adapt to our new world. The focus for 2021 and beyond, is to ensure our longer-term vision is ambitious, achievable and sustainable. In order to do this, we need to strengthen our strategic and operational leadership. I look forward to welcoming Craig to the team and feel confident that he will help us achieve our ambitions and to protect the wellbeing of our people, place and partners in these challenging times.”
After a rigorous recruitment process, Craig is excited about his new role and the opportunity to support the growth of The Crichton. He said: “I’m hugely excited to be joining the team at The Crichton and I can’t wait to get started! The Crichton and Dumfries and Galloway as a whole, has so much potential and I really believe that with drive and ambition, we can achieve so much. I am grateful for the opportunity to join such a skilled and experienced team and I hope to use my leadership experience to support and enable colleagues to do their job and to deliver excellence in all parts of the organisation. As we transition from the challenges of 2020, I very much believe that The Crichton will be at the heart of the South of Scotland’s growth and development now and into the future and I look forward to supporting Gwilym and the rest of the team in entering new and emerging markets and in achieving the ambitious goals of The Crichton Trust.”
The Crichton Trust takes its responsibility to protect and develop the legacy of The Crichton seriously and as such will publish a new strategy in 2021. As well as defining the core assets of The Crichton, the document will outline a number of new projects and initiatives that are set to shape the emerging future of The Crichton, including the imminent launch of Crichton Central, the new co-working, innovation and collaboration space at The Crichton.
There will be exciting opportunities to support and invest in The Crichton over the next few years and although there are still many challenges to overcome, The Crichton Trust team and the wider Crichton Community remain determined to protect the asset of The Crichton and to build back better in response to not just the disruption of the pandemic but the climate emergency, our ageing society and the emergence of the future economy.
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