Globe-trotter back from the Big Apple

Alison Cuthbert returned to Scotland to take up the post after four years in New York as assistant to the chief financial officer for a large design firm.

Cuthbert, an Edinburgh University graduate, originally travelled to the US as part of the year-long Mountbatten internship programme.

Elsewhere in the financial services sector, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) has appointed Ian Clifton to the newly created role of commercial director within its fixed income team.

Based in Swip's London office, Clifton will report to Mark Connolly, director of fixed income, and will be responsible for driving the commercial activity of the fixed income business.

Clifton, who joins from Mercer, where he was senior investment consultant, had spent four years with WestLB in London and Asia.

Connolly says: "Fixed income is a key growth area of our business and I am delighted to welcome Ian to the team."

Former Scottish rugby star Craig Joiner is also on the move, joining Standard Life Wealth from Cornelian Asset Managers. Cornelian's John Jackson confirmed the departure and wished Joiner luck in his new job.

From building investments to building… erm… buildings, with infrastructure group Galliford Try appointing Ian Coull as its next chairman.

Coull, who is chief executive of Segro, Europe's largest retail investment trust, will join the board of Galliford Try - which owns Edinburgh-based Morrison Construction - next month and will take over as chairman on 1 July, when David Calverley retires.

Calverley says: "Ian will be a tremendous asset to the company with his extensive business experience and knowledge of the retail and commercial property sectors."

SPD, part of oil and gas services group Petrofac, has appointed Jo McIntosh as group consultancy manager in its Dubai office. Prior to SPD, McIntosh spent seven years with AGR where she managed its consultancy service in Aberdeen and Dubai.