Iod Scotland boss David Watt stepping down

The Institute of Directors (IoD) in Scotland has announced that executive director David Watt '“ one of the longest-serving heads of a business organisation north of the Border '“ will step down from his role in April.

Watt's post-IoD plans include finding new ways to support the business community. Picture: contributed.

Watt plans to subsequently find new ways to support the business community; continuing to help strengthen businesses, their leaders and the economy.

IoD Scotland chair Aidan O’Carroll said: “We are extremely grateful for the contribution that David has made not only to the IoD over the last 15 years, but more broadly to Scotland and its business community.

“We will shortly start the process of looking for candidates to take up this important and challenging role.”

Watt trained as a physical education teacher, which led him to a post in Fife Council’s sport and leisure department, but he left the public sector in 1993 to set up his own consultancy, Organising Leisure.

It was during this nine-year stint of running a sports management and administration business that he first came into contact with the IoD, joining the group’s local Fife and Tayside committee as an unpaid member of the institute’s voluntary network.

In Scotland the IoD operates from a base in Edinburgh and through a number of branches focusing on the Highlands & Islands, Tayside, Fife, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.