Sandy Cumming takes the chair at rural college SRUC

Sandy Cumming CBE has been appointed as the new chairman of the SRUC, Scotland's rural college.

Sandy Cumming succeeds Pat Machray as chairman of the SRUC. Picture: Contributed

Cumming, a specialist in change management who has worked with a number of enterprise boards and who has served on the SRUC’s board since 2011, will take over from Pat Machray OBE when he steps down in October.

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The organisation said that Cumming’s wealth of experience and understanding of the needs of rural communities and businesses, coupled with an ability to “look beyond the local”, would not only offer the college important leadership but could help it extend its global reach.

SRUC Principal and chief executive Professor Wayne Powell said he was looking forward to working with the new chairman during what was likely to be a period of considerable change for the organisation.

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“SRUC is currently developing a bold new vision for our role in supporting the rural sector both here in Scotland and beyond our shores,” he said.

“Sandy’s close ties with rural communities, his appreciation of the value of research and his wealth of experience in change management across many sectors will be invaluable.”

Now living in Inverness but originally from an upland farm in Strathconon, Cumming graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BSc Hons in agricultural economics.

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