Scottish Enterprise boss gives up bonus for £55k, 12-day second job

ONE of Scotland’s highest-paid civil servants is to forgo any future public-sector bonuses after she accepted a £55,000-a-year post for working a day each month in the private sector.

Lena Wilson has accepted a directorship of a FTSE-100 company on top of her £200,000-a-year post as chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, (SE) the economic development agency.

However, the Scottish Government confirmed yesterday that Ms Wilson would waive any future bonus from SE as long as she is a member of the board of Intertek, a company with its headquarters in London.

The move came after senior MSPs said that Ms Wilson’s decision to accept the private sector contract was at odds with the SNP finance secretary John Swinney’s ban on public-sector bonuses.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie had said that Ms Wilson’s £55,000 private sector post was “one of the biggest bonuses John Swinney could ever have authorised” after it emerged that the minister supported the senior civil servant’s move to join the board of Intertek.

The Scottish Government defended Ms Wilson’s decision to take up the appointment and confirmed that she would not accept any public-sector bonuses offered to her as long as she holds the non-executive directorship of the FTSE-100 company.

A government spokesman said: “In deciding to take up this appointment, Dr Wilson agreed to waive her right to future bonuses as chief executive of Scottish Enterprise while in a remunerated non-executive position.

“This appointment is a strong indication from Intertek – a FTSE company – of Lena Wilson’s talent and ability.

“This will add to Lena Wilson’s considerable experience of working with successful businesses and enhance the work of Scottish Enterprise.”