Former Scottish Investment Bank boss to head-up recruiter’s Scottish expansion

The former head of the Scottish Investment Bank is moving to a senior executive position in one of the UK’s biggest recruitment firms.

Gerard Kelly, who has spent the past two years as director of funding operations at Creative Scotland, is joining Badenoch & Clark’s executive team at the firm’s Scottish headquarters.

He will be responsible for helping the agency, which employs 22 staff at offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, expand its executive search operations north of the border.

Mr Kelly, 56, spent 12 years at Scottish Enterprise building the agency’s set of risk capital funds for small companies and was appointed the first head of the Scottish Investment Bank, established by Alex Salmond, the then First Minister, in 2010.

He left SIB in 2012 and moved to The University of Strathclyde supporting the commercial growth of the Advanced Forming Research Centre and other centres of excellence at the University. In January 2014 he took up a post with Scotland’s main arts body, Creative Scotland, where he was responsible for overhauling the organisation’s suite of grants, streamlining internal processes to make them much more accessible to applicants.

The Belfast-born father-of-two has a long association with B&C Executive (part of the Adecco Group), who was responsible for placing him in his role at Creative Scotland.

He said that, after having spent a substantial part of his career working in the public sector, the time was now right for a change of direction.

“Badenoch and Clark has been responsible for appointing some of the country’s most influential business leaders; being able to contribute to the identification and appointment of Scotland’s next generation of leaders in the private and public sector will be an immense privilege.”

Mr Kelly added: “The company’s motto is ‘better work, better life’. This philosophy completely chimes with my own working values, and my experience to date with B&C tells me that the company is committed to realising this commitment in every appointment they undertake.”

Scott Miller, director of B&C executive, said Mr Kelly would complement the division’s six-strong team in Glasgow and Edinburgh, which has been responsible for a series of high profile appointments.

They include recruiting the chairs of the National Theatre of Scotland and Museums Galleries Scotland; CEO of Creative Scotland; Head of HR and Head of Economic Development at Abellio Scotrail; Head of Leadership and Development at Police Scotland; Head of Scottish Affairs at the General Medical Council; CEO of Perth Concert Hall and Theatre; and Director of Marketing at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Mr Miller, a member of the B&C UK Operations Board, said: “During the recruitment process for his previous appointments, we got to know Gerard very well and to appreciate his skills and talents.

“When it came to filling this new position, he seemed like a perfect fit. Gerard has an unparalleled knowledge of Scottish business and the Scottish economy and he has an extensive list of contacts.”

Mr Miller added: “The team has a blend of exceptional recruitment experience and business skills, with all of the team being experienced business leaders themselves.”