The Scottish Rugby Union is today pleased to announce the appointment of Gordon McKie as its new Chief Executive.

Glasgow-born Mr McKie, 48, has a formidable record in managing change and turning around business fortunes in hi-tech and engineering industries.

Scottish Rugby Board chairman Allan Munro said: "I am absolutely delighted to announce the appointment of Gordon McKie as the new Chief Executive of Scottish Rugby. He will start his job this coming Monday (15 August).

Gordon is very well known in the financial sector as a chief executive with an outstanding reputation for helping transform businesses and in change management.

I am confident that Gordon will bring exceptional hands-on leadership to Scottish Rugby and will be instrumental in securing a much better future for the business and, in turn, our game."

Gordon McKie said: "As a keen rugby spectator I know there has been much change in the sport over the last ten years and I look forward to the challenge of leading a very professional and dedicated team of people so that Scottish Rugby can become a much more structured business and face the future with increased confidence."

Scottish Rugby president Andy Irvine said: "I said on my election to the post of President that the most important role at Murrayfield was the Chief Executive who would be responsible for running the business on a day-to-day basis. I think that we are extremely fortunate to have secured someone of Gordon's tremendous talent and I am certain that he will deliver Scottish Rugby from the position it is now in to a business in more robust health in the period ahead."

Background on Gordon McKie
McKie, a graduate of Heriot-Watt University and CA, began his career with Arthur Young McClelland Moores as an audit senior, before he joined the SDA as an investment analyst between 1982 and 1984.

He was corporate banking manager, TSB Scotland plc from 1984-88; general manager (financial services) for John Menzies plc from 1988-1992; and group finance director for British Thornton Holdings plc from 1992-93.

In 1993 he was approached by Murray International Holdings, one of Scotland's largest private companies, to take on the post of managing director of Mimtec Electronics, a growing £40m turnover contract electronics manufacturer with three plants in Scotland, some 2,500 staff and more than 1million PCs produced annually. McKie oversaw a dramatic improvement in the company's profitability leading to its ultimate sale in 1997.

In 1997-98 he was European director of NT systems for Digital prior to its acquisition by Compaq and from 1998-2002 he was chief executive of Frazier International Group, a 3i invested company, which specialised in the recovery, refurbishment and resale of surplus IT and telecom equipment. Gordon lead-managed a total restructuring of the business which resulted in its sale in 2002 to SITA, the French conglomerate.

Most recently he has been chief executive of Semple plc (formerly Semple Cochrane plc), an appointment instigated by the Bank of Scotland in September 2002 immediately following the de-listing of the company from the London Stock Exchange. The company provided mechanical and engineering sub-contract services. Despite a significant reduction in the company's loss-making the business was unable to generate new orders and, consequently ceased trading in May 2005.

This article was originally posted on 9-Aug-2005, 12:34 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 9-Aug-2005, 12:35.