Society chief takes on interim chair post at Highlands Airports

Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, is to take on the role of interim chair of Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL).

Ms Jack, currently a non-executive board member and chair of HIAL’s audit committee, has been appointed as interim chair by Transport and Islands Minister Humza Yousef, after Dr Mike Cantlay left to become chair of the Scottish Funding Council. She will continue in her role at the Society, taking approximately one day per week to carry out her new duties.

The temporary role is expected to last up to eight months while Transport Scotland goes through the public appointments process to recruit a new permanent chair.

Describing her new role as "a very exciting, albeit challenging, opportunity", Ms Jack commented: “HIAL has gone from strength to strength, with increasing numbers of passengers and flights, under Mike Cantlay's and managing director Inglis Lyon's leadership. I am only able to take this on in the short term with the support and commitment of my colleague non-executive directors at HIAL and its senior management team. Together we will work to maintain that success over this transition period.”

She added: “I’ve also been able to do this thanks to the incredible support of the Law Society’s Council, board and senior management team. We are about to launch our third ambitious annual plan for the Society as part of our five year strategy Leading Legal Excellence, and I will continue to drive this forward alongside our highly dedicated team at the Society to deliver for our membership and the public they serve."