Inverness move fast to recruit chairman
INVERNESS last night made an expert in boardroom recruitment the new chairman of their board.
Willie Finlayson moved into the Caley Thistle hotseat less than 24 hours after the resignation of Kenny Cameron.
And he immediately set his sets on sealing a return to the Premiership next season after relegation.
Finlayson is the founder of FWB Park Brown, an “executive search company” which advises corporate clients how best to recruit boardroom and senior management talent.
A member of the Caley Thistle board since 2010, Finlayson was a close ally of Cameron and his appointment signifies continuity at the club.
Unlike Cameron, he will only fill the chairmanship and not the position of chief executive.
Finlayson said: “The board has decided to separate these two differing roles and will, in the near future, appoint a new general manager.
“Collectively we can work together to meet the aspirations of all, specifically our ambition to make a swift return to the Premiership.”
Finlayson’s promotion was accompanied by the appointment of two new directors. Graham Rae, part of the Muirfield Mills consortium that has invested in the club since 2012, joins the board along with Allan Mackenzie.
Meanwhile, former board member Richard Smith, who quit last month, believes up to £500,000 in fresh investment will be needed to cover relegation losses.
But Smith, another member of the Muirfield Mills group, dismissed administration fears and predicted the cash would be raised mostly from among existing shareholders.
He said: “Somewhere between £400,000 and £500,000 is needed. It’s not a figure that’s impossible to raise with the people that are involved.
“Knowing what I know from when I left, I wouldn’t have worries about the club’s long-term future.”