Chief exec hires internal candidate to his old job

An internal candidate has been appointed to a lucrative council job.

Alastair MacArthur is the new £122,000 a year director of Finance and Resources at Renfrewshire Council.

He was appointed by the new chief executive Alan Russell - who vacated the post for his new £150,000 role.

A major recruitment drive was launched in September after the retiral of Chief Executive Sandra Black before another internal hopeful, Mr Russell, was selected.

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Now Alastair MacArthur also moves up from within the building from being the council’s Head of Finance.

The move was revealed this week and he will now be in command of Renfrewshire’s £450 million revenue budget.

His own directorate has 1,200 staff and a £35m budget.

He’s from the Isle of Lewis and has worked for Renfrewshire Council for 15 years.

MacArthur was elevated to Head of Finance in 2015.

Prior to joining the Council, Alastair held a variety of finance roles in the NHS across Strathclyde, Lothian and the Highlands.

Seat swapping - Alan Russell, chief executive of Renfrewshire Council (Copyright Unknown)

Chief Executive Alan Russell said: “I am delighted that Alastair MacArthur has been appointed as the council’s new Director of Finance and Resources and will take up the post with immediate effect.

“Alastair has been with the Council for almost 15 years and brings a wealth of financial management experience to the post.

“Having spent the last seven years as Head of Finance, before taking up the position of Acting Director of Finance and Resources in November 2021, Alastair is perfectly placed to help us continue with our recovery and ambitious capital investment plans as we look to make Renfrewshire a better place to live, work and learn.”

MacArthur added: “I am really pleased to take up this role and continue to work with the great team across Finance and Resources. I look forward to working with the corporate management team to support delivery and achievement of the Council’s ambitions as we recover and grow from the impact of the pandemic.”

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