Stephen Robinson has admitted it would be a hammer blow for St Mirren to lose vice-chairman Jim Gillespie to Rangers.
The Paisley director - who is chief executive of Renfrewshire charity Kibble - is a hugely influential figure in the boardroom and works very closely with Robinson and chief operating officer Keith Lasley.
Reports last week touted Gillespie for a move along the M8 to Ibrox to take up the chief executive position as a replacement for James Bisgrove after his exit for the Middle East.
Robinson is hopeful reports do not materialise into a formal approach and exit for Gillespie as he opened up on the vice-chairman's role as a "driving force" for St Mirren.
"I speak to Jim on a regular basis, every day, about players and the football club," said Robinson of the vice-chairman.
"He's certainly been brilliant for me. He's been a huge driving force in the club in terms of its mentality. We've been thinking like a Championship club, now we're thinking like a European club.
"We push everything to the limit and Jim is a massive driver of that. I hope the stories aren't true but if they are, he'd be a huge loss."
Gillespie - who first joined the St Mirren board as a Kibble representative in 2020 - oversees recruitment from a boardroom position at the SMiSA Stadium.
The experienced operator was key in bringing Robinson to St Mirren from Morecambe and was critical in Alex Gogic signing a contract renewal last season. Even newest arrival Killian Phillips was signed off on by Gillespie.
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"Jim, like all of the board, would move heaven and earth to get what we need if it is feasible," Robinson added.
"My relationship with Jim is on a recruitment basis as well because he is the board member in charge of recruitment and overseeing saying yes and no to it really.
"You've got to live within your means. You want to drive it forward at 100mph but unfortunately at a club of our size you have to keep chipping away and making the infrastructure better.
"Jim has been very good for me. He brought me up here, head-hunted me from Morecambe. When I started and didn't win games, he was a big support as was Tony [Fitzpatrick] as were all the board.
"No one ever wavered from what they thought was the right decision.
"When you don't think you can stretch any further, Jim and the board have found a way to support me. I've nothing but praise for the full board and my relationship with Jim."
