Prominent Scottish actuary Ronnie Bowie has been named as IMPACT Scotland’s new Chair, with his appointment effective immediately.
The new Chair joins IMPACT Scotland at an exciting time, with a wealth of experience from forty years at Hymans Robertson, as well as significant time spent in governance roles across both public and private sectors.
Enablement works for The Dunard Centre, supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland, began last month, with a stirring recital on the site of the future stage. As scaffolding goes up and decommissioned buildings come down, the incoming Chair’s priority areas include the appointment of an IMPACT Scotland CEO; oversight of the Phase 2 tender process for the main construction phase of the concert hall; and embedding the twin values of quality and equality into every element of venue delivery.
Ronnie Bowie commented:
“The Dunard Centre will allow us to do two things, both of which are equally important. Firstly, it will celebrate the central role of music in our culture today, spotlighting the local and international artists who already soundtrack our commutes, our runs, our roadtrips, our nights out and our evenings in. Whatever your tastes, we all know how liberating it can be to lose yourself in music: this space will allow audiences to immerse themselves in the best sound in the world.
“It’s this insistence on quality which will allow the Dunard Centre to achieve that second, mission-critical objective: stretching our interpretation of what great music-making looks like. From who’s on stage to who’s in the crowd: this bold building demands an equally bold artistic and community activation programme that challenges our preconceptions; and in so doing catapults us into a bright musical future. Turning a hidden plot into a public treasure demands vision, determination and extensive collaboration with stakeholders: these values continue to shape all our interactions as we develop this stunning civic space. ”
During the Board meeting IMPACT Scotland Trustees thanked outgoing Co-Chairs Gavin Reid (CEO of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra) and Fergus Linehan (Director and CEO of the Edinburgh International Festival 2015-2022), who both took over the concert hall campaign in July 2020.
In the past eighteen months alone IMPACT Scotland has secured planning permission for the Dunard Centre, strengthened the innovative funding model of visionary private and public sector partners through a £25m investment from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, and shepherded the project on site, just behind the Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters at 36 St Andrew Square. The lead architect on the project, Sir David Chipperfield, has also just been awarded the prestigious global Pritzker Prize for Architecture, recognising his outstanding track record in delivering ‘radically understated’ public buildings that ‘transform social relationships’ and ‘reinvigorate cities’.
Gavin Reid commented:
“Ronnie brings decades of valuable corporate and campaigning experience to the Dunard Centre. As Chair of The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow he led the successful capital project to open a brand new home-from-home centre for patients with life-limiting conditions; as Senior Partner at Hymans Robertson he oversaw the firm’s evolution from small boutique into the UK’s leading actuarial consultancy. His organisational expertise, mastery of complexity and deeply held values around community engagement will be vital as we continue to move towards our shared goal: bringing more music to more people.”
Fergus Linehan added:
“We’ve long recognised that the success of the Dunard Centre will be built on extraordinary performances and outstanding audience experience. But we also recognise that the journey to a concert begins well outside our walls, out in the community. Ronnie’s focus on forging joyful partnerships that will activate audiences and bring generations together is spot on. This concert hall has always had access at the heart of its masterplan, and now enablement works have started on site we can really start to broaden the conversations about what this place will mean for the city, the region, the country, not to mention the international sector as a whole. We are creating a space where music is shared, celebrated and challenged; it’s an honour to be involved with such an optimistic, generous project.’
Gavin Reid will continue to serve as an IMPACT Scotland Trustee, while Fergus Linehan will continue to be involved in the Dunard Centre’s development campaigns.
Ronnie Bowie concluded:
“Though the build will be a marathon not a sprint Gavin and Fergus have been incredible pacemakers, and I’m delighted we’ll continue to draw on their considerable talents. The road ahead is long but incredibly exciting; I can’t wait to get started.”
Ends
For further information on Dunard Centre and IMPACT Scotland please contact Susie Gray, The Corner Shop PR, susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073795
NOTES:
About Ronnie Bowie
Ronnie Bowie spent most of his career as a partner, including a period as Senior Partner from 2002 to 2017, at Hymans Robertson, an actuarial consultancy. During his time there the firm grew from around 40 people to its current complement of over 1000, becoming one of the UK`s leading consultancies.
Having served on Council and a number of Committees in 2011 he drove the merger of the two UK actuarial bodies creating the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries of which he was the first President. He has recently been awarded the Finlaison Medal by the actuarial profession for his service.
Subsequently he has held a number of non executive positions including chairing the Prudential Assurance Company, the University of Dundee, the Natwest Group Pension Scheme and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. He is also currently involved in the work to bring the Eden Project to Dundee. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Outside work he enjoys time with his 4 daughters, occasional golf and holidays.