The National Trust for Scotland has announced that Simon Skinner has been appointed as its new chief executive.

Skinner will take up his role in June and will replace the trust’s former chief executive Kate Mavor, who left in May to head up the charitable arm of English Heritage. Skinner's new role will see him lead Scotland’s largest independent conservation charity, which has over 330,000 members.

Before his latest appointment, Skinner was chief executive of Aegon Ireland, a pension, insurance and investment business. He has also worked in management and marketing roles with the Automobile Association, Scottish Widows and the Greater Glasgow Health Board.

Sir Moir Lockhead, chair of the National Trust for Scotland, welcomed Skinner in a statement released today.

"He can put his expertise in change management and strategic thinking to immediate use as we continue to modernise and enhance the Trust for the good of its members and the nation," Lockhead said.

"Simon will build upon the firm foundations laid by his predecessor, Kate Mavor and, in particular, will focus upon setting and meeting targets for fundraising and revenue generation, which in turn will allow us to fulfil our conservation ambitions.”

For his part, Skinner said he hoped to build upon the progress made by his predecessor.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to use my skills and experience to help conserve and protect some of the most treasured and evocative places in Scotland," he said.

"From the progress made in the last five years, I hope to further build a legacy of a vibrant and secure Trust that is fully engaged with its members and is even more effective in delivering its core purpose of conserving and promoting our heritage.”