A new chief executive has been appointed at Citizens Advice Scotland, which sacked its previous chief executive and changed its governance, after a troubled period which saw a slew of high-level departures.
The charity also recently replaced almost all its board members, with 11 new trustees on of a board of 13, following a governance review.
Derek Mitchell, the new chief executive, is currently a chief officer at COSLA, the local government body for Scotland.
Rory Mair, chair of Citizens Advice Scotland, said that Mitchell was “experienced in managing complex stakeholder relationships” and was "well-known and respected within government."
Mitchell said: "Having access to free, impartial and confidential advice is hugely important to Scottish citizens, and I am excited to have the chance to contribute to the work of the Citizens Advice network.
Mitchell will join Citizens Advice Scotland on Monday 28 August. Anne Lavery, the chief operating officer, will continue as acting chief executive until Mitchell joins.
Citizens Advice Scotland has effectively been without a chief executive for almost two years after suspending former leader Margaret Lynch in mid-2015, and finally sacking her in March last year.
The charity has also seen the the resignation of several key executives and trustees, including the former chair, Dominic Notarangelo, who left in June 2016, prior to the publication of its governance review.
The review, published last year, accused the former board of “dysfunctional dynamics”, with trustees unable to stand up to “inappropriate behaviours” from Notarangelo.
The review, by financial firm Deloitte, also reported bullying, tension, and unprofessional conduct at board level, and recommended 32 changes to governance, which the charity has agreed to implement.
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