MARTIN GILBERT TO BE NEW CHAIR OF SCOTTISH GOLF

Martin Gilbert, one of Scotland’s best-known business figures, is set to become the chair of Scottish Golf at its AGM in March next year.

Today, Scottish Golf announced that Martin Gilbert, who recently retired as the chair of Aberdeen Standard Investments after establishing the company as Aberdeen Asset Management in 1983, will be presented as chair-elect at the Scottish Golf AGM in March 2021, when Eleanor Cannon will step down after her six-year term as chair.

Gilbert has been a prominent supporter of golf in Scotland for many years, firstly through Aberdeen Asset Management and latterly Aberdeen Standard Investments. AIS has been the headline sponsor of the men’s Scottish Open since 2012, and the Ladies' Scottish Open since 2011.

Via his businesses, Gilbert has also sponsored some of Scotland's leading golfers including the 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, the 2009 British Women’s Open Champion, Catriona Matthew, and more recently European Tour winner Robert MacIntyre.

Eleanor Cannon said:

"This is a tremendous coup for golf in Scotland and the entire board is delighted that Martin, whose passion and support for the sport are very widely known, has agreed to take on this role next year."

"His achievements, both in business globally and in his role as the biggest supporter of Scottish Golf over the past two decades, speak for themselves and I am sure his dynamic approach will allow Scottish Golf to flourish. I am extremely pleased that our members and our sport will benefit from Martin’s guidance and undoubted love for golf in the years ahead."

Martin Gilbert said:

“As many people know, golf has been a lifelong passion of mine and I’m hugely excited to be taking up this role in the Home of Golf. I commend Eleanor and her team for their sterling leadership of the new, amalgamated body since its inception in 2015."

"The strategic direction that has been adopted by Scottish Golf is bold and exciting. I am very much looking forward to progressing this strategy and working closely with the board, the team and the membership in continuing to develop the game at all levels in Scotland."

Today's news from Scottish Golf comes less than a month after it announced that major winners Paul Lawrie and Catriona Matthew have signed up to help deliver the next generation of Scottish champions through a new mentoring programme for the country’s top young talent.

The Scottish duo will also contribute to a broad review into the structure of Scottish Golf’s performance programmes and player pathways.