THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE
Sir Robert Smith
Chair
Sir Robert Smith is one of Scotland’s leading business figures. He was appointed as Chair of the OC in February 2008.
Sir Robert is Chairman for The Weir Group plc, former CEO of Morgan Grenfell Private Equity and BBC Governor and Chairman for the Broadcasting Council for Scotland. A chartered accountant, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland, Sir Robert has had a long career in finance and the arts. He was knighted in 1999 for his services to the National Museums of Scotland, and holds honorary degrees from the universities of Edinburgh (1999), Glasgow (2001) and Paisley (2003). He is a member of the Council of Economic Advisors to the First Minister of Scotland and chaired The Smith Group, which studied opportunity pathways for young people not in education, employment or training.
Speaking about Sir Robert’s appointment to Glasgow 2014, First Minister Alex Salmond said: “Sir Robert will bring a tremendous amount of experience and expertise to this hugely important role, as the leading individual responsible for turning Scotland’s Commonwealth Games dream into reality.
“He has a proven track record which I know will be essential for delivering an event which promises to be not only the best ever Commonwealth Games but the greatest sporting showcase our country has ever seen.”
John Scott
Chief Executive
John Scott came into post as Chief Executive of the Organising Company on August 4th 2008.
Prior to this, John was International Director and Director of Drug Free Sport at UK Sport where he was responsible for major events, international relations and led the UK national anti-doping organisation.
His first involvement in major sport event management came in the 1980s when he was seconded to the Federal Government of Canada to set up a new division managing the government’s support for major events and international development. He led the Canadian government’s investment in the Victoria Commonwealth Games (1994) and was a member of the bid committee for Canada’s successful bid to host the 1999 Winnipeg Pan American Games.
He was heavily involved in the Federal Inquiry into doping in sport following Ben Johnson’s positive drug test at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
In 1999 he established the highly successful World Class Events Programme for UK Sport, which uses Lottery money to bring major sporting events to the UK and has so far delivered over 120 events across the whole of the UK. He has led the development of a number of evaluation tools for major events including an economic impact model that has become an industry standard, used to assess over 40 events in the UK, including several in Scotland.
He was a Board member of the highly successful 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, and a special adviser to the government on the feasibility study for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid. He has attended six Commonwealth and six Olympic Games in various capacities.
John has also served on numerous international committees and working groups for organisations such as the IOC, UNDP, UNESCO and the Commonwealth Secretariat, and was the Chairman of the Council of Europe Committee for the Development of Sport. He was the UK representative on the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Sport for 5 years.
Louise Martin
Vice Chair
Louise Martin is Vice Chair of the 2014 Organising Committee, Chair of Sportscotland.
During the Bid Phase Louise was Chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland. Louise has a long and ongoing association with the Games as a competitor, team manager, and an administrator.
Competing in the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia, Louise made the swimming finals in 100m and 200m backstroke. A former President of Scottish Gymnastics, whom she represented on the Scottish Commonwealth Games Council, Louise was also the Gymnastics Team Manager at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, and Scottish deputy General Team Manager in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia 4 years later.
Louise was first elected as a Board member to the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland (CGCS) in 1995 and was CGCS Chairman from 1999 – 2007. The first woman to hold this post on the CGCS, she is also currently the Commonwealth Games Federation Honorary Secretary, being re-elected for a third term in November 2007.
In 2003 Louise was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the Commonwealth Games.
Tom Bain
Director of Operations
Tom is a qualified professional Project Director who is fully versed in all current forms of building and infrastructure procurement, aligned with an in depth knowledge of programme management techniques.
He has been with Carillion Building since 2003 where his skills in managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and fixed timescales have ensured successful delivery of major capital projects such as the HAL programme for News Printers across the UK, and the MOD (Glencorse Barracks) for Defence Estates. Tom also had wider responsibilities as a senior management team member in taking the local business unit forward, particularly in the area of performance improvement. He has previously worked for Balfour Beatty, AMEC, Bovis and John Laing in a career which spans 23 years in the industry.
He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management, and holds an MSc in Construction Innovation. A keen sportsman himself, he has participated in the annual Glasgow marathon intermittently since 1982 in support of charity organisations – making his own contribution to promoting greater health and well-being in Glasgow.
Tom will join the 2014 team in October 2008.
Gordon Arthur
Director of Communications
Gordon was Director of Corporate Affairs at Standard Life from April 1999 to July 2006, where he was responsible for the communications campaigns that supported the demutualisation and subsequent flotation of the company in July 2006.
He left shortly after the flotation to set up his own consultancy business, Roundtable Consultants, through which he has advised companies and other organisations on communications and reputational issues. In the second half of 2007 he took on the role as acting chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise on a part time basis, alongside his consultancy work, while the organisation carried out the recruitment of a permanent CEO appointment.
Earlier this year he was the Programme Director for Global Financial Services Week an innovative initiative between the financial services industry, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Universities Scotland and the unions designed to showcase the strength and depth of the financial services industry in Scotland.
Gordon will join the 2014 team in October 2008.