The William Syson Foundation (TWSF) is an Edinburgh-based specialist grant-maker established by the late Scottish banker, William Syson. With net assets of approximately £14 million held in unrestricted reserves, the Foundation distributes around £500,000 annually to support the arts, heritage and culture across Scotland.
The recruitment of a new Chair was a pivotal appointment as the organisation began implementing its newly defined medium-term strategy. The Foundation needed a leader who could help shape its next phase, supporting its mission of enriching lives through the arts while ensuring its resources delivered lasting impact across Scotland.
Context.
The recruitment took place during a period of strategic change and leadership transition. The Foundation had recently completed a comprehensive review, establishing three areas of focus: entrepreneurialism, skills and young people and the arts. At the same time, the existing Chair was preparing to step down after leading the Foundation through an important period of development since 2019.
With the Scottish arts sector facing significant funding pressures and challenges in retaining talent, TWSF needed a Chair who could provide strong stewardship of its assets while supporting a highly lean staff team of two in developing innovative approaches to grant-making.
The appointment was particularly important because the incoming Chair would help guide the Foundation through its first major strategic transition while overseeing substantial charitable assets in an increasingly challenging funding environment.
Brief.
The brief called for a leader with a strong understanding of charity governance in Scotland and a genuine commitment to the country’s cultural landscape.
Key priorities included experience in setting organisational direction, overseeing financial performance and acting as an influential ambassador within national funding and cultural networks.
The search was distinctive because it prioritised cultural fluency: a leader capable of balancing strategic decision-making with an understanding of the realities facing artists, cultural organisations and communities. The successful individual needed to combine sound governance and financial oversight with a practical appreciation of the sector’s challenges and opportunities.
Our approach involved extensive market mapping and carefully targeted outreach to individuals from public, private and cultural backgrounds. From a field of high-quality applicants, we focused on candidates who could balance oversight of a £14 million asset base with the collaborative leadership required to support a board navigating change.
Outcome.
The Foundation successfully appointed a seasoned financial leader and charity specialist as its new Chair.
Five candidates were interviewed for the role:
- A Chartered Accountant and former CFO with extensive experience leading strategic and financial transformation programmes. They brought a strong track record of guiding boards through periods of change and strengthening charitable impact through effective governance and grant-making.
- A former senior civil servant who led national cultural policy for the Scottish Government. They offered experience managing major arts budgets, supporting national cultural institutions, and chairing audit committees across the public and higher education sectors.
- An actuary and former start-up founder with expertise in financial stewardship and organisational growth. Their arts leadership experience included serving as Vice Chair of a national orchestra and helping cultural organisations develop sustainable income streams.
- A senior leader in arts governance with direct responsibility for multi-million-pound grant schemes. Their background combined charity leadership, public policy experience and a longstanding commitment to community participation in the arts.
- A senior operations executive with more than 20 years’ experience working across festivals, arts centres and cultural trusts. They also had significant expertise in commercial resilience, audience development and youth engagement.
The Appointee.
The appointee brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across the UK and US financial services sectors, alongside a track record of leading strategic change within grant-making organisations.
Their experience aligns closely with the Foundation’s future direction, particularly its focus on Entrepreneurialism and Skills. They bring valuable insight into financial resilience, organisational sustainability and the creation of long-term opportunities for people building careers in the cultural sector.
Since their appointment, the Board has benefited from strengthened financial oversight and a renewed focus on long-term planning. The Foundation is now well positioned to explore new funding approaches, address gaps where public support is limited, and expand opportunities for young people across Scotland’s cultural landscape.
“Peridot provided excellent candidate support during the recruitment process. In particular, the ongoing communication regarding the next steps was detailed and regular — so I was fully aware at all times. David was also very responsive to my questions and provided excellent supplementary information. Thank you!”
Chair, The William Syson Foundation
