The Spey Catchment Initiative (SCI) is delighted to announce the appointment of Martin Gilbert as the new Chairman of its Board of Trustees. The SCI is a public-private partnership that has recently become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It delivers environmental improvement and conservation projects to make the River Spey catchment more sustainable and resilient to the ravages of climate change, restoring our iconic salmon and helping many of nature’s other threatened species in the process.
Martin Gilbert is a renowned businessman and co-founder of Aberdeen Asset Management. He is also the Chairman of Revolut, Toscafund, the Net Zero Technology Centre and Scottish Golf. As a passionate advocate for Atlantic salmon and a keen supporter of environmental conservation efforts, Mr. Gilbert’s appointment is expected to provide a significant boost to the SCI’s mission to restore and improve the natural ecosystems of the Spey Catchment.
As Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr Gilbert will oversee the SCI’s strategy, governance, and financial stewardship. His dynamic leadership and extensive experience in growing and leading large financial organisations will provide confidence to private and public investors in the SCI and its landscape-scale restoration projects. These projects will benefit the whole of the Spey Catchment, it’s wildlife and communities.
The SCI has successfully delivered numerous projects that have improved habitats and helped nature to flourish in the upper River Spey, including the River Calder Restoration Project and the Glenshero River Restoration Project. With Martin Gilbert’s appointment, the SCI will take this much further, implementing landscape-scale projects to restore the River Spey and its iconic salmon while helping nature’s recovery throughout the catchment.
Dr Sandy Scott, Chairman of the Spey Fishery Board, said, “The Spey Catchment Initiative is the most exciting development on Speyside for many years and we are delighted that Martin will be its first Chairman. Anglers from across the world visit the River Spey each year to fish for salmon, providing the backbone of our local economy. So, we must do all we can to help our Atlantic salmon – an iconic species sadly now in crisis – and as a committed angler, Martin will always have this in mind.”
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Gilbert said, “Atlantic salmon are in crisis, not just here in Scotland but across their whole North Atlantic range. I am therefore delighted to help reverse the fortunes of this iconic species as the Chair of this new organisation, which will be working hard to restore our rivers to their former glory.”
Ewan Harris, Director of Savills and Chair of the SCI’s steering group, said, “We are delighted to welcome Martin Gilbert as the Chairman of our Board of Trustees. His vast experience and reputation for dynamic leadership will help us to deliver large-scale restoration projects that benefit the whole Spey Catchment, its wildlife, and communities.”
The new SCI will be formally launched in late April, and Martin Gilbert will officially assume his role as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Spey Catchment Initiative in May 2023.
