Former Johnston Carmichael (JC) chairman Andrew Shepherd is joining property consultancy Galbraith in the same role.
Galbraith provides property consultancy services across the commercial, residential, rural and renewable energy sectors.
The firm employs more than 200 people based in offices in locations across Scotland, including Aberdeen, Elgin and Inverness, and the north of England.
Its current property marketing activity includes the sale of “outstanding” salmon and sea trout fishing rights in the Ythan Estuary, in Aberdeenshire, at offers over £500,000.
Mr Shepherd, 61, became a partner in Aberdeen-based accountancy firm JC in March 1994 and was the firm’s chairman from August 2010 to July 2019, when former chief executive Sandy Manson took over the role.
On his Linkedin social media page, Mr Shepherd highlights “considerable experience working with large family businesses and high net worth individuals”.
The Fettes College and Edinburgh University-educated business consultant had a spell as managing partner for JC in Scotland’s capital before taking over as group chairman from James Campbell.
He brings with him tremendous board-level experience and we look forward to him working closely with our broad-based partnership, talented employees and CEO.
Iain Russell, Galbraith’s outgoing chairman
Galbraith – the largest rural consultancy in Scotland and the north of England, managing farm, forestry, land and estate interests on more than 3.5 million acres – said Mr Shepherd would succeed Iain Russell as its chairman in September.
Mr Russell who is staying on as a partner, said: “The partners at Galbraith warmly welcome Andrew to the firm, our first chair from outwith the partnership.
“He brings with him tremendous board-level experience and we look forward to him working closely with our broad-based partnership, talented employees and CEO, Martin Cassels, to support the further development of our business.”
‘Resilient property market’
Mr Cassels added: “Like many businesses, whilst we have faced challenges over the last year or so we have emerged stronger and performed extremely well.
“We have a strong vision to look forward grow and develop our exceptionally progressive people and business further, with confidence and agility as we embrace new working practices.
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“This is set against a background of a very resilient property market and intense demand for all of our services.”
Mr Shepherd said Galbraith’s “wealth of expertise and deep knowledge across the entire property spectrum” meant it was “well-placed to go from strength to strength”. He added: “I am looking forward immensely to playing my part in this development.”
Meanwhile, Galbraith is marketing the Newburgh and Foveran “fishings” in the Ythan Estuary, 13 miles north of Aberdeen, as “a unique location for the best sea trout fishing in Scotland”.
Stewart Johnston, farm consultant at Galbraith in Aberdeen, said it was “a rare opportunity for fishing enthusiasts to acquire the rights to highly productive fishing”.
Mr Johnston added: “The rights have been held by the current owner for over five years, so this sale presents an exciting prospect for private individuals or alternatively corporate buyers interested in being able to host clients for a day’s fishing throughout the season.”
A nearby storage and equipment building is also up for sale at offers over £100,000.
