Creative Scotland said its CEO Iain Munro is to step down from his position later this year “after thirty years of public service for the arts, culture and creativity in Scotland.”

Creative Scotland sai details of recruitment for the next CEO will be published soon. Munro will remain in post until the end of 2026.

“From starting out with the Scottish Arts Council in 1996, Iain was central to the launch of National Lottery funding for culture in Scotland and to the delivery of capital funding for countless award-winning projects across the country, as well as later leading the teams which delivered the Scotland-wide Cultural Programmes for the London 2012 Olympics and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games,” said Creative Scotland.

“Following the establishment of Creative Scotland, Iain served as Deputy CEO, Interim CEO and then, for the past eight years as CEO, representing the organisation across the UK and around the world.

“He was integral to establishing and growing the success of Screen Scotland; the successful introduction of Multi-Year Funding for cultural organisations that has transformed the landscape of support across the country; and has been at the heart of securing the biggest budgets from the Scottish Government for culture that Creative Scotland has ever seen.

“Iain also led Creative Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering vital emergency funding and support for people and organisations in Scotland’s culture and creative sector at a time of crisis, and subsequently recognised by the Scottish Government as an exemplar public body for that exceptional work.”

Creative Scotland chair Robert Wilson said: “Iain has been a tireless champion of Scotland’s culture and creativity for thirty years and his positive contribution to the sector, and to public life more broadly, has been immeasurable.

“We are all thankful to him for everything that he has achieved. Looking forward, the Creative Scotland Board has now instigated a recruitment process for Iain’s replacement, and we look forward to a high level of interest in an opportunity of such significance.”