The Chief Executive of Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce has announced that he will move on from the role to pursue a new challenge.

Damon Scott, who has led the development and transformation of the Chamber for the last seven years, will take up a new opportunity with Invest Renfrewshire.

During his time with the Chamber, Mr Scott has boosted the organisation’s turnover, created a string of employment opportunities and was responsible for the creation and delivery of many projects and programmes.

Chamber President, Mary Ann Smith, will take on the leadership of the organisation in the short-term to move it into its next phase of development with the support of fellow board members.

Mr Scott said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to lead the development of the Chamber over the last seven years.

"I am extremely proud of our achievements and incredibly appreciative of the relationships I have built and the support I have had from all the amazing partners, members and other stakeholders.

“On the back of our recent rebrand and launch of our new website, we have continued to modernise and position the chamber as a dynamic organisation that is at the heart of the Dunbartonshire business community.

"We are now a highly relevant, fast-growing chamber that promotes accessibility and generates impact for the range of businesses and partners we work with.

“As part of our strategic development, we defined our purpose “to make a positive impact on the economy and communities of Dunbartonshire” and this is now at the core of everything we do.

“With the Chamber in a much stronger position than when I first took it on and a fantastic board in place, the time felt right to take up a new challenge.

"I can move on confident in the knowledge that Mary Ann and the other directors will take the organisation forward positively into its next phase of development.”

Over the period, Mr Scott guided businesses through the unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, coordinated the delivery of the Scotland Loves Local campaign across Dunbartonshire and set up the Building Bridges Skills Development Programme and ChamberForce Armed Forces Programme in the region.

Mr Scott’s new position at Invest Renfrewshire will see him return to a tourism-focused role, having played a key part in the launch and development of Loch Lomond Shores, which was quickly established as one of Scotland’s most popular visitor destinations.

Mary Ann Smith said: “Damon has been the driving force behind the transformation of the chamber over the last seven years.

"We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and commitment he has shown and the fantastic relationships he has built with members, partners and the wider business community.

"Whilst he will be sorely missed we wish him all the best in his new role, I am sure our loss will be Invest Renfrewshire’s gain!”