SELECT, the campaigning trade body for the electrotechnical industry in Scotland, has elected John McKissock, from Ayr, as its new president. He replaces John Noble, from Bonnyrigg in Midlothian, who served in the post for three years.
At the same time, Eric Rae, of E. Rae & Son in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, has been elected to the post of vice-president.
John McKissock, previously the Ayrshire branch chairman, steps into presidential position after carrying out important work as vice-president. His company, McKissock Electrical, is a past winner of the Best Promotion of Certification award at SELECT’s awards ceremony.
John, a staunch Ayr United supporter and fan of Ayr Rugby Club, is the third SELECT president from Ayrshire, following in the footsteps of Sam Gibson and Archie Jay. As vice-president last year, he hosted a Central Board meeting preceded by a tour of the highlights of Burns Country. He will maintain his full schedule of branch involvement and strategy discussions, as well as focusing on areas of interest such as training, employer affairs, health and safety and public sector procurement.
John said, “It is a great honour to hold the post of president in an organisation which so effectively represents the industry to government. SELECT will continue to seek to influence legislation to create industry conditions which enable member firms to both provide a quality service to their clients and operate profitably at the same time.”
Remarking on the fact that he was the third Ayrshire president, John joked, “When I looked at the President’s board of names, dating back to 1900, I reflected that my fellow county predecessors were not really Ayrshire presidents – they were both from Kilmarnock.”
Newell McGuinness, managing director of SELECT, said, “John McKissock has already contributed so much to the electrical trade. He has a wealth of hands-on experience in the sector as well as a good knowledge of both our interactions with other industry bodies and of Scotland’s political environment.”
David Wright, Head of External Affairs at SELECT, said: “John has been a strong supporter of the electrotechnical sector in Scotland for many years and will bring considerable influence and experience to the role of President. Everyone in the organisation will join me in welcoming him.”
