Philip Riddle, Chief Executive, VisitScotland

Philip Riddle was appointed Chief Executive of VisitScotland in July 2001.  Philip has worked primarily in marketing and general management, travelling the world with multinational oil company, Shell.  He has also been a milkman, a teacher, a diplomat and, more recently, a business angel.

He was born in Dunfermline and has lived in the Far East, southern Africa, France, Switzerland and even England – but is very happy now to be living and working back in Edinburgh.

He was educated at Dunfermline High School and Cambridge University and has an MBA from Edinburgh University.

Philip is married with three sons and he enjoys ski-ing, walking and reading.  He is also involved on a voluntary basis with the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust.  He was awarded an OBE in January 2008.

Intermezzo Promotions

Intermezzo Promotions offers events and tours with a focus on the arts and culture in Scotland, targeting both leisure and corporate markets.  It manages private and corporate tours on behalf of Glasgow Museums, as well as bespoke arts tours and weekend theatre breaks for visitors to the City.

Clare McLeod, founder of Intermezzo, has a background in both the corporate world and the arts.  She left Glasgow Museums to set up the business, which won the Scottish Women in Business Most Enterprising Business 2007 Award and was a finalist in the Association of Scottish Businesswomen’s Annual Awards.

Andrew Ormston

Andrew is a senior cultural specialist with over 25 years experience gained in a range of organisations across the UK.  His expertise includes business, artistic and operational planning, strategic implementation, community involvement with arts and education and the conception and delivery of arts, leisure, and cultural strategies.

Following a period occupying the twin roles of Assistant Director for Culture, and Director of the Urban Fusion festival and legacy project in Birmingham, he worked as a Divisional Director of Cultural Services in London before moving back to Scotland to work for RGA Consulting, strategic and economic consultants to the tourism, arts and cultural sectors.

He has held senior appointments in the public sector cultural and arts environments in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Reading and London, and Board positions with a range of arts and leisure organisations.