BBC Scotland boss Donalda MacKinnon to retire

The Director of BBC Scotland, Donalda MacKinnon, has announced she’s leaving the corporation after 33 years.

She made the announcement to staff at Pacific Quay today, and departs after four years in charge of all of the BBC’s teams and output in Scotland. She said that she had planned from the outset of taking on the top job that she would leave this year when she turned 60.

Donalda MacKinnon says: “Reflecting back on all that we have achieved, and with complete certainty that we are in strong shape for the future, I’ve decided that this is the right time for me to stand down and allow a new leader to take you all to the next stage. It has not been an easy decision for me to leave this job, a brilliant team and the best colleagues and friends I could have wished to have… but I am sure that this is the right moment for me and for all of us.”

The BBC’s Director General Tony Hall said: “Donalda has been a hugely valued colleague and friend. She has achieved an enormous amount in her time at the BBC and been a passionate advocate both for the BBC in Scotland – and for Scotland’s interests inside the organisation. And beyond that, as a passionate advocate of diversity and inclusion, Donalda has used her warmth and openness to bring about changes to the whole organisation, designed to make the BBC a great place in which to work for women and all. We’ll miss her – but we wish her a very happy retirement.”

Nations and Regions Director Ken MacQuarrie added: “Donalda’s passion for programme making, particularly from and about Scotland, has always shone in the many different parts of the BBC she’s worked in. She’s continued to champion this in both English language and Gaelic output in her role as Director of BBC Scotland, while also bringing her vision, empathy and a real resolve to pushing culture change within the organisation.”

Donalda will remain in the job until the autumn to allow time to hand over responsibilities to her successor, with recruitment beginning shortly.

Before becoming Director of BBC Scotland, she was Head of Programmes and Services across radio, TV and digital – an prior to that headed up Children’s and Gaelic services for the corporation in Scotland.