News & Updates

Food Standards Scotland Chair, Ross Finnie, pays tribute to George Brechin OBE

At today’s Board Meeting (Wednesday 21 October 2020)  Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Chair, Ross Finnie, paid tribute to colleague and FSS non-executive director, George Brechin OBE, who died last Saturday morning after a short illness.

A Board member since 2015, Mr Brechin brought to FSS a wealth of experience gained from an extensive career in public service across the NHS on both sides of the Border, retiring in 2012 after 10 years as Chief Executive of NHS Fife.

Mr Brechin was also a Board member at the Health & Safety Executive, Chair of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Board, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and was interim Chief Executive of the State Hospitals Board until 2015.

Mr Finnie said: “It was with great sadness and a real sense of shock that we at FSS learned of George’s death.  Sadness at the loss of a colleague who had become a friend and shock because it was only in September that George became unable to attend Board meetings.

“George was a major influence on our development since we were established in 2015.   He was hugely supportive of everything that FSS did and equally supportive of the team that made it happen.

“The Board benefitted from his considerable intellect, his capacity to focus on the big picture while never forgetting the importance of good governance.  He also possessed a fine sense of humour and regularly brightened Board proceedings.   A thoroughly decent man and proud public servant he will be very, very sadly missed. 

“George’s wife Carol and her family are very much in the thoughts of myself and the whole of the FSS team at this difficult time.   They can be really proud of his achievements and the role he played across the public sector in Scotland.”