ONE of Scotland’s leading social enterprises, the Wise Group, has announced the appointment of Sean Duffy as its new chief executive.

He will succeed current chief executive Laurie Russell, who is retiring after 11 years in the post.

The Wise Group transforms lives in Scotland and the north east of England and has been doing so since 1983. It makes a positive difference to people, communities and society by supporting customers gain new skills and employment, reducing re-offending, regenerating communities and tackling fuel poverty.

Sean is commercial director of Newsquest Scotland and has an impressive senior leadership track record with a number of high profile organisations such as FirstGroup, National Express and STV Group. He is highly qualified and experienced in strategic leadership, business growth, stakeholder engagement and service delivery.

Stuart Patrick, chair of the Wise Group board of trustees, said: “We had several very strong candidates for this post, but Sean stood out due to his excellent skills, knowledge and commitment to the values and culture of the Wise Group.”