Argyll and the Islands Enterprise has appointed its 12th director.  Catriona MacLennan from the Isle of Tiree joins the board bringing with her a wealth of experience in community development and business management.

The mother of three teenage children, Catriona is a qualified PE teacher but has worked since 1981 with her husband building up their garage business and expanding into the haulage industry.  The company, MacLennan Motors now employs 13 staff in Tiree, Oban, Colonsay and Coll.

Catriona has been instrumental in establishing several island projects including the Tiree Windsurfing Club and the Tiree Gaelic Unit.  She is currently chairperson of the Tiree Working Group and has recently joined the board of An Tall, an organisation which aims to secure funding for a new hall on Tiree.

Commenting on her appointment Catriona said: "I am delighted to be joining the board of AIE.  I recognise that traditional industries are no longer going to sustain the long-term viability of our fragile communities and I want to use my own experience to demonstrate that there is scope for people to be entrepreneurial in business without having to leave the area."

Welcoming Catriona onto the board, AIE chairman Angus Johnston said: "We welcome Catriona to the Board.  It will be good to have a representative from Tiree in view of the company's current focus on our fragile islands.  I am confident she will be able to make a positive contribution to the work of the AIE."