Three new appointments have been made to strengthen the board of Western Isles Enterprise (WIE) and for the first time, one of the new members has experience on the board of another enterprise company.

The new members bring expertise from a wide range of fields, including accountancy, web development, running small businesses, catering, hotel management, and aquaculture.

They all responded to advertisements for directors to join the board which appeared earlier this year.

One of the trio is Mr Neil Campbell, of Scaristavore in South Harris.  He served for five years until 2001 on the board of Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise, while running Harlosh Salmon on the Isle of Skye.

He built the company up, eventually employing 12 staff, and sold it to Stolt Seafarms before moving to live in Harris, where his wife was born. He is now a management consultant and has developed the Blue Reef holiday cottages in Scarista.

Mr Campbell said: "Western Isles Enterprise has got a vital role to play in developing the economy of the Islands.   If there are opportunities for development, then the enterprise network has to be there to grasp them."

He added that he was particularly concerned about population decline in the Islands and how it could be reversed through greater economic opportunities and by attempting to reduce transport costs.

Joining Mr Campbell on the WIE board is Alex Tearse.  He co-founded the Stornoway-based website development company Reefnet, after the new media wing of Eolas - of which he was manager - was closed down. He has previous experience in this sector having worked in England and in San Francisco.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Tearse said: "WIE helps to grow small businesses by helping take some of the risk and uncertainty out of it.  The provision of training and advice through local providers gives small businesses someone they can turn to.

"My main area of expertise is in e-business which is an important strand running right through WIE's core activities.  E-business take up is a key part of WIE's Growing Businesses strategy affecting not just IT businesses, but all businesses in all sectors.

"E-business and internet technologies have an important role to play in strengthening communities, allowing links to be forged between those who have left the Islands and the folks back home, with some being encouraged back."

The third new director is Isobel Graham who, after being involved in a number of catering establishments, has been the co-owner of the award-winning Orasay Inn, Lochcarnan, South Uist since 1987.

Isobel comes from Lochcarnan and has been able to bring her skills to bear to help create a local business which can accommodate up to 20 guests overnight as well as cooking around 100 meals.

She said she was looking forward to working as a WIE director because the enterprise network had assisted her over the years and she wanted to put something back for the benefit of others.  She has acquired a lot of business knowledge to go with her catering expertise and felt it was time to do something more with it.

The three directors who stood down were Western Isles Fishermen's Association chairman Duncan MacInnes who took up a place on the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise along with Willie Macdonald from North Uist, and Norman Macaskill from South Uist.

WIE chief executive Donnie Macaulay welcomed the trio to the board saying: "It is essential for WIE to have a wide range of experience and interests represented on its board.  We very much look forward to working with Neil, Alex and Isobel."