ONE of the pivotal figures in Glasgow's reinvention over the past 15 years is to quit.
Scott Taylor, chief executive of the hugely successful Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, has announced he will step down in the coming months.
Under his stewardship the Marketing Bureau has become one of the most successful in the UK, propelling Glasgow to the A-list of European conference destinations.
The most recent figures show Glasgow attracted new conference business worth almost £75million in the aftermath of last year's Commonwealth Games.
In recent years it has also outperformed London in securing lucrative conference business and beating competition from major European capitals including Lisbon, Prague, Rome, Dublin, Bucharest and Berlin with winning bids for major events.
Mr Taylor's tenure has also seen events such as the MTV Awards being staged in Glasgow.
It is understood the 53-year-old, who claims to work up to 90 hours per work, will not retire and has given a commitment he will not seek a move to a rival operation touting for the same business as Glasgow.
He does not leave under any trawl for redundancies of senior staff across the wider Glasgow 'council family'.
One source said: "Scott's successor is someone the council needs to get so right but could get badly wrong. He's been a crucial figure in the city's economy, securing the conferences, filling the hotel beds and getting the spending going in the city."
Another said: "The next few years are going to be pretty grim for public expenditure. Scott delivered the good times and rather than managing decline which may well flow from spending pressures he's off for new challenges. No-one will begrudge him that."
In an email to staff, Glasgow City Council chief executive Annmarie O'Donnell said: "After ten successful years leading Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Scott Taylor has decided to step down.
"I don’t need to remind you of the successes the bureau has had, from their seemingly endless run of Convention Bureau of the Year wins, to the launch of People Make Glasgow, to their role in our world leading events strategy, Scott has led a team which has delivered successes for this city which would have been unthinkable in the past.
"Glasgow is now Scotland’s fastest growing tourism destination and between now and March we will take steps to ensure we have the structures in place to continue the bureau’s success.
"I am sure you will want to join me in wishing Scott well for the future."
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