ZOE Ogilvie, the highly experienced Scottish public relations executive, has stepped down from her role as head of BIG Partnership in Aberdeen.
Ms Ogilvie, who founded the agency in the Granite City more than 22 years ago, posted on professional networking site LinkedIn that the “time is right for me to step aside but it’s also right for the business”.
She will be replaced at the helm of BIG in Aberdeen by Gayle Grant, formerly head of the agency’s energy practice. However, Ms Ogilvie will remain with the firm, working on key client accounts and advising colleagues.
Ms Ogilvie posted: “At a recent event someone I hadn’t seen for a while asked me why I wasn't retired yet! And there was me thinking I was looking not too bad. But obviously 30 years in the fast-paced, always-on and challenging PR environment, both in-house and in agency, has taken its toll. Either that or I’ve been around for so long that people believe it’s time I was put out to pasture!
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“Well, little did this person know then that the wheels were already in motion to enable me to take a (small) step back from the business.
“Having founded BIG Partnership in Aberdeen over 22 years ago, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the talented team, who deliver for clients across all sectors not just in Scotland but around the world. I’ve been fortunate to benefit from the knowledge, generosity, experience, support, kindness and loyalty of so many people throughout this period. I’ve worked with some fabulously accomplished colleagues and learnt a huge amount along the way.
“With exceptional growth in the last three years, BIG in Aberdeen is on track to reach turnover of £2.5m this year. The time is right for me to step aside but it’s also right for the business. Taking my foot off the gas, to a certain extent, will enable the amazing team in Aberdeen to step up and drive the business to the next stage.”
Ms Grant takes over at BIG in Aberdeen with more than 25 years’ of public relations experience. The one-time journalist spent several years in agency roles in Cambridge and Manchester and led campaigns for large-scale regeneration projects. Ms Ogilvie noted that Ms Grant joined the BIG energy team in 2010 and was appointed to the board 10 years later.
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Ms Ogilvie added: “Gayle will be ably supported by Shona Hendry, Richard Crighton and Pam Wilson who between them have over 80 years’ experience.
“It’s been a non-stop roller-coaster ride and I’m now looking forward to working at a reduced pace and with a little less intensity, albeit with an enduring passion for our industry and 100% commitment to BIG. I’ll still be involved in key client accounts and available to advise and support the team as they bring a fresh, dynamic approach to meeting clients’ needs in today’s even faster-paced and constantly changing, marketing and communications landscape.
“I’m hugely indebted to Gayle, Shona, Pam and Richie (and the rest of our talented team) for making this possible and congratulate them on very well-deserved steps-up.”
The change comes after Ms Ogilvie joined the board of Aberdeen Football Club in June 2021. She was part of the management buyout team that acquired BIG from founding directors Alex Barr and Neil Gibson in 2016.
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