The Chief Executive of Scottish power supplier SSE has been appointed as the new President of an energy industry body.

Ian Marchant (pictured) has voluntarily taken the new role at the Energy Institute (EI) from Joan MacNaughton (pictured) for the next two years after a decade of working for SSE.

He will be stepping down from the top spot at SSE later this summer and the new position is sure to fill up some of his freed up schedule.

Mr Marchant said: “I have spent the last 21 years working in the energy industry and have grown to appreciate the skills, knowledge and experience of everyone in the sector and the key role that energy plays in our modern life. I am delighted to be able to continue this involvement through the Energy Institute, which develops and promotes that knowledge and those skills as well as good practice for the benefit of the industry and society as a whole.”

He is also the Senior Independent Director at the Aberdeen-based oil and energy company John Wood Group, Chairman of the Scotland 2020 Delivery Group, a member of Ofgem’s Environmental Advisory Group and the Energy Research Partnership.

The EI supports more than 16,000 individuals working in or studying energy and 250 energy companies worldwide.