Independent Chair, Surgeons Quarter

Overview

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is the oldest Surgical College in the world with a heritage spanning over five centuries. With a prestigious network of over 34,000 professionals in over 140 countries across the world, we touch every stage of the career path from medical student to consultant, and the College is home to Surgeons, Dental Surgeons and members of the Surgical and Dental teams who put Patient Safety at the heart of everything they do.

Our high-quality education and examinations ensure that standards are upheld across all specialities across the world.

Our commercial arm, Surgeons Quarter (SQ), operates with a clear purpose to generate sustainable income that supports the College’s charitable mission of advancing surgical education, standards, and patient safety worldwide. It does this by offering a diverse portfolio of hospitality, events and travel services to and beyond the Membership, delivering exceptional world class experiences while making a substantial contribution to the College’s strong financial position and member value.

Now seeking to appoint Surgeons Quarter’s next Chair, we are looking for a dynamic, proven leader with significant senior-level experience in a commercial organisation and a track record of delivering profitable growth. With substantial financial acumen and strategic vision, you will bring a growth mindset to a business that blends entrepreneurial ambition with social purpose. Prior experience of chairing boards and navigating charity governance will be essential, and candidates who have worked within commercial subsidiaries supporting parent charities will be of particular interest.

We are open to securing a fresh perspective on our opportunities and challenges, so you may be new to our sector. Regardless of sector background, we must appoint a leader of the utmost integrity and credibility, with a grounded, pragmatic approach, and an ability to build strong, collaborative and respectful working relationships at all levels. This is an opportunity to influence, innovate, and lead at the heart of an organisation that is thriving and ambitious for the future.

If you are inspired by our mission and have the experience to contribute to business performance excellence, we look forward to hearing from you.

To apply for this post please click apply the website.

For an informal discussion about the role, contact our recruitment partners, Gatenby Sanderson: russell

Closing Date:
Friday 13 February 2026 at 5pm

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is committed to fostering equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across its global membership and operations, and welcomes applications from all backgrounds.