St Andrews Timber & Building Supplies has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Kevin Johnston as its first finance director.

Mr Johnston brings a wealth of experience to the role having been most recently Commercial Director and Chief Finance Officer with Edinburgh Leisure.

Prior to that he ran the finances in successful multinational public and entrepreneurial companies including the global healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson and Caledonian Alloys, formerly Scotland’s Outstanding Private Company of the Year following exceptional growth where turnover increased from £12m to £95m in just four years.

Responsible for the reporting, planning and strategic financial development of all of the companies in the St Andrews Group, he will play a key role in a wide range of projects working with colleagues across the business to deliver on growth ambitions.

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Managing director Ronnie Robinson said the expansion of the executive team with Mr Johnston’s arrival will put the company, which has two branches in Edinburgh, one in West Lothian and one in Renfrewshire, in a strong position to continue its growth plans.

"The company is at a size now with four branches, around 100 staff and so many moving parts, that it became a necessity to employ a finance director to pull everything together and get a real handle on the company operations from a more defined financial and numbers perspective," he said.

"Kevin is hugely respected in his field and showed impactful leadership in his previous roles. With his character and values, I’m confident he is going to be a great asset to us.

"We are looking forward to utilising his skills to further grow and improve St Andrews in a multitude of areas. As an integral part of our business growth strategy, he will play a big role in reporting to directors and senior management, helping to develop and implement new strategies for growth, profitability and cost-savings.

"He will work very closely with the board, and we expect to see the benefits of the appointment company-wide in the near future."

Mr Johnston said: "I instantly liked Ronnie from our first meeting, and it was clear from the people I met during the interview process that he has built a great team at St Andrews.

"The business has grown hugely over the years and the opportunity to utilise my experience in helping the further expansion of this ambitious entrepreneurial company is really exciting."