Scottish Friendly has promoted its chief actuary, Scott McNeill, to chief financial officer as the mutual prepares for its proposed merger with OneFamily. The appointment still needs regulatory approval. McNeill replaces Alan Rankine, who is leaving to take up an opportunity outside the organisation.
The move is part of the society’s succession planning. McNeill will take charge of the finance function and join the board as an executive director. If the merger with OneFamily goes ahead and receives the necessary approvals, he is also set to become chief financial officer of the combined organisation. Taking a seat on the board gives the finance chief a direct role in the governance decisions that will shape the merger.
McNeill brings financial, actuarial and industry experience to the post and has supported the mutual’s strategic priorities, financial resilience and long-term growth plans in his current role. Rankine followed a similar route: he joined Scottish Friendly in 2018 as chief actuary and moved into the finance director’s seat in 2022. He will stay until early next year to support the merger work and hand over the role in an orderly way. The handover period means the outgoing and incoming finance chiefs will overlap during the run-up to the deal.
Chief executive Stephen McGee said the promotion shows the strength of talent and succession planning inside the society. He said McNeill’s knowledge of the business, together with his actuarial and finance background, leaves him well placed to lead the finance team. McGee added that the mutual’s leadership team, governance and focus on long-term value for members put it in a good position for the future. He also credited Rankine with helping to shape the society’s current strength over eight years with the organisation.
McNeill said he was pleased to take on the role at “such an important period in Scottish Friendly’s history”. He thanked Rankine for his support over the years and said he would keep working closely with him and the rest of the executive team in the coming months as the two organisations move towards the proposed merger.
