NafisaCeltic have announced a significant change to their boardroom structure with the appointment of two new Non-Executive Directors, Mark Keane and Raymond Buchanan.
The announcement comes at an interesting moment for the club, with Celtic dealing with considerable scrutiny following a difficult week on the pitch.
Keane’s appointment takes effect immediately, while Buchanan will join the board once he concludes his current role as Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water.
The pair will fill vacancies created by the retirements of Peter Lawwell and Tom Allison, with interim chairman Brian Wilson confirming that the latest appointments form part of a wider process of refreshing the Celtic board.
It represents an important development away from the football pitch, even if the immediate focus around Celtic remains firmly on Martin O’Neill’s team following consecutive defeats to Rangers and Ferencvaros.
Celtic confirm two new Non-Executive Directors
Keane brings more than 25 years of experience across property investment, development and retail businesses.
He is the founder of Slievemore, a Scotland-based family investment office with interests spanning retail, property, leisure, development and investment, and is also a significant shareholder in Celtic.
Buchanan arrives with a different professional background but similarly extensive experience.
He is currently Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water and previously held senior communications and public affairs positions at SSE plc and Weir plc.
Before moving into corporate affairs, Buchanan worked as a correspondent and presenter with the BBC.
Celtic’s interim chairman Brian Wilson welcomed both appointments and indicated that the club’s boardroom changes are not necessarily finished.
“I am pleased to confirm that we have appointed two new Non-Executive Directors to fill vacancies created by the retirements of Peter Lawwell and Tom Allison. This process of board refreshment will continue.
“Our two new directors have excellent credentials, both as lifelong Celtic supporters and highly successful individuals in their professional careers.
“They will bring new ideas and insights to enhance the work of the board, its oversight of the club’s affairs and strengthening of relationships within the whole Celtic Family.”
The comments make clear that Celtic are looking beyond simply replacing two vacant positions, with the club describing the process as an ongoing board refresh.
Mark Keane’s Celtic connection
Keane’s appointment carries an especially strong personal connection to Celtic.
The 55-year-old comes from a family with deep involvement in the club, with his father John having played an important role at a key point in Celtic’s history.
Keane subsequently inherited that connection and has remained a lifelong supporter while building his own career in property and retail.
He revealed that his relationship with the club stretches back more than four decades.
“It is a tremendous honour to be invited to join the board of Celtic. As a lifelong supporter who has attended games for more than 45 years, it is particularly special to have the opportunity to contribute to the Club I have supported all my life.
“I hope to make a positive contribution and to support Celtic’s continued growth and success.”
His significant shareholding in Celtic also means that his arrival brings someone onto the board who already has a substantial personal connection to the club beyond simply being a supporter.
Raymond Buchanan’s Celtic journey
Buchanan’s route to the Celtic board is equally notable.
The 49-year-old grew up supporting Celtic on the Isle of Barra before eventually moving to Glasgow as a student.
Remarkably, his first job in the city was as a waiter at the Walfrid Restaurant at Celtic Park.
From those beginnings, Buchanan went on to establish a career in broadcasting before moving into senior communications and corporate relations positions within major companies.
His experience includes work at SSE plc and Weir plc, both FTSE 100 businesses, while his earlier broadcasting career saw him work as a BBC correspondent and presenter.
Buchanan said joining the Celtic board represented a major personal honour.
“Joining the board of Celtic is a great honour. The Club has a remarkable record of success on and off the pitch.
“I look forward to working with colleagues and using my experience to help Celtic continue to flourish for generations to come.”
Celtic’s board refresh continues
The appointments come at a time when Celtic’s leadership structure is already undergoing change.
Wilson’s confirmation that the board refresh “will continue” suggests that further developments could follow as the club considers the composition and expertise required at board level.
For now, Keane and Buchanan bring contrasting professional backgrounds to the board, with Keane offering extensive experience in property, investment and retail and Buchanan bringing expertise in communications, corporate affairs and broadcasting.
Both also have something Celtic clearly values: a lifelong connection with the club.
Whether their arrival ultimately brings the “new ideas and insights” referenced by Wilson will become clearer over time, but their appointments represent another step in the club’s ongoing boardroom evolution.
And with Celtic facing major challenges both on and off the pitch, the timing of that evolution could hardly be more significant.
Nafisa
