Today we announce a landmark leadership transition, as Peta Hay is appointed Chair of the Board, succeeding Peter Lawson CBE, who steps down after 12 remarkable years in the role and a total of 17 years on the Board.
Alex Reedijk OBE FRC, Scottish Opera’s General Director, paid warm tribute to his outgoing Chair: ‘Working alongside Peter for over a decade has been one of the genuine privileges of my career. He took on the Chair role in 2014 and has steered this Company with a steady hand through every kind of weather: Brexit, a pandemic, and no shortage of other challenges along the way. In all that time, I never once saw Peter’s belief in Scottish Opera waiver. He has been a wise counsel, huge fun, a fierce advocate in the corridors of government, and a true friend to this Company and everyone in it. We would not be the organisation we are today – reaching 109,000 people across 31 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities this year alone and still finishing the year in surplus – without his guidance. On behalf of everyone at Scottish Opera, thank you, Peter. It has been a joy and an honour to work with him.’
Under Peter's chairmanship, the Company has continually found new ways to do more with what it has. Following a strategic Board decision, Scottish Opera restructured how it presents opera to make far more efficient use of its sets, resources and theatre time – pairing productions such as The Merry Widow with Trial by Jury and A Matter of Misconduct! on a single adaptable set and reviving La bohème to share its backdrop with new productions of L'heure espagnole and The Bear.
Peter Lawson said: ‘To chair Scottish Opera for the past 12 years has been, frankly, a labour of love. I have had the privilege of watching this Company’s extraordinary people – our singers, our musicians in The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, the artisans in our workshops who build entire worlds out of wood, steel, paints and fabrics, our Outreach and Education team changing lives far beyond the theatre walls, and a Senior Management Team of real vision and resilience – pour their talent and heart into everything we do, year after year. None of it would of course be possible without our audiences and our supporters, whose loyalty and generosity I have never once taken for granted. Working alongside all of them has meant the world to me. I know I am leaving Scottish Opera in the very capable hands of my successor Peta Hay and wish the entire Company my very best wishes for the future.’
Taking over the role is Peta Hay, who joined Scottish Opera’s Board in 2024. She brings with her a wealth of board leadership experience. Peta said: ‘I am honoured and delighted to become Chair of Scottish Opera, an organisation that has been at the heart of Scotland’s cultural life for decades. Through my time chairing the CHAS Board, I have seen first-hand how critical strong governance is, and the role it plays in enabling an organisation to deliver its core purpose. Thanks to Peter’s leadership, I am inheriting a Company that is remarkably well placed to navigate the numerous challenges of delivering the arts in Scotland. I look forward to continuing to make the case, loudly and often, for the sustainable investment the Company deserves, and to supporting the extraordinary people of Scottish Opera as they continue to bring world-class opera to communities across Scotland.’
Peta previously served as Chair of the Board of Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), having built a career in senior leadership roles including Store Director and Group Talent Director at Tesco PLC, Group Talent Director at Asda/Walmart, and Scottish Managing Partner at Saxton Bampfylde. She now works as a Management Consultant and Executive Coach, supporting Chief Executives and senior leaders across a wide range of sectors.
You can read more about all Scottish Opera Board members here.