Robert Cook

Hospitality sector executive Robert Cook has been appointed as the next chairman of the board of governors of Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, an independent school teaching boys aged seven to 18.

Cook was appointed to the board of Merchiston Castle School in March. He has more than 30 years’ experience at the helm of some of the UK’s largest leisure and hospitality businesses with roles including chief executive of Hotel du Vin & Malmaison, chief executive of De Vere Hotels, and UK chief executive of Virgin Active. He owns The Cookie Jar, a luxury boutique hotel in Alnwick, Northumberland.

Cook succeeds Gareth Baird, who has been chairman since 2014 and will complete his 11-year tenure at the end of the academic year on 27 June.

Baird said: “As a parent and a new governor to the board, Robert has quickly demonstrated his passion for the school, as well as strong business acumen to drive Merchiston forward in this new chapter.

“As a Merchistonian myself, I am extremely proud of the work we have achieved over the past decade including the refurbishment of our boarding houses, launching The Forest nursery and junior school, as well as the recent introduction of our new day fee. Merchiston is an outstanding school and I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Robert as we also welcome our new head, Huw Jones in August.”

Cook said: “It is an absolute privilege to support an institution with such a proud heritage and ambitious future. I’ve built my career by recognising talent and nurturing excellence, and I see those same qualities in abundance throughout Merchiston. This role is about ensuring we continue to successfully navigate the external headwinds the independent school sector has faced in recent years and evolve to meet the demands of tomorrow.”

Cook also holds advisory and board positions with Dobbies Garden Centres, Terra Firma Capital Partners, supporting its German hotel group, Welcome Hotels and Imbiba, the growth hospitality platform.