A change of command in choppy waters

Scotland used to have numerous captains of industry. With fewer corporate headquarters, they are rarer these days, and tend to have shorter periods of command.

Bob Keiller is one such. He has announced that he is standing down as chief executive of Wood Group at the end of the year. That's after performing one very important role for any chief executive - picking and bringing on a successor.

Step forward: chief operating officer Robin Watson, the company's third chief executive since Sir Ian Wood, each recruited internally.

These are not easy times to be steering a energy services corporate supertanker through the narrow straits of today's oil prices. And one can but speculate that Bob Keiller had checked the charts for what lies ahead, before concluding that it ain't going to look any more attractive for some time yet.

The share price peaked at 818p in July last year, and following a rocky ride off the back of Brent crude, it's risen to 680p with the succession announcement.

Rather than batten down more hatches, and after only three years at the helm, the 51-year old Jedburgh engineer is moving on, powered by his signature restless energy and infectious enthusiasm.

Robin Watson takes over in January

He was once named as Scotland's Entrepreneur of the Year, and he was chairman of the Entrepreneurial Exchange. That may seem an odd fit for someone on top of an organisation which was employing more than 50,000 people (now rather less).

It's hard to remain as nimble as true entrepreneurs like to be, when on the bridge of the vast Wood Group. That said, Keiller has cast doubt on whether he's of the typical frame of mind for someone who likes serial start-ups.

He made his name, and a mid-range fortune, by taking on a neglected corner of the Halliburton Group in a management buy-out, building it up from an Aberdeen base as PSN, and selling it to Wood Group five years ago.

For £607m, then chairman Sir Ian Wood got not only the oilfield services expertise in PSN, but also the skill set of its leader, who soon emerged as the heir apparent.

Retiring, not shy

His approach to the company has been to find synergy across its divisions, and also to focus on values. In winning contracts across some wild frontier oil and gas basins where baksheesh is expected, Wood Group seeks to stand out as a company with which you can deal straight.

Bob Keiller would have the values tattooed on every employee: safety, integrity, innovation, social responsibility and treating people with "respect, fairness, openness, honesty and without bullying".

There's also straight talking. Bob Keiller told The Herald that his PA is under instructions to pin up on a noticeboard of shame anything he says that's pretentious.

The company statement says he is "retiring" from Wood Group at the end of the year, but it's unlikely his focus will be on the bowling club, golf course or his studio for painting. (He nearly went to art college instead of engineering at Heriot-Watt.) He's saying only that "I have several businesses that I am looking to develop". That looks like a space worth watching.

Arnold's motoring

On the subject of Scottish entrepreneurs, the success of Sir Arnold Clark is plastered in bright yellow across so many vehicles that it probably just seems part of the street furniture to most of us, and often taken for granted.

So with publication of his accounts at Companies House, it's worth noting that Arnold Clark notched up an 11% rise in sales to £3.27bn, with pre-tax profits above £107m.

During last year, it shifted 250,000 new and used cars. It took over dealerships in the Highlands, plus businesses in Leeds and Milton Keynes.

At the end of its 60th anniversary year, it had net assets of £679m. And according to the accounts, its highest paid director (the founder is both chairman and chief executive) trousered £3.3m.

Sir Arnold has been around a while in the business, but his staff are winning awards for being ahead of the pack with the website and social media. It is a priority to make the company an attractive place for IT developers, with 70 already employed.

Moving from its headquarters at a car showroom in Glasgow's Strathbungo, a new headquarters is being built in the west of the city at Hillington.

Sir Arnold signed off his 2014 accounts by thanking his staff and business partners - as you might expect - but above all, the "unwavering loyalty" of his customers. That's both classy and a reminder of the priority that has built up the showroom empire to its current scale.