Member Profile - Ronnie Johnson

Member Spotlight

Ronnie Johnson

Kirkwall Town Centre Partnership

c/o WHB Sutherland Ltd, 43 Victoria St, Kirkwall, KW 15 1DN

Ronnie.johnson@ktcp.org.uk

www.orkneycommunities.gov.uk/KTCP

Ronnie Johnson is a man with a huge number of connections in Orkney built up over 32 years with the Royal Bank of Scotland which he retired from in 2000.

He then worked as the College Development Officer developing the commercial activities of the College which included helping to set up the Agronomy Institute. It was at this stage that Ronnie became involved with Fusion as he was looking to gain new contacts to benefit his college role.

In 2008 he decided to try retiring but in 2009 he became the voluntary Chairman of the Kirkwall Town Centre Partnership made up of town centre businesses, HIE, Orkney Means Business, the Community Council, Planning & Economic Development of the local council plus Councillors from the 2 Kirkwall Wards. They looked at various options for the town centre and decided to look at becoming a BID (Business Improvement District) and obtained grant funding to help them set this up. Ronnie has also attended the BID Academy to learn all about this special areas springing up throughout Scotland.

Ronnie’s experience in Orkney, his knowledge of most of the businesses in the town and his contacts further afield mean he has been able to push this project on. He is in fact a Business Development Consultant and is registered with Development Partners as a specialist advisor. He has expertise not only in financial matters, but also in marketing and business growth.

At the moment he is working on the Kirkwall Town Centre Partnership project which is looking to go to ballot to decide whether Kirkwall Town Centre will become a Business Improvement District later in 2011. If the BID scheme is approved they hope to work on a number of key issues to improve business opportunities in the town not least of all the issue of car parking – only one car park near the town centre is currently free.

Ronnie has found Fusion useful for advice, maintaining contact with peers and building his contact network. If any Fusion members are looking for contacts on Orkney then Ronnie would be a good place to start!