Thomas Baldwin
THE first thing you notice when you enter Dave Kendall’s office in 121 George Street is the astonishing view from the window, looking across the Forth to Fife and, on a clear day, the mountains beyond. The second thing you notice is that the office is festooned with flipcharts and there are pieces of paper on the walls, with a dizzying array of action points and priorities – testament to the complexity of the to-do list facing the Church of Scotland’s first Chief Officer.
Not that Dave, who has spent most of his working life in the nuclear power industry, seems daunted by a job he clearly feels is a natural fit for. “When I became aware of the new role and looked at the skills and experience requirements, there appeared to be good alignment in terms of my faith and working life, but in a completely different environment,” he says. “The relevant management areas I have been involved in include delivery of significant changes, improvements to interfaces between the head office and the power stations, office relocations, major projects and programmes, training, departmental/ office management and culture change.