THE former media chief of Scotland’s biggest airport operator is taking off in a new direction.
Donald Morrison, formerly Head of Media for BAA Scotland – which owns Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports – has set up his own media and PR consultancy, after more than five-and-a-half years with the airport group.
New Horizon Media offers media and PR support, copy writing, crisis management and media training. It will also provide specialist media and public affairs support for the air transport industry, including Donald’s former employer, Glasgow Airport, which has recently signed up the fledgling company to provide freelance media relations support.
Said Donald: “After five fantastic years with BAA Scotland, I felt it was time for a new direction. It was a great experience working for Scotland’s biggest airport operator. Now it’s time to put that experience to work elsewhere. Setting up my own company gives me the freedom to explore new opportunities. However, I’m delighted that Glasgow Airport has agreed to retain my services on a freelance basis. It’s a dream start to my new venture.”
As head of Media for BAA Scotland, Donald took charge of the company’s response to the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport two years ago, for which he and his team received two gold awards for ‘Crisis communications’ from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Donald added: “That was a difficult and challenging experience for everyone involved, but it was also a superb example of a company that takes crisis management seriously. The fact that we were able to re-open the airport within 24 hours of a terrorist attack speaks volumes. It made the job of communicating to passengers and stakeholders so much easier. That was a model response to a crisis, and I think a lot of organisations have learnt important lessons from that attack in terms of their own preparedness. This is one particular area where I can offer a unique perspective.”
