New Global People Director supports international expansion

Man in a blue suit standing against an exposed brick wall with a neutral expression.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of John Gillies as our first Global People Director.

John will lead our people strategy, provide support and strategic direction on HR issues and work alongside our leadership team to ensure that the right training, mentoring and people policies are in place to support our ambitious growth plans.

John joins us from KCA Deutag — an international oil and gas drilling, engineering and technology company. Previously, John was HR Director at ScotRail and Director of People & Development at Police Scotland.

Announcing this appointment, Gordon Stark, CEO, said:

“John’s appointment is an excellent step for Murgitroyd. He brings an impressive range of people and HR expertise which will help us to continue to attract, develop and retain the best people and enable them to deliver exceptional results for our valued clients. We see this important new role as a key appointment in investing in our future growth and ongoing success.”


John Gillies said:

“This is an exciting time to be joining Murgitroyd. The company has embarked on an ambitious growth strategy and our success will depend on our people. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team and all colleagues across the business to develop and implement a ‘people strategy’ designed to enable our growth plans and deliver sustained performance as well as support colleague and team development across the business.”

The logos of the Financial Times and Statista are shown, with the FT logo featuring black text on a cream background and the Statista logo in dark blue.
A hexagonal badge with the text "10+ YEARS IP STARS RANKED from Managing IP" in navy and gold on a cream background.
The logo features the words "The Legal 500" in stylised black and grey text with a modern, sleek design.
The IAM 300 logo features bold red and black text with a stylised red graphic element on a white background.
Text on a logo that reads "IAM 300 GLOBAL LEADERS 2025" with a design element of red three horizontal bars on the left.
The logo features stylised red lines, the text "IAM" in bold black and red, and "1000" underneath, set against a plain background.
WTR 1000 logo in various shades of blue, gold, and black, with a geometric design and text on a transparent background.
The image displays the Lexology Client and Industry News logo with a pattern of dark circles and the words "LEXOLOGY" and "INDUSTRY NEWS".
A round emblem with a gold eagle and the text "IP Eagle Talents 2024", surrounded by a gold border and a red ribbon with Chinese characters.
Logo of DéCIDEURS MAGAZINE featuring three shooting stars inside a circle and the magazine name in bold black and red text.
WIPR 2024 logo highlighting Diversity, with the tagline "Influential Woman in IP" on a teal background.
The Legal Benchmarking Social Impact Awards 2024 logo features a purple circle with "LBG" and bold black text to the right.
A colourful four-petal flower logo with a dark circle in the centre, accompanied by the text "IP INCLUSIVE" and the tagline "Working for diversity and inclusion in IP".
A colourful abstract logo with interconnected circles and the text "ADAPT.legal" underneath, set against a dark grey background.
European Patent Pipeline Program logo with the acronym "EPPP" in large pink letters above the full name in smaller dark blue text.
LSA logo with green text and leaf design, accompanied by black text reading "Legal Sustainability Alliance" and "Member | 2024".
A close-up of a cybersecurity badge featuring a blue background, green check mark, and the words "Cyber Essentials Certified."
A Cyber Essentials Plus logo featuring a blue and green circular emblem with a tick mark, accompanied by the text "CYBER ESSENTIALS PLUS".
The logo features the word "oveda" with a stylised, multicoloured swoosh design and the slogan “Invested in a better future” underneath.
Green and black logo featuring a stylised globe with wavy lines and the text "United Kingdom Best Managed Companies" beside it.