Natalie McKail joins with leadership experience in local and central government and the charity sector 

Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA) has appointed Natalie McKail as its new chief operating officer.

Natalie McKail will become chief operating officer at SBHA on 24 August 2026

McKail will join the 5,700-home landlord on 24 August 2026 with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across local and central government, the regulated private sector and the third sector in Scotland.

She was previously a ministerial independent appointee – inspector for the Scottish government, a role in which she provided an analytical report on the bereavement sector to ministers. She has also been a senior manager for Edinburgh council as well as a director at funeral provider Dignity.

McKail currently chairs Held In Our Hearts, a charity providing support to bereaved families who have experienced baby loss.

In her new role, she will lead across SBHA’s operational services and business support functions, with a focus on service quality, performance and outcomes for tenants, customers and communities.

SBHA operates across 49 settlements in the Scottish Borders. It reported an annual turnover of £27.5m in 2024-25.

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