RSPBA Chief Executive reportedly resigns with ‘elongated notice’

According to several reliable sources, Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Chief Executive Colin Mulhern has resigned from his role with the world’s most powerful piping and drumming organization.

If the reports are accurate, the move comes about six weeks before the RSPBA’s annual general meeting on March 9th and at a time when the association is faced with the prospect of delivering only two championships in 2024 when five major competitions typically would be held, as per the RSPBA’s stated purview.

Mulhern will reportedly stay on for an “elongated period of notice,” according to one RSPBA insider who spoke on condition that their name is not used. The notice is allegedly likely to be either six or 12 months, which would see the organization through some of all of the 2024 competition season.

Mulhern was appointed to the £50,000+ chief executive role in April 2022. He oversaw two competition seasons with the RSPBA after incumbent Ian Embelton held the post for most of 22 years.

Among his accomplishments, Mulhern’s management of the organization in its difficult return after two cancelled seasons due to the global pandemic was seen as a success, notwithstanding the cancellation of the British Championships in 2023 due to an inability to find a new sponsor.

Before Mulhern, the association had announced the appointment of Alison Burke to the job in December 2021, only to see her leave the post before her probationary period ended, Embelton stepping back into the role.

At the time of publication, Mulhern had not responded to a request for details.

The association’s scheduled January board of directors meeting was reportedly not held.

While the chief executive position is the highest-paying and most publicly visible role in the RSPBA’s largely volunteer-based organization, it is mainly administrative. The board of directors controls the association.

RSPBA Chair Kevin Reilly’s term reportedly finishes this year, and President George Ussher has allegedly expressed his intention to retire.