She will be leaving the Highland Council in February.

Ms Manson has been chief executive at Scotland’s largest rural authority, The Highland Council, since 2018 where she led the authority in developing an ambitious, sustainable, and connected vision for Highland.

She led the Highland Council through a period of immense change and challenge, including the Covid response and recovery and impacts of Brexit, as well as delivering UK, Scottish Government and local authority elections as Returning Officer.

She has a track record of improvement, best value and successful budget delivery, and rebuilding substantial reserves and resilience within The Highland Council, while implementing significant investment projects.

Convener Bill Lobban said: “Donna has done a tremendous job for The Highland Council in the most difficult and challenging of circumstances and I personally wish her well in taking up her new position with Devon County Council.”

Leader Raymond Bremner added: “Donna has been key to Highland Council delivering many successful outcomes and achievements during her time with us and I’d like to wish her all the very best in her new post with Devon County Council.”