Creative Scotland is seeking a new chief executive, following the decision of Andrew Dixon to step down at the end of January 2013.

The Scotland arts’ funding body has a budget of more than £75m of lottery and government money annually, and was established through a merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.

Dixon has had a role in the formation of The Year of Creative Scotland, The Guide to Scotland’s Festivals and a new capital programme, the Creative Place Awards.

However, there has been controversy surrounding him. In October 2012, 100 artists launched an attack on the management and running of the organisation and author, Ian Rankin, was among those to criticise the organisation’s decision making.

In a statement Dixon said: “I am proud of what has been achieved since the merger. We have delivered new resources for the arts and established strong partnerships with local authorities, broadcasters and many other agencies.

“I have been disappointed, given my track record, not to gain the respect and support of some of the more established voices in Scottish culture and I hope my resignation will clear the way for a new phase of collaboration between artists and Creative Scotland,” he says.