Eddie Frizzell retired from the Civil Service in 2006, where as Head of the Scottish Executive’s Enterprise Transport and Lifelong Learning Department from 1999 he was regularly involved in appointments to major NDPBs.

From 1991 to 1999 he was Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, prior to which he was Director of Locate in Scotland. In the 1980s he headed the Finance Division, responsible for budgeting, programming and monitoring public expenditure, and the Higher Education Division of the former SED. From 1978 to 1982 he was First Secretary in the Office of the UK Permanent Representative to the European Communities in Brussels, dealing the Common Fisheries Policy.