TRIBUTES have flooded in for a Greenock finance expert who headed up one of the country's top investment firms.

James (Jim) Galbraith, who was born and grew up in the town, rose through the ranks to become Scottish Friendly's chief executive.

He died suddenly last month at the age of 58, leaving family, friends and colleagues devastated.

Much-respected Jim had guided the financial institution through the Covid-19 pandemic.

In over 30 years with Scottish Friendly he helped transform the company into the largest mutual insurer in Scotland, with £5.3 billion worth of investments.

Former Greenock Academy pupil Jim is remembered by loved ones as kind, gentle and incredibly bright, a man who could make people cry with laughter, while also generating huge respect and love from his 200-strong workforce.

Close friend and colleague Neil Lovatt said: "Jim was a very gentle and kind soul.

"He absolutely cared about people, his friends and colleagues and their families.

"Jim was invariably the wisest person in the room - he’d normally have worked out the solution to a problem before it had been articulated.

"But rather than push his intellect on others he knew it was important to let people have their say.

"You’d feel his kindness and care whenever you reached out to him.

"Whether it was a personal problem, a professional one or you just needed to talk he was always there for you."

Jim was born to mum Margaret and dad Nelson and had a brother Ian and sister Sheila.

He went to Ardgowan Primary before the family spent two years in Raleigh, North Carolina when his dad - who worked with IBM - was sent there on secondment.

On his return he went to Greenock Academy before studying actuarial science and statistics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, later achieving an MBA at Warwick University.

Jim had a lifelong love of rugby as well as other sports and was a voracious reader.

His brother Ian, who lives in North Berwick, said: "Jim was in some ways rather quiet but he could make you cry with laughter with a dry comment.

"He was a kind man who took an interest in people and showed it in little but important ways.

"We will remember him as incredibly bright, incredibly kind and incredibly funny."

Loved ones say his greatest achievement was the love and respect he fostered from all his colleagues.

Jim spent 33 years with Scottish Friendly and was pivotal to the firm's rise on a national scale.

In a moving online tribute collection from colleagues the company said: "Jim Galbraith has been at the heart of Scottish Friendly’s journey for 33 years.

"His faith in the people he worked with had no limit.

"He was a truly inspirational leader, greatly admired by his Scottish Friendly family, friends and colleagues in an industry he was passionate about.

"Jim’s wisdom, presence and dry wit simply stood him apart.

"He will be sadly missed by all of us."

Scottish Friendly was transformed during Jim’s time in the business and he was widely regarded as the key behind this process, as the investment firm made eight acquisitions in 12 years.

He took over as chief executive in 2017 and today Scottish Friendly is the largest mutual insurer in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK.

Last year Jim was named Director of the Year at the Institute of Directors Scotland Awards and earlier this year he was awarded Protection and Investment Services – Leader of the Year at the CEO Today awards.

He will be sorely missed by colleagues family and friends alike.