Trustee of Scotland’s Down’s Syndrome charity, working with people with Down’s Sundromes and their families to build community, support, awareness and advocacy

The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust is a limited company, paying tax on its income and makes grants for political, campaigning or lobbying purposes that are ineligible for charitable funding. We allocate about £2m a year to promote democratic reform, civil liberties and social justice.

Policy lead for Scotland's largest dementia charity.Focus on involvement and participation, great relationships, innovative policy solution development, human rights based approach, influence at every level, international engagement, strong evidence base using research and the lived experience.

Chair SCVO's elected policy committee to inform, advise and develop SCVO's public policy work on behalf of its members.

Member of Scotland's strategic skills policy and funding committee

• Lead policy prioritisation, research and development on complex priorities including economic impact of constitutional change, skills and education, employability, procurement, European regulation and funding.• Policy development as above results in the formulation of clear, hard-hitting policy positions that influence decision-makers to improve the business environment in Scotland.• Policy team project planning and management. • Developing and authoring reports, consultation… Show more • Lead policy prioritisation, research and development on complex priorities including economic impact of constitutional change, skills and education, employability, procurement, European regulation and funding.• Policy development as above results in the formulation of clear, hard-hitting policy positions that influence decision-makers to improve the business environment in Scotland.• Policy team project planning and management. • Developing and authoring reports, consultation responses. Oral and written evidence to parliamentary committees.• Represent Scottish Chambers of Commerce and advocate SCC’s policy positions in the media, to politicians, parliamentary committees and government, and across the policy and business communities.• Business development: contract identification, tender writing, partnership opportunity identification, negotiation.• Developing and implementing communications strategy for lead policy areas including media, lobbying, stakeholder and member communications, and third party advocacy.Successes:• Tendered for and won commercial contracts for SCC using my own tender, research and evaluation expertise.• Grew SCC’s media impact and capacity, pushing SCC’s relevance and public/stakeholder visibility into new issue areas.• Developed clear policy project management framework for SCC policy team.• Achieved Government policy shifts on areas including youth employment, cross-governmental cooperation, procurement.• Created and developed credible and respected strategic approach to Scottish constitutional change issue.• Deepened research, policy and communications support to local Chambers of Commerce.• Created and developed new partnerships for SCC using previous expertise and networks. Show less

The role:• Creating and delivering pro-active strategies for policy, political and stakeholder management for a range of clients within one of the world’s largest public relations companies.• Providing public affairs leadership on health care, voluntary sector and social enterprise accounts.• Developing and ensuring compliance with contract terms.• Identifying and securing new voluntary and public sector business.Successes:• Delivered high-level political and… Show more The role:• Creating and delivering pro-active strategies for policy, political and stakeholder management for a range of clients within one of the world’s largest public relations companies.• Providing public affairs leadership on health care, voluntary sector and social enterprise accounts.• Developing and ensuring compliance with contract terms.• Identifying and securing new voluntary and public sector business.Successes:• Delivered high-level political and stakeholder influencing opportunities for clients.• Maintained up-to-the minute political and public policy knowledge in order to provide excellent, proactive expertise and advice.• Provided ongoing public policy expertise for clients and for non-specialist colleagues. Show less

The role:• Leading the Electoral Reform Society’s Scottish operation.• Negotiating the office budget, including fundraising and sponsorship.• Developing and managing a multi-disciplinary staff, including goal-setting, coaching and career management.Successes:• Established the Society’s office, strategy and staff team in Scotland.• Lead the Society’s Scotland office to become the first port of call for public, press and political professionals seeking… Show more The role:• Leading the Electoral Reform Society’s Scottish operation.• Negotiating the office budget, including fundraising and sponsorship.• Developing and managing a multi-disciplinary staff, including goal-setting, coaching and career management.Successes:• Established the Society’s office, strategy and staff team in Scotland.• Lead the Society’s Scotland office to become the first port of call for public, press and political professionals seeking information, analysis and opinion in Scotland on elections.• Developed and maintained excellent relations with the Scottish Government, political parties and other key decision-makers.• Initiated and managed comprehensive research and stakeholder engagement programme to embed the Society in academic, policy, political and community development arenas.• Trained political parties, public affairs professionals, media and the public about the new local government electoral system in the lead-up to the 2007 elections.• Created a volunteer activist network to reach right into all of Scotland’s communities. Show less

The role:> Managing a £2.5m employability project as part of an EU transnational partnership. 27 project partners included Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow, Scottish Enterprise and JobCentre Plus.> Working with public and voluntary sector organisations across Scotland’s largest local authority to engender major change in policy and practices> Leading projects that engaged people furthest from the labour market, including people with complex and long term physical… Show more The role:> Managing a £2.5m employability project as part of an EU transnational partnership. 27 project partners included Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow, Scottish Enterprise and JobCentre Plus.> Working with public and voluntary sector organisations across Scotland’s largest local authority to engender major change in policy and practices> Leading projects that engaged people furthest from the labour market, including people with complex and long term physical or mental health issues.> Developing and rolling out evidence-based policy, and managing staff and budgets.Successes:> Developed and presented evidence base for eventual establishment of Glasgow Works.> Used evidence from projects to influence local, Scottish and UK governments’ and EU employability strategies and policies.> Developed and managed the performance of 20 projects.> Successfully bid for and negotiated additional funding from EU and programme partners. Show less

The role:> Managing a high profile, c.£1m partnership project working to close the gender pay gap, coordinating the diverse project partners.> Monitoring programme and financial compliance and reporting, budget and grants. Line managing project staff.> Lead significant EU activity with the European Commission and other EU states.Successes:> Influenced Scottish, UK and European policy, and employers’ organisations and advisers.> Initiated the first outdoor… Show more The role:> Managing a high profile, c.£1m partnership project working to close the gender pay gap, coordinating the diverse project partners.> Monitoring programme and financial compliance and reporting, budget and grants. Line managing project staff.> Lead significant EU activity with the European Commission and other EU states.Successes:> Influenced Scottish, UK and European policy, and employers’ organisations and advisers.> Initiated the first outdoor advertising campaign in Scotland on the gender pay gap.> Promoted public’s and employers’ awareness of gender pay gap and solutions.> Advocated to ensure project drove Scottish Executive policies on gender equality and inspired other projects across the EU. Show less