ABBOTSFORD TRUST - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
- Head of HR & Development at Borders College
Debbie is Head of HR & Development at Borders College, and has over thirty years of experience in HR and Administration roles. Debbie is currently operating at a strategic level on the FE sector wide HR and OD Committee which has representatives from all of Scotland's Colleges in attendance as well as representatives from College's Scotland. This Committee provides advice and guidance to the Employers Association and College Principal's on HR and OD issues. In addition she is active on a number of national negotiation and work groups developing terms and conditions and policies for the FE sector in Scotland and has served as Chair of the Civilian Committee of the Galashiels ATC.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
George was born in Galashiels and educated at Edinburgh University, where he graduated with an MA in Scottish Historical Studies. He joined the staff of the then National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in 1980, becoming Keeper of the Scottish History and Archaeology Department in National Museums Scotland, retiring in 2016. He oversaw the creation of the Scottish 18th and 19th century displays of the National Museum of Scotland and curated the exhibition Silver: Made in Scotland in 2008 and more recently was lead curator of the Mary Queen of Scots exhibition. He is an expert advisor to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and a Member of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh. His special interests include Scottish ceramics, clocks, Jacobite relics, pewter and silver on which he has published extensively.
The John Muir Trust Award is an internationally-acclaimed award scheme based upon the principles of Scottish naturalist, John Muir.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
- Chairman of Fundraising & Investment Committee )
John started out as a lawyer in Edinburgh, like Sir Walter Scott a member of the Writers to the Signet. He moved into industry with Christian Salvesen in 1986, leaving in 1997 when Aggreko demerged and the Edinburgh Head Office closed. After a short time in the International Division of Bank of Scotland John joined Noble Grossart in 2001. In 2005 he took the job of CEO of Archangels, the leading angel investment group, and retired in 2015. John continues to advise in the early stage sphere and sits on the boards of four early stage companies and a VCT.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
Martin began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, becoming Senior manager in the Corporate Recovery Division, prior to moving across to Historic Scotland in 2000 to oversee and manage the annual grants budget. As Head of Grants, Martin was responsible for an annual grants budget of £15million, including allocations to high profile projects including Rossyln Chapel, Dumfries House, and Abbotsford. For a 3 year period he was Scottish Government's representative to Abbotsford, attending Board meetings. As Corporate Services Manager at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), following the merger of HS and RCAHMS, Martin worked on a number of high level corporate projects including the business case for the merger. After his retirement in 2018 he acted as a consultant to HES to evaluate HES policies and potential projects such as the possible multi-million pound renovation of Mavisbank House.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
- Executive Director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations
Matthew is the Executive Director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO), a membership body created in 2019 to represent the interests of consumers as claimants in the civil justice system. A former parliamentary candidate and current county councillor, he worked for a decade at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) before becoming speechwriter to the chief executive of RSA Insurance and then to the director-general of the BBC. More recently he was government relations lead for Slater & Gordon before establishing his own consultancy in 2018. Matthew is Sir Walter Scott's gggg-grandson.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
Roddy is Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and a member of the Faculty of Advocates Abbotsford Collections Trust. As a practicing KC his expertise covers media law, professional negligence, professional discipline, insurance law, commercial disputes, procurement, intellectual property, human rights, prescription and limitation, and judicial review.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
Sarah spent all of her thirty eight year investment management career at Baillie Gifford, and led the Japanese department before retiring in 2018. As well as being an External Director of a Japanese company, she now has a variety of roles in the voluntary sector including being the Chair of the Edinburgh International Festival Endowment Fund and the Chair of the Scottish Episcopal Church Pension Fund. She also chairs the Future Asset Steering Group which seeks to inform senior school girls about the potential of investment careers and runs a successful investment competition. She is also the President of Saint Andrew Boat Club, the 176 year old Edinburgh rowing club to which she recently contributed a chapter on ‘Increasing Inclusion' to their Short History.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
- Chairman of Executive and Audit Committees )
- Founder and Principal of Gall Robertson Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers
Sheila began her career with a co-operative, providing its farming members with budgeting and financial control services, followed by a period with a software company providing and organising installation, training and support throughout the UK - both positions bringing computers and their benefits to rural businesses for the first time. She moved to the Scottish Borders in 1989 as an assistant farm estate manager, and following the sale of the farms, trained as a chartered accountant.
Sheila is the Founder and Principal of Gall Robertson Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers in Tweedbank, established twenty years ago and now with a team of 18 and a wide ranging client base. Sheila also currently serves as Financial Director of Stewart Technology Ltd and is a Trustee of the Energise Galashiels Trust.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Writers to the Signet
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of TRUSTEES
Stephen has spent much of his career living and working in Scotland, in various senior roles with the National Trust for Scotland (including Director of Marketing & Enterprises) and the Royal Collection, where he was responsible for shops at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Windsor Castle and The Queen's Gallery and a senior member of the project team for the first five summer openings of Buckingham Palace. He has also managed and developed The Real Mary King's Close in Edinburgh, during which period the attraction won several awards for marketing, visitor experience and business excellence, as well as growing visitor numbers and revenues, and improving the conservation and interpretation of this unique site. In addition he has held senior roles at the Royal Opera House Production Park (Thurrock, Essex, as Director), the British Music Experience at The O2 (as Director) and the Science Museum Group (as Head of Commercial Development). Today Stephen works as a consultant, speaker and business coach.