Experience

Blackwood Homes and Care

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Board Member

  • Jan 2023 - Present



Chartered Institute of Housing

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 100 - 200 Employee

• National Director (Scotland)

  • Sep 2018 - Present

• Deputy Director (Scotland)

  • Mar 2018 - Sep 2018



Association for Scottish Public Affairs

• Convenor

  • Dec 2017 - Dec 2019



Pagoda Public Relations

• United Kingdom
• Public Relations and Communications Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Account Director

  • Jan 2014 - Feb 2018

  I lead public affairs activity within Pagoda Porter Novelli and manage the Homes for Scotland, Boots, FirstGroup and Waitrose accounts, among others. I am responsible for the development of public policy and external engagement strategies for each client, identifying how and when to communicate with decision makers. By strengthening partnerships with stakeholders I help my clients enhance their reputation, which means they are better placed to meet their commercial/ policy objectives. Recent outcomes include helping Boots obtain record levels of MSP favourability in an independent survey and securing committee and government inquiries for the British Psychological Society on the issue of head injury and reoffending.In addition I deliver our public affairs training courses and chair the new business committee.

• Senior Account Manager

  • Mar 2013 - Jan 2014



Home Link Family Support

• United Kingdom
• Mental Health Care
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Board Member

  • Jun 2013 - Nov 2014



Age Scotland

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Policy and Parliamentary Officer

  • Sep 2010 - Feb 2013

  I was responsible for Age Scotland’s lobbying and influencing activity; this includes the preparation of policy briefings and consultation responses as well providing oral evidence to Parliamentary Committees and regular meetings with MPs and MSPs. I was also responsible for developing public policy for the charity and have an authoritative understanding of issues concerning the wider third sector. This understanding of public policy gave me the opportunity to appear on television as a commentator on older people’s and third sector issues, and I now have extensive experience with all types of broadcast media. I also sat on a number of working groups representing older people and I used these groups to advance policy beneficial to older people and build strategic cross sector links. I also line managed the Policy Officer and provide support and oversight for his delivery of the Housing project that the charity conducted on behalf of the Scottish Government.



Social Enterprise Scotland

• United Kingdom
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Policy and Communications Officer

  • Jan 2009 - Sep 2010

  My key task was to raise the profile of social enterprise with policy and decision makers. This was done by developing an annual programme of parliamentary engagements including speaking at Cross Party Groups, drafting consultation responses, preparing debate briefings, arranging visits to social enterprises and building relationships with politicians to embed support for social enterprise in their respective manifestos. I was responsible for policy development within Social Enterprise Scotland and I drafted the 2010 General Election manifesto and successfully lobbied to ensure policies supportive to social enterprise were in each of the main parties manifestos. To inform policy development I hosted and facilitated quarterly policy forums with Social Enterprise Scotland members.



The Scottish Parliament

• United Kingdom
• Legislative Offices
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Researcher

  • Jun 2006 - Jan 2009

  I was responsible for providing research support to the Parliamentary group in my portfolio areas; Communities, Third Sector, Justice, Local Government and Sport. This involved preparing detailed briefing papers for all relevant debates, writing standard letters and responding to policy inquiries. I also devised oral and written questions, drafted parliamentary motions and prepared press releases, all against tight deadlines. The post also involved policy making and I regularly engaged with relevant stakeholders to help develop party policy; for example, I drafted parts of the 2007 Manifesto and I wrote policy motions for party conferences. My role also involved writing campaign packs on Local Income Tax, Housing and Crime for activists and I was responsible for managing the party internship programme