Board Members

Kirsty Darwent - Chair of the Board

Dr Kirsty Darwent took up office as Chair on 11 December 2017. She has wide ranging leadership experience within the charitable and public sector and a professional background as a Chartered Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist. She has a substantive governance experience and is Chair of Relationships Scotland, a Director within the Family Therapy Training Network and the former Vice-Chair of the Board of NHS Ayrshire and Arran Director. She is committed to widening board diversity and is a coach and mentor with Changing the Chemistry.

Bill McQueen - Deputy Chair

Bill held a range of senior management posts in the Scottish Government, with responsibility for policy development, strategic planning and operational delivery. Latterly, he was Deputy Chief Executive of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, responsible for corporate services, policy and finance matters. He was a member of the Accounts Commission for Scotland from 2008 to 2014, a non-executive Board member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board and a lay member of the Employment Tribunal Service for Scotland from 2010 t0 2018. He is currently a non executive Board member of NHS Lothian.

Nick Barr

Nick is a former British Red Cross UK director for ambulance and first aid services. He has over 30 years' experience in operational and emergency service delivery and leadership in the public and 3rd sectors, including the Royal Air Force and the Scottish Ambulance Service as a divisional manager. He has recent leadership experience in large-scale change management and clinical governance. He was awarded an MBE in 2002. Nick is also a voluntary director in the Scottish Orienteering Association.

Brian Baverstock

Brian is a qualified accountant and independent consultant specialising in public sector governance and risk management. Before setting up his own business Brian had a long career in the public sector in Scotland, most recently at the Scottish Funding Council where his responsibilities included oversight of the standards of governance and financial and academic performance of Scotland’s universities and colleges. Throughout much of his career Brian has been involved in public sector reform. As the founding Chief Executive of APUC Ltd, the procurement Centre of Expertise for Scotland’s universities and colleges, he led a transformational change programme to deliver significant improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement activity across these sectors. Brian has 10 years’ experience as a non-executive director in the public and voluntary sectors. He is currently on the Board of the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Donaldson Trust.

Bob Benson

Bob is a former Scotland Director of the Disability Rights Commission, Executive Director for Community Development in England and Wales with Scope, and Director of Disability Scotland. He is currently a trustee of Foundation Scotland, and Chair of their Innovation and Impact Committee. He is serving a third term as a member of the Transport Scotland, Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS).

Anne Buchanan

Anne qualified as a registered nurse in the 1970s, trained as a social worker in the 80’s and had a career in the NHS spanning 40 years. She worked in the NHS in England and Scotland and retired from her post as Board Nurse Director for NHS Fife in 2013. Anne has held previous non-executive director posts in both the NHS and the 3rd sector, and worked with Alzheimer Scotland for 3 years until December 2016.

Marieke Dwarshuis

Marieke’s career in Scotland spans over 20 years in the public and voluntary sector in a wide range of roles including Director of Consumer Focus Scotland and positions at the Scottish Government, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Citizens Advice Scotland and Shelter Scotland. She is currently a non-executive Board member of the Scottish Legal Aid Board and a member of the Board of Food Standards Scotland, and sits on the Board of Hillcrest Housing Association Ltd Group of Companies.

Michael Foxley

Michael lives on a working croft in Lochaber in the West Highlands. A past Leader of Highland Council and retired GP, he is now the Chair of the FE Regional Board of UHI, a member of the UHI Court and a Board member of Crown Estate Scotland. He has many political and personal links across the Highlands and Islands.

Robin Iffla

Robin is a director of an Equality and Diversity Training Company which delivers training and facilitation to public, private and third sector organisations. With over 35 years of public service, he has worked in local authorities, served as a police officer and equalities officer, and as a consultant in the fire and rescue service. A patron of several charitable trusts, Robin is also the Past Dean of the Merchant Guildry of Stirling and serves as a Deputy Lieutenant for the Lieutenancy of Stirling and Falkirk.

Sid Patten

Sid has held senior executive positions in both the public and private sector. As a Non-Exec, he has experience of working with Board members, executive staff and stakeholders of public and charitable bodies on the challenges of fiscal contraction and the process of change.

Primrose Stark

Primrose is an experienced Board Member having served in the Private and Public Sectors as both Executive and Non-Executive Director. She was most recently the Chair of Gen2 Engineering and Technology Limited which specialises in the provision of training to the nuclear, manufacturing and engineering sectors and as a Non-Executive Director for 6 years on the Board of David MacBrayne Ltd which owns CalMac Ferries. She is a former Board Member of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and was an HR Director in the Rail Industry. She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development with a focus on business transformation and change management.

Fiona Thorburn

Fiona’s career spanned roles in publishing, utilities and financial services. She has successfully led significant change management functions, played a key strategic leadership role in the delivery of major change programmes and has an MBA from Strathclyde Business School. She is currently running her own business designing, making and restoring furniture.

Tim Wright

Tim is an experienced management consultant having worked with a number of high profile professional service firms and having held senior roles in a number of private sector companies. He is currently a director of a consultancy which he co-founded. An acknowledged thinker and practitioner in the emerging field of the crowd economy Tim is a published author, an experienced speaker, and is Chair of the Dean's Board of ULSB and an advisor on the Buckminster Fuller Challenge.