Members of University Court
The University Court is made up of 26 members (currently 25 in post), including representatives from senior management, academic staff, trade unions, students, alumni, Fife Council and non-executive members appointed on a skills basis. Court is chaired by the Senior Lay Member.
Since a large part of the University's funding arises from public sources, it is important that Court's procedures and practices demand the highest standards of conduct by the Court and its members. They must also ensure adherence to conditions set out in financial memoranda which are agreed by the University and the Scottish Funding Council.
Individual members of Court have a duty to carry out their responsibilities in an honest, objective and informed manner, at no time supporting sectional interests. Their guiding principle must be to pursue the best interests of the University as a whole. Prior to accepting appointment or nomination for election to Court, prospective members should understand and accept the responsibilities which membership entails and should also consult with the Executive Officer to the University Court should there be any possibility of a conflict of interest.
A list of all current members of University Court and their register of interests can be found below.
With effect from Friday 9 January 2026 the Rector has been removed from her role as President of the University Court and as a Charity Trustee. Stella Maris continues to hold the office of Rector as St Andrews with her term ending in October 2026.
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Biography
Ray Perman started his working life as a journalist on newspapers, including The Times and the Financial Times, before co-founding the business magazine company Insider Publications Ltd. He was an executive director of Caledonian Publishing plc, which bought the Glasgow Herald from the conglomorate Lonrho, later Scottish Media Group. Since then he has had a portfolio career and writes books.
From 2011-2017, Ray chaired the James Hutton Institute, a scientific research organisation working in the fields of environmental sustainability and food security, and from 2014-2017 he was Director of the David Hume Institute, which commissions research and organises seminars on economic, political, social and business issues affecting Scotland.
From 2005-2013 he was chair of the Access to Finance Expert Group, which advised the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on policy relating to the financing of small and medium-sized businesses. He was a member of the board of Scottish Enterprise from 2004 to 2009 and chair of Social Investment Scotland, which makes loans to the social economy, from 2001-2009. He is a former member of the court of Heriot Watt University and chaired three small companies, including his son’s radio and digital media business.
Ray is married to the journalist and editor Fay Young. They have three sons. In his spare time he plants trees and paints. He is author of The Man Who Gave Away His Island (2010), a biography of the Gaelic scholar John Lorne Campbell, HUBRIS: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain (2012), The Rise and Fall of the City of Money (2019), a financial history of Edinburgh, and James Hutton, The Genius of Time, a biography of the Enlightenment geologist.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Honorary Life Fellow of the James Hutton Institute and a trustee of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- Inner Ear Ltd
- Poorboy Ltd
- Inner Ear Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Royal Society of Edinburgh (fellow)
- Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (trustee)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE became Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in September 2016. Her academic career before that was spent at the University of Oxford, where she was a Fellow of St Hilda’s College and Professor of Older Scots literature and, latterly, served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education. She is a board member of Universities UK, a trustee of UCAS and of the Europaeum, and a member of the advisory board of the Higher Education Policy Institute.
Professor Mapstone leads on widening access work for Universities Scotland, and is chair of the international advisory board for the University of Helsinki. In 2017 she received the Foreign Policy Association of America medal for services to higher education. In 2019 she was elected to the fellowship to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Earlier in her career she worked as an editor in the book publishing industry.
As an academic, her research deals with literature in Scots and in Latin before 1707, with political literature, and with book history. She is Honorary President of the Scottish Text Society, an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies, and President of the Saltire Society, which champions Scottish culture.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- President, Universities UK
- Chair of Trustees, Higher Education Policy Institute
- Member of board of trustees of the Europaeum
- Trustee of the Newbattle Abbey College Trust
- Board Member of Universities Scotland
- Trustee, Dr Sloan’s Trust, St Andrews
- Advisory Council member, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
The Deputy Principal works closely with the Principal and other members of the senior management team shaping the University strategy, and is responsible for developing and managing strategic relationships locally, nationally and internationally.
The Deputy Principal’s responsibilities include:
- deputising for the Principal and Vice-Chancellor within and outwith the University as required
- overseeing the University space and asset management strategy
- development of the University's international teaching and research strategy
- relations with government ministers, policy makers and higher education sector bodies
- line management responsibility for the Admissions Unit, Academic Registry, Careers Unit, Development Office and the Global Office
- Chair of the University’s Admissions, International, and Space and Asset Management Committees
- member of Academic Senate and the University Court
Brad MacKay is Professor of Strategy in the University of St Andrews Business School.
Formerly he held a Chair in Strategic Management at the University of Edinburgh Business School, where he was also:
- Director of Engagement on the Executive Team (2014 to 2016)
- Head of the Strategy and International Business Group (2011 to 2014)
- Director of the MBA programmes (2009 to 2011)
Professor MacKay also held an ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) Senior Fellowship in the Future of the UK and Scotland programme (2013 to 2014).
He earned a BA in International Development Studies from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, an MLitt (with Distinction) in Management, Economics and Politics (MEP) and a PhD in Strategy from the University of St Andrews.
He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
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None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Alison has comprehensive experience of higher education (HE). She passionately believes in the power of higher education to transform lives and that students and staff are at the heart of any successful higher education system. She is an advocate for, and works widely in, the areas of effective governance, leadership and excellence in teaching and learning, and the advancement of equality, diversity and inclusion. She has contributed to a variety of boards throughout her career and advises governments and higher education institutions around the world on HE development and reform.
She is the chief executive of Advance HE, the UK higher education sector’s development body for all staff and all HE providers. She was appointed in 2017 to lead the merger of the three national agencies, the Higher Education Academy, the Leadership Foundation, and the Equality Challenge Unit, to create Advance HE in 2018.
Prior to that Alison was chief executive of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE). With three decades of experience in higher education, she has held a variety of senior posts, including head of policy for leadership, governance and management at HEFCE (The Higher Education Funding Council for England, now the Office for Students, the HE regulator for England), where she led on a wide range of policy themes and established both the Leadership Foundation and the Equality Challenge Unit. Having been an employee in a university, the civil service and the private sector she has worked regularly in Scotland and seeks to bring a range of perspectives to Court. A lay member of Court since 2021, Alison is the Convenor of the University's Governance and Nominations Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
She is a past president and chair of the Association of University Administrators (now AHEP) and advisor to the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and is a member of its Remuneration Committee. She also sits on the British Council’s steering committee for Going Global, their major international higher education conference.
Alison has extensive international experience and led the review of teaching and learning enhancement for the Australian Government, which established the Office for Learning and Teaching to enhance teaching quality across the Australian higher education sector. She regularly takes part in conferences and events, both nationally and internationally, and has been an invited speaker in more than 30 countries on four continents, speaking on all aspects of university leadership, governance and management.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
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Employed as CEO of AdvanceHE, a sector owned higher education agency and educational charity for the development of people, institutions and systems in higher education.
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Honorary Fellow of the AUA (Association of University Administrators)
- Member of the Remuneration Committee of the ACU (Association of Commonwealth Universities)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- Husband, Professor Sir Terence Stephenson
- UCL - Nuffield Professor of Child Health
- Health Research Authority for England - Chair
- RCPCH - Trustee, Past President and Fellow
- Royal College of Physicians, London - Fellow
- Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh - Honorary Fellow
- Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh - Honorary Fellow
- Royal Australian College of Physicians - Honorary Fellow
- Royal College of Physicians of Ireland - Honorary Fellow
- Royal College of Surgeons, England - Honorary Fellow
- Royal College of General Practitioners - Honorary Fellow
- Royal College of Anaesthetists - Honorary Fellow
- College of Anaesthetists of Ireland - Honorary Fellow
- Hong Kong Academy of Pharmacy - Honorary Fellow
- Association of Medical Educators - Honorary Fellow
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Biography
Cam is originally from Aberdeen, Scotland. He studied Law at the University of Chester, graduating with an LLB in 2021, and moved to St Andrews the following year to begin an MLitt in Legal and Constitutional Studies.
Soon after arriving, Cam was appointed a Postgraduate Taught Representative for the School of History, beginning a strong involvement in student representation. In 2023, he was elected as Director of Education in the Students’ Association (SA), launching the Association’s Change Programme, an initiative to guide the organisation through transformation in response to evolving student demographics, changing expectations, and the lasting impact of the pandemic. Alongside this, he expanded postgraduate representation, served as the student lead on the Academic Calendar Consultation, worked with Association Deans to establish a University-wide Extensions Policy, and oversaw reforms to Academic Alerts. During this time, Cam served on University Court, Academic Senate, and a number of other University and SA committees.
In 2024, Cam was elected SA President, completing the Change Programme with a restructure that included the appointment of the Association’s first CEO, a review of democratic systems, updates to the Association’s laws, a stronger partnership with the University and a significant increase in the Association’s funding. He also led key student-focused projects, such as the Campus Larder, while continuing to serve on Court, Senate and wider committees.
Following his Sabbatical roles, Cam was elected as a Student Trustee for the Students’ Association in 2025 and subsequently invited by the Rector to serve as Rector’s Assessor, returning to University Court in this capacity. He has now resumed his MLitt in Legal and Constitutional Studies and is expected to graduate in July 2026.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Student Ambassador (part-time, casual), Admissions, University of St Andrews
Directorship of companies:
- Director of the Coporate Trustee, University of St Andrews Students' Association (Trustees) Limited: please see Section 6.1 and 6.2 of the SA's Constitution
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Member of the Board of Trustees (as an elected Student Trustee) of the University of St Andrews Students' Association, through the Corporate Trustee: please see Section 6.1 and 6.2 of the SA's Constitution
- Member of the University of St Andrews Students' Association (as a matriculated student)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Robin graduated with an MA in Engineering Science from Oxford University. He gained a Golf Blue and is a Life Member of The Oxford Union. He joined Cargill Inc and spent the next 20 years shipping grains, rice and sugar from countries of plenty to those in need.
During the late 1980s, Robin joined Prudential Bache Trade Finance and financed the sale of equipment and technology from the UK to Central and Eastern Europe. He formed Fiscot Ltd, a joint venture with Bank of Scotland to promote business in Central Europe, and set up his own consultancy in 1992.
In 1997 Robin was headhunted to be Managing Director of the International Division of Morrison Construction Group and was responsible for developing projects in St Petersburg, Kiev, Berlin and Johannesburg. When Morrison was taken over by Anglian Water Robin reverted to his consultancy business, helping to finance property and industrial projects in Poland, Germany and the UK.
Robin and his wife moved to St Andrews in 2007. Two of their four children were students at the University of St Andrews who, after graduating, moved on to successful careers in London.
In 2022 Robin stood for election as a Fife Councillor in St Andrews Ward, and serves on the North East Fife Area Committee and Planning Committee. He is also the Depute Convenor of the Finance, Economy and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee, a trustee of the St Andrews Harbour Trust, and a Director of BID St Andrews.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Fife Council - Councillor elected in May 2022
- Robin Lawson and Co Ltd - unsalaried part owner and Director
- Alpine Intercurrency Services Ltd - Part owner and Director, dormant
Directorship of companies:
- Robin Lawson and Co Ltd
- Alpine Intercurrency Services Ltd
- BID St Andrews
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- Robin Lawson and Co Ltd
- Alpine Intercurrency Services Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Fife Council
- The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
- The Oxford Union Society
- Trustee of the St Andrews Harbour Trust
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Iain is a business founder, experienced Non-Executive Director and Board advisor who brings strong expertise in integrated communications, global political and regulatory risk.
A highly successful 30+ year business track record in communications, initially as a business journalist and then as a founder shareholder at Incisive Media, Iain has also worked for a range of politicians.
In early 2024 he completed an independent review on fostering a new partnership between business and government. Until July 2025 he was Executive Chair at H/Advisors Cicero supporting global FTSE and Fortune 500 organisations, where he grew the business internationally both through M&A and organically.
Iain serves as a non-executive director at the Department for Business and Trade and, in September 2021, was appointed by the UK Government as the first LGBT Business Champion to drive forward workplace equality for LGBT people.
He is a non-executive director at Innovate Finance, the body that represents the UK’s global FinTech community, and is chair of the Fintech Strategy Group for the Corporation of London and Innovate Finance. Iain is also a member of the City of London Competitiveness Advisory Board.
He sits on the Court of the University of St Andrews as non-executive director, and chairs the People and Diversity Board Assurance Group. He also served on the Audit and Risk Committee.
Iain is a past Chair of the Association of Professional Political Consultants and a past Chair of the CIPR Public Affairs group. He is a recipient of the CIPR's highest honour, the Sir Stephen Tallents' Medal, for his contribution to the industry. As well as being, one of the Financial Times OUTstanding Global 100 Executives and a FT Male Champion of Women in Business, Iain is a Freeman of the City of London, and a Fellow of both the CIPR and the PRCA.
He served on the Advisory Board of the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in New York from 2012 until 2016.Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Executive Chairman of H/Advisors Cicero - Registered as Cicero Consulting Limited
Directorship of companies:
- Director of H/Advisors Cicero (Cicero Consulting Limited)
- Director of Innovate Finance (City of London Fintech Body)
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- Artclear – 1%
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Advisory Board - Institute of Business Ethics
- Development Committee - Robert Gordon's College
- Fellow - RSA
- Leading and independent review of business to Government Relations for Labour
- Non-executive director - Department for Business and Trade Board
- Chair - John Smith Centre Board
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Jonathan is a financial services expert with a career history of executive roles across banking, insurance and the investment industry.
In his executive life, he focused on the way technology can bridge the gap between consumers and organisations, enabling customers to understand and access products and services easily, make better decisions and achieve greater outcomes.
Since becoming a non-executive, Jonathan has focused on ensuring organisations, especially leadership teams, have a strong, transparent governance culture and an insight-led strategy, and hold both their people and customers at the heart of everything they do. Jonathan is currently an independent non-executive director of SVM Asset Management, Part of the AssetCo Group, one of the Chairs of the FCA’s Financial Services Consumer Panel and non-executive director of the With-Profits Committee of Wesleyan.
Fundamental to Jonathan’s approach is a strong belief that exceptional customer outcomes can only be delivered through engaged and enabled employees who feel respected, trusted and heard. Jonathan has, and continues to, champion employee issues and engagement and was the first executive member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Fidelity International.
Jonathan has an MA (Hons) in Management with International Relations from the University of St Andrews.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, businesses or consultancies:- Member of the With Profits Committee of Wesleyan - Non Executive
- Member and WG Chair of the Financial Services Consumer Panel - Financial Conduct Authority
Directorships of companies:
- Non-executive director - SVM Asset Management Ltd
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Margaret Connolly is Professor of Palaeography and Codicology in the Schools of English and History and has served as Director of the St Andrews Institute of Medieval Studies. After receiving her MA (1987) and PhD (1991) from the University of St Andrews, she spent the first part of her career at University College Cork where she was appointed as Lecturer in Medieval and Renaissance English in 1992. She was Assistant Dean of Arts at UCC between 1996 and 1999 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2004. She was Government of Ireland Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge in 2002-2003 and is a life member of that college.
Her research in Middle English literature focuses on understanding the manuscript contexts of medieval texts. She works mainly on prose writing and has published several critical editions. Margaret writes about the scribes who produced medieval manuscripts, the readers who read those books, including during the English Reformation, and the collectors who preserved these artefacts in the modern period. She is a General Editor of the Middle English Texts series and was a General Editor of The Mediaeval Journal from its foundation until 2022. She is chair of the advisory board for the Index of Middle English Prose, and an officer of the Early Book Society.
Margaret is married to the historian Michael Brown. They have two grown-up children.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- N/A
Directorship of companies:
- N/A
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- N/A
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- N/A
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- N/A
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Biography
Allan Watson received an MSci in Chemistry in 2004 and a PhD in Organic Chemistry in 2008, both from the University of Strathclyde. Allan worked at Syngenta before completing postdoctoral research at Princeton as a Lindemann Trust Fellow. He then worked at GlaxoSmithKline before taking up a lectureship at the University of Strathclyde in October 2011. He joined the University of St Andrews in January 2018 as Reader and was promoted to Professor of Homogeneous Catalysis in 2021.
His research focuses on understanding catalytic reactions and applying the knowledge gained towards the synthesis of biologically active molecules in medicinal chemistry and agrichemistry. He has been awarded the EuCheMS Young Investigator Award (2018), RSC Hickenbottom Prize (2019), AstraZeneca Synthetic Chemistry Award (2022), and a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (2022). He is involved in a range of outreach activities and is a trained mediator.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Member (Fellow) of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Catherine O’Leary studied International Marketing and Languages at Dublin City University before going on to complete a PhD in Spanish literature at University College Dublin. She lectured at Maynooth University from 2000 until 2013, when she moved to St Andrews as Reader in Spanish. She was appointed to Professor in 2018.
At St Andrews, Catherine has served as Head of Department, Associate Dean, and Acting Dean of Arts and Divinity. She chaired the Mental Health Strategy Working Group from 2019 to 2020 and is a member of the Mental Health Task Force. She is currently Athena Swan Institutional Chair, working with the EDI team and a representative group of colleagues and students to prepare the University’s submission for a silver award. She is also deputy academic lead, working with the AVP Dean of Learning and Teaching on the New College Project.
Her research focuses on four main areas: contemporary Spanish theatre, censorship, gender and identity, and exile and cultural memory. She has published widely on contemporary Spanish literature, and on the intersections between theatre and politics. She is currently collaborating with colleagues from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras on research and teaching in the field of Memory Studies.
Catherine is the Director of the University’s interdisciplinary Cultural Identity and Memory Studies Institute (CIMS) and Co-Chairperson of the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA), established in 2019 to give a public and collective voice to the Arts and Humanities in the context of Higher Education in Scotland.
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Biography
Stephen Tyre is a Senior Lecturer in the School of History where he works mainly in the area of modern French and colonial history, with particular interests in the transition from colonial rule to independence in the French colonies in Africa, and in the legacies of empire in metropolitan France. He holds an MA and a PhD in History from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc from the London School of Economics. Before coming to St Andrews in 2002, he taught in France at the Universities of Rouen and Paris-XIII.
Since 2019, he has been Associate Dean Students in the Faculties of Arts and Divinity, having previously served as Pro Dean (Advising and Admissions) and in several positions in the School of History, including Director of Teaching. He received one of the inaugural University Teaching Awards and has collaborated across the University in leadership of learning and teaching.
In recent years, Stephen has led work on widening participation and new developments in the University’s learning and teaching portfolio. He has also gained experience of external collaboration through his work with the Quality Assurance Agency, professional networks related to admissions and access, and membership of a European Universities Association working group.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:- None
Directorship of companies:- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:-
None
Relevant interests of connected persons:-
None
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Biography
Dr Antonis Vradis is Reader in Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews and a founding member of the Radical Urban Lab. His research focuses on the intersections of cities, migration and public space, with a strong emphasis on participatory and community-led methodologies. He is Principal Investigator on multiple international projects exploring decolonial urban futures and has researched, lived, studied and worked across Europe, Brazil, South Africa and Palestine.
Antonis brings to Court extensive experience in both research leadership and institutional governance. He served as Acting Director of Research for his School in 2023-2024, where he championed support for Early Career Researchers and helped secure major grant successes. He has long experience in academic publishing, having been a senior editor for leading journals such as CITY and Political Geography, and regularly engages with activist and community networks across Europe and beyond.
Educated at the Universities of Leeds (BA) and the London School of Economics (MA, MSc, PhD), Antonis has lived and worked in the UK for more than two decades. He is committed to fostering an inclusive, democratic and outward-looking university community. As a Senate Assessor, he hopes to contribute to institutional transparency and collective decision-making, drawing on both his academic expertise and his international perspective.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
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Owner and Director of Critical Community Research Hub Ltd - consultancy (Ireland)
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Part-time position as Associate Professor at the University of Oslo (Department of Sociology and Human Geography)
Directorship of companies:
- See above
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
-
See Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Lorna is Director of Careers at the University. She graduated from Newcastle University with a BA and PhD in Geography and spent six years in their School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, principally as a Research Associate but with a substantial teaching portfolio. Her research focused on policy approaches to tackling poverty and deprivation in deprived regions of the UK and, latterly, focused on rural development issues in Skye and Lochalsh.
Lorna then transitioned into Newcastle’s Careers Service, starting out teaching on their placement-based skills development modules, before becoming a Careers Adviser in 2007, specialising in working with scientists and research students and staff, gaining a PGDip in
Careers Education, Information and Guidance in HE from the University of Warwick. She took up her role as Director of Careers at St Andrews in 2018, focusing on the overall leadership, strategy and service delivery of the Careers Centre, as well as providing leadership within the institution regarding student and graduate employability and career management.
She is Vice-President of AGCAS, the professional body for HE careers and employability professionals, and is a peer assessor for the AGCAS Quality Standard, which she helped to write as part of her role on the AGCAS Professionalism Working Group.
Lorna is particularly interested in equalities issues, especially concerning gender and social class, and is passionate about the valuable role that professional services play in contributing to the University’s success.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services)
- UCU (University and College Union)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Alex joined the University of St Andrews as a staff member in 2014 after a period of inactivity following his retirement from Local Government in 2011. He commenced his working career with Fife Council in 1979 in the Education Department where he remained until leaving in 2012, carrying out various jobs.
His trade union career has allowed him to work with diverse organisations such as Fife Council, Fife Constabulary, Scottish Police College and other police divisions, further education colleges, and private schools. During his trade union career, he has worked closely with all tiers of management in these organisations, from cleaners to chief executives, council leaders to chief constables.
Alex held the positions of trade union officer and team manager of 360 staff simultaneously within Fife Council Education Department for several years. Working in these two roles simultaneously gave him a unique perspective on how to balance the organisations need to prosper while maintaining and enhancing the terms and conditions of trade union members.
As a trade union representative of more than 40 years, he has upheld the rights of members through the most challenging of times, maintaining close working relationships with different Human Resources departments and the leaders of organisations. As a representative of the non-academic staff trade union members on Court, he can continue to work on behalf of trade union members to ensure their rights are upheld.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Malcolm Petrie completed his PhD in Scottish History at the University of St Andrews in 2014. After a year at the University of Edinburgh as a postdoctoral research fellow, he returned to St Andrews in 2016 to take up a lectureship in the School of History, where he served as the Director of the Institute of Scottish Historical Research.
His research focuses on the development of politics in twentieth-century Scotland, and especially on changing perceptions of the relationship between politicians and the public. His work has appeared in the Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Historical Journal and Contemporary British History, and he is the author of Popular Politics and Political Culture: Urban Scotland, 1918-1939 (Edinburgh University Press, 2018). His research has been supported by grants from the Leverhulme Trust, the Carnegie Trust, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
He joined the University Court in 2020, where he acts as the representative of the University of St Andrews branch of the University and College Union.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Member of the University and College Union
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Oriniginally from Lancashire in the North West of England, Emily Bannister moved to St Andrews in 2021 to pursue her undergraduate degree in Art History at the University. Her academic passions include nineteenth-century European visual culture and contemporary portraiture.
Emily has been involved in academic representation with the University of St Andrews Students’ Association since 2022, when she began as Class Representative in the School of Art History. She went on to become Academic Representation Intern where she supported more than 400 undergraduate and postgraduate representatives.
In her final year, Emily served as the Arts and Divinity Faculty President for the Students’ Association where she worked on various student-facing representational projects. These included organising a Textbook Giveaway, re-launching the Arts and Divinity Faculty Journal, and co-convening the Education Committee comprising of all School Presidents and Language Convenors. For her impact on learning and teaching, Emily was awarded the Proctor’s Award in 2025.
Register of Interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (moer than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- President of Education of the University of St Andrews Students' Association
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Alice Hodges was raised in Gloucestershire, in the South West of England, where her interest in representation took root after she was selected as an Ambassador for the World Class Schools Quality Mark competition for her school.
Eager to further her impact, Alice took a gap year to become a Future Me Youth Representative for Gloucestershire, creating impactful content to improve information accessibility for young people in her county, before pursuing a degree in Philosophy at St Andrews. While committed to her degree, she remained deeply engaged in university life and the wider community, volunteering with local youth programmes such as Families First and The Wave Project, as well as Cotswold Hospital radio when back home.
During her final year, Alice joined the Students’ Association as the Union Affairs Intern, where she played a pivotal role in supporting the President with strategic, operational and administrative tasks. In this position, she gained invaluable hands-on experience in leadership, governance and project management, proving herself to be a capable and driven advocate for student experience.
In June 2025, Alice was elected President of Union Affairs, marking a significant achievement in her ongoing commitment to student representation.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (mre than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- President of Union Affairs of the University of St Andrews Students' Association
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Romi Arman is an accomplished executive in digital transformation, specialising in enhancing customer experience and driving profitability through innovative technology solutions. With more than 25 years of experience, Romi has led global teams and delivered complex projects across energy, management consulting and financial services industries.
Most recently, Romi served as the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Shell International plc, where he crafted and implemented a digital strategy aligned with Shell's 'More Energy, Less Emissions' objectives, earning the company the International Best Digital Transformation award in 2023. He transformed Shell’s eCommerce platform to deliver an Amazon-like experience for B2B customers, and winning the Best Digital Experience award in 2022. He has managed high-performing teams of more than 350 members worldwide.
Romi's journey began in a small Malaysian town, where he was the first in his working-class family to attend university. Moving to the UK for higher education was his first experience abroad and helped shape his independence and strong work ethic. Passionate about supporting the next generation, Romi aims to inspire students by providing guidance and opportunities that were pivotal in his development.
A certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) and a graduate of the London Business School's AI for Business Executives programme, Romi holds a BEng in Chemical Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of Leeds. He is dedicated to fostering diversity and mentoring upcoming leaders, exploring digital innovation, supporting the energy transition and enhancing customer experience. Romi lives in London, with his wife, Patricia, and their daughter, Arielle.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Not applicable
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Part-time guest lecturer on digital transformation for online university Universidad Technologica
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Ronnie is an actuary having spent most of his executive career as a partner (latterly Senior Partner) in the consultancy Hymans Robertson. During his tenure he led the firm from small provincial beginnings to become the UK`s leading independent actuarial consultancy, unusually retaining the majority of the staff in Scotland.
He was President of the Faculty of Actuaries from 2008 till 2010 leading the merger of that body with its English based counterpart to form the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in 2010. Ronnie became the first President of the merged body which now has UK public policy influence.
His commercial non-executive appointments have included Chairing the £50bn NatWest Pension Scheme and he currently chairs the Prudential Assurance Company.
From 2016 until 2022 Ronnie chaired the Court of the University of Dundee becoming the first elected Chair of a Scottish University Court in 2019. He has continued his belief in accessibility to and excellence in Higher Education by taking on the Chair of the Carnegie Trust for the universities of Scotland.
He was a member of the Joint Expert Panel which sought to find common ground among the parties in the long running USS pension dispute.
The Dunard Centre in the centre of Edinburgh will be that city`s first new purpose-built concert hall for well over 100 years and will be the first in the UK to have acoustics designed by the word famous Nagata company. In early 2023 Ronnie took on the Chair of the charity which will build and run it.
Upon joining Court Ronnie stepped down as Chair of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.
Ronnie is married to Stella, a retired hospital consultant. They have four daughters and an expanding collection of grandchildren.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Prudential Assurance Company
- Brownston Gallery
Directorship of companies:
- Chair Prudential Assurance Company
- Chair Impact Scotland
- Chair Byhiras Trust
- Chair Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- Brownston Gallery 67%
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Chair Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
- Fellow Royal Society of Edinburgh
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Ros has spent 40 years working in the world of marketing, branding and communications.
Most recently she was EVP Global Clients at Publicis Groupe, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies, where she was responsible for bringing the best of the group's capabilities to their largest global clients.
Previously Ros was Director of Communications and Innovation at Lloyds Banking Group and the first female Managing Director of J Walter Thompson London, as well as the President of J Walter Thompson Chicago.
Ros served on the Council of King's College London for nine years and was a governor of King's Maths School which was awarded Sixth Form College of the Decade by The Times. She also Chaired the Church of England Digital Reference Group.
Ros read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at St Anne's College Oxford and is married with two grown-up children.Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Non-Executive Member of Council and Safeguarding Governor of Marlborough College
- Trustee of Thomas's Foundation
- Non-Executive member of the Digital Steering Group of Westminster Abbey
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Frank MacInnis is the retired Chair and CEO of Connecticut-based EMCOR Group, Inc., the world’s largest specialty engineering, construction and facilities services company, and is a veteran of more than 30 years in the international engineering and facilities services industries.
A native of Camrose, Alberta, Canada, Mr MacInnis attended University of Alberta from 1963 to 1971, during which time he was active in student affairs, serving as Law Representative on Student’s Council and as Class Historian for the 1971 Convocation.
After five years of commercial law practice, he began his engineering and construction career in Tehran, Iran, as an officer of Paris-based Spie Batignolles SA. The following years included postings and construction operations in Baghdad, Bangkok, the United Arab Emirates and London. From a base in Dallas, Texas, Mr MacInnis participated in the construction of some of the premier energy development projects in history. During this period, he also co-founded a pioneering company in the new field of horizontal directional drilling, designed to significantly reduce the ecological risks associated with many types of construction projects.
Mr MacInnis joined JWP, Inc. in early 1994 and successfully managed its reorganisation, serving as its Chair and CEO for 17 years. Today, EMCOR Group, Inc., the successor company to JWP, is a Fortune 500 firm with more than 30,000 employees worldwide and 2018 revenues of USD$8 billion. EMCOR has been named numerous times by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Most Admired Companies.
Mr MacInnis also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Gilbane, Inc., a major engineering and construction manager, ComNet Communications, a provider of voice, data and video infrastructure, and is Chair of the Board of ITT, Inc., a high-tech engineering and manufacturing company.
Mr and Mrs MacInnis divide their time between the east coast of the USA and St Andrews.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- ComNet Communications, LLC (76% ownership)
Directorship of companies:
- ComNet Communications, LLC - Chair of the Board
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- ComNet Communications, LLC - 76%
- AetherWorks LLC - 10%
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews - Member
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- 90% AetherWorks LLC
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Biography
Eve is Managing Director of Whiteburn Projects Ltd, an SME Housebuilder based in Edinburgh. She started her career as a Laing Civil Engineering sponsored Quantity Surveying student and studied at South Bank University, and has had a varied and diverse career within the construction industry. She qualified as an MRICS Quantity Surveyor in 1995 and was on Hillcrest Housing Associations' Committee of Management from 2012 to 2017.
In 2024 Eve became a Director of Homes for Scotland and is active in campaigning for the delivery of quality homes across Scotland.
Eve lives in Edinburgh and spends her free time walking her springer spaniel.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Whiteburn Projects Limited
Directorship of companies:
- Whiteburn Holdings Ltd
- Whiteburn Projects Ltd
- Sonich Ltd
- Whiteburn Viewforth Development ltd
- Whiteburn Allanbank Limited
- Whiteburn Residential Limited
- Whiteburn Residential (March Street) Limited
- Whiteburn March Street Limited
- Homes for Scotland
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- Whiteburn Projects Ltd
- Sonich Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
-
Biography
Ewan McKendrick is Professor of Anglo-American Private Law in the University of Leiden, an Emeritus Professor of English Private Law in the University of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall.
He was born and went to school in Dundee. He studied law as an undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh before moving on to a postgraduate law degree at the University of Oxford. He then commenced his academic career, holding posts at the University of Central Lancashire, the University of Essex, the London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London and the University of Oxford. He has published extensively in the fields of English Contract and Commercial Law. During his time at Oxford, he was the head of the Faculty of Law for a short period before becoming a Pro-Vice-Chancellor and spending almost eight years as the University Registrar.
He is a barrister in practice in London and an honorary King’s Counsel. His practice is mainly an advisory one on matters of English Contract and Commercial Law. He has been a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, is currently the Chair of the Finance Committee of Oxford University Press, the Chair of Oxford Mutual Ltd and the Chair of Governors of Monkton Combe School in Bath.
He lives in Cheltenham with his wife, moving there from Oxford in order to be closer to their four daughters and their families.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Part-time Professor of Anglo-American Private Law, University of Leiden
- Barrister in commercial practice, 3 Verulam Buildings, Gray’s Inn London
- Chair of the External Advisory Board of the Research Institute of New York University, Abu Dhabi
Directorship of companies:
- Director of CoMET (Centres of Medical Excellence and Training) - a charity providing medical care in Egypt
- Chair of Governors of Monkton Combe School, Bath
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Mark Sedwill, Baron Sedwill of Sherborne GCMG FRGS LLD, is Chair of Geopolitical Advisory, Saudi Arabia and Supervisory Board member for Rothschild & Co and a non-executive director of Lloyd’s of London. He is a cross-bench member of the House of Lords, chaired the 2021 G7 Panel on Global Economic Resilience and is Chair of the Atlantic Future Forum.
Lord Sedwill was Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service from 2018 to 2020, National Security Adviser 2017 to 2020, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office from 2013 to 2017, and British Ambassador and NATO Representative in Afghanistan 2009 to 2011. Before that he had a diplomatic and security career serving in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan.
Educated at St Andrews and Oxford Universities, Lord Sedwill is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Institute of Directors, an Honorary Fellow of Oxford University and of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He is President of the Special Forces Club, an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines and Vice-President of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charities (RNRMC). He is President of the Civil Service Retirement Association and a Trustee of IISS, and of the RNLI.
Mark is an Honorary Doctor of Laws of the University of St Andrews and an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple. He is also the recipient of several awards and honours for national and international public service.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Part-owner, Chair and Director of Sherborne Lord Holdings Ltd - family investment trust
- Chair and Director of Sherborne Lord Advisory Ltd - consultancy
Directorship of companies:
- See above
- Non-executive director of:
- Rothschild & Co (investment bank)
- Lloyd's of London (insurance market)
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- See above
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Trustee, International Institute of Strategic Studies
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
-
Biography
Jenny Stewart FRSA retired in 2020 from her role as a partner in the professional services firm KPMG, which provides services to a client base covering most sectors of the UK economy, employs some 17,000 staff, and is part of a global network of firms operating in 147 countries. Jenny was a member KPMG’s UK leadership team for the Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare (IGH) business, which included the Higher Education sector, and responsible for the IGH business in Scotland.
Jenny has a Management Consulting and Corporate Finance background and advised on complex advisory assignments in strategy, funding and finance, organisational and operational change. The early part of Jenny’s career was spent in the policy fast-stream of the UK Government in London, including a secondment to the European Union in Brussels and a period in the Scottish Office in Edinburgh.
Jenny’s previous governance roles have included being a non-executive member of KPMG's UK Board Remuneration and Nominations Committee, a member of the CBI Scotland Council, non-executive director of the David Hume Institute, the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh and Volunteer Scotland.
She is currently a non-executive director of the Scottish Government and of the Dunedin Consort classical music ensemble.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
-
Non-Executive Director and Chair – Dunedin Consort
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
- Non-Executive Director of the Scottish Government
- Member of the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
Register of interests information of senior management closely associated with the work of the University Court can be found below.
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Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, businesses or consultancies:
- Part owner, Merrill Solutions Ltd
- Employed as occasional assessor by College of Policing Examination Body
Directorship of companies:
- Director, Merrill Solutions Ltd
- Non-Executive Director, Droman Solutons Ltd
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- Merrill Solutions Ltd
- Droman Solutions Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Fellow, Chartered Institute Procurement and Supply
- Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
- Member, Scottish Beekeepers Association
Relevant Interests of Connected Persons:
- None
-
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of Companies:
- Directorship of a number of University companies and CLV LLP joint venture boards
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Member of the Funding Policy Group of Universities Scotland
- Member of the Admissions Policy Group Universities Scotland
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
-
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of Companies:
- Director role in a number of University owned subsidiaries and joint ventures
Significant (more than 1%) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Governor at St Leonards School in St Andrews
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None