Members of University Court
The University Court is made up of 26 members , including representatives form senior management, academic staff, trade unions, students, alumni, Fife Council and non-executive members appointed on a skills basis. Court is presided over by the Rector. The Senior Lay Member serves as chair of Court.
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 conflict of interest.
A list of all current members of University Court and their register of interests can be found below.
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Biography
Dr Leyla Hussein OBE was elected by the students of St Andrews to become the 54th Rector of the University (2020-2023), making history as the first Black woman to hold the
position. She is a psychotherapist, specialising in supporting survivors of sexual abuse, and an international lecturer on female genital mutilation (FGM), recognised globally as one of the key experts on the issue. Her first visit to St Andrews was in February of 2020, when she screened and spoke about the BAFTA-nominated documentary The Cruel Cut.
Her passion is to create safe spaces through her award-winning international campaigns, specialist therapeutic services, and creation of wellbeing communities and resources.Leyla founded The Dahlia Project, the UK’s first specialist therapeutic service for FGM survivors and Safe Spaces for Black Women, providing emotional support for Black women globally. She has recently been appointed as the Global Advocacy Director and Deputy Team Leader of the Africa-led Movement to End FGM and is based between Nairobi, London, and now St Andrews.
Leyla’s work consistently demonstrates a crucial focus on wellbeing, activism, and the inclusion and safety of young people. Her Rectorial campaign was founded upon a vision fora more accessible, activist, and accountable St Andrews. A key priority for her term as Rector is to strengthen the co-creation of positive change with students, through extensive consultation, participation, and engagement. Leyla strongly believes in working together as a community to root out racism, sexism, and any unfair discrimination wherever we find it. She promises to represent students to the best of her ability and make sure this generation of young people is supported. Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Magool - Owner
- Leyla Therapy - Owner
- The Dahlia Project - Owner
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (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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Catherine Stihler OBE is a former St Andrews student, president of the Students Association, and rector of the university. She has never really been able to leave St Andrews. After studying for an MA (Hons) in Geography and International Relations, she continued studying for an MLitt in International Security Studies and met her future husband here, even getting married at the university.Between 2014 and 2017, it was an immense privilege for Catherine to serve as the 52nd Rector of this university and in 2018 she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.
After graduating, Catherine worked in the House of Commons for Dame Anne Begg MP before becoming a politician herself and representing the people of Scotland as a Member of the European Parliament for 20 years. As Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, she worked on digital policy, prioritising the digital single market, digital skills, better accessibility of digital products for the disabled, as well as citizen online data protection and privacy.
Catherine stood down from the parliament in 2019, and later that year was awarded an OBE for services to politics. In February 2019 she started work as chief executive of the Open Knowledge Foundation, an international organisation which campaigns for a fair, free and open future. In August 2020, she was appointed chief executive of Creative Commons, a non-profit organisation that helps overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity
to address the world’s pressing challenges. She lives in Fife with her husband David and their two children. Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
- None
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Trustee, National Prayer Breakfast of Scotland
- Trustee, Brink Literacy Project
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- Husband, David Stihler, Solicitor, Church of Scotland
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Biography
Professor 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. She leads on widening access work for Universities Scotland. She 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 (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Member of Board, Universities UK
- Member of advisory board, Higher Education Policy Unit
- Chair, International Advisory Board, University of Helsinki
- Member of the board of trustees of UCAS
- Member of board of trustees of the Europaeum
- President, Saltire Society
- Trustee of the Newbattle Abbey College Trust
- Vice-Convener of Universities Scotland
- Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- Husband, Martin Griffiths, is on the board of the University shop
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Biography
Professor Stuart Monro OBE, FRSE graduated with first class honours in geology at the University of Aberdeen in 1970 and has a PhD from the University of Edinburgh.
He spent much of his career with the British Geological Survey (BGS) on geological mapping and the application of geology to environmental issues. He was instrumental in driving the digitisation of geological data in BGS and was technical secretary to the WEGS (Directors of Western European Geological Surveys) Standing Group on Geological Information related to the Environment. He held the part-time position of Scientific Director of the Scottish Consortium for Rural Research, which brings researchers together across the field of rural research in universities and research institutions, from 2008 till 2018. He was the founding Scientific Director of Our Dynamic Earth, facilitating a better public understanding of the processes that have shaped the Earth. He was also a tutor in Earth Science with the Open University, a trustee of the National Museums Scotland and the first independent co-chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Council, advising Scottish Government on science policy.
He has been a member of Court at the University of Edinburgh and its vice-convener from 2007 till 2014 and served on the Council of the Open University from 1995 till 2002. He is an Honorary Professor in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh.
He was awarded an OBE for services to science, the Distinguished Service Award of the Geological Society, honorary doctorates from the Open University, Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh and an honorary fellowship from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
He joined the University Court of St Andrews University in 2014 and was elected as Deputy Chair of Court in 2018.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
- Trustee, Brisbane Observatory Trust
- Trustee, Royal Observatory Trust
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh
- Fellow, Royal Society of Edinburgh (Convener, Young People’s Committee)
- Member of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Education Advisory Group
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Professor Milne graduated from St Andrews with an MA (Hons) in French and held posts with HM Diplomatic Service in London and East Berlin before combining further travels with a return to academia.
She completed a PhD on Michel Tournier in Auckland with the support of a New Zealand government scholarship, following which she took up a lecturing post at Aston University.
She returned to St Andrews as a lecturer in 1996. Between 2006 and 2009 she held the position of Dean of Arts, and she was Vice-Principal for Education (Proctor) from 2011 to 2018.
Professor Milne’s academic work focuses on modern and contemporary French prose, with a particular interest in the literature of the Antilles. In addition to numerous articles, she has published monographs on the novelists Michel Tournier and Patrick Chamoiseau as well as several edited volumes on French metropolitan and postcolonial writing and culture. She was previously General Editor of Forum for Modern Language Studies, and currently sits on the editorial boards of both French Studies and Littératures.
In 2005, she was awarded the rank of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, a French government honour that recognises significant contributions to the dissemination of French culture.
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 Board of St Andrews Voices Festival
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Adrian Greer is a freelance consultant. As well as his role with the university he is a Commissioner of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. In 2019 he stepped down from the role he had held for nine years as Chief Operating Officer of the British Council, after a 35 year career. Half of this time was spent living overseas, in sub Saharan Africa, Russia and in East Asia. In 2004 he was awarded a CMG for his work as Country Director in Russia. A graduate of English Language and Literature from the University of St Andrews, Adrian is also a qualified accountant and worked for four years for the National Audit Office in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a keen runner and swimmer. Adrian now divides his time between London and Scotland - he is married and has four grown-up children.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
-
Self-employed consultancy
Directorship of companies:
- None
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Commissioner Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Stella Maris studies a Joint Honours degree in English and Philosophy. Stella was born in Nigeria and grew up in Leicester after moving to the United Kingdom with her family as a young child.
Throughout her academic career in St Andrews, she has been a highly active member of the community and applied her skills and passions to various extracurriculars. In 2018/19, Stella was the Female Sports Representative and in 2019/20 she was chosen to become the Senior Student for St Salvator’s Hall. In 2020/21, she continues to serve as the Senior Student, as well as the Deputy Accommodation Officer for Halls. In November 2020, Stella was appointed to become Dr Leyla Hussein’s Rector’s Assessor after co-directing the campaign.
She now leads the Rector’s Committee, a large team of students dedicated to improving the student experience in St Andrews based on a joint vision for better Access, Action, and Accountability at the University. Stella is an avid supporter of student-led social justice campaigns in St Andrews, having been actively involved in the HMO Campaign, Washstation Campaign, and Leyla’s Rectorial Campaign. She is a fierce advocate for higher levels of diversity in St Andrews, for affordability and accountability, as well as for the adoption of a holistic, intersectional approach to the variety of important issues that need to be addressed at the University.
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Biography
Altany is a life-long resident of Glenrothes and is currently the elected Councillor for Glenrothes West and Kinglassie ward.
Elected in 2012 Altany has served in a number of roles and represented Fife Council on a variety of external bodies and boards. Currently serving on Scotland Excel Executive board, COSLA Economy Board, East of Scotland European Consortium and as Scottish Regional Chair of the Industrial Communities Alliance, Altany brings a wide range of knowledge and experience to these roles.
Altany is the Convenor of the Strategic Committee responsible for Economy, Tourism, Strategic Planning and Transportation in the current Administration of the Council and was the Finance and Corporate Services Spokesperson in the 2012-2017 session. During this time serving on the COSLA Audit Committee as well as Standards and Audit at Fife Council.
Having spent much of his work life in Industry and latterly lecturing at Adam Smith College, Altany has a variety of workplace experiences to call upon and supports this with many qualifications gained through frequent returns as an adult learner.
A love of numbers led him to Accounting (ACCA) and then Economics (OU) after a degree in Management and he uses these skills regularly as a senior member of the Fife Council Administration.
Married with a grown-up family and no pets, Altany enjoys writing, football and e-sports among many other interests.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Fife Council - Elected member
Directorship of companies:
- Business Gateway Fife – Director
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Fife Economy Partnership – Councillor
- Industrial Communities Alliance – Scottish Regional Chair
- Scotland Excel – executive sub committee member
- East of Scotland European Consortium – Board member
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Iain is an expert in integrated communications, global political risk and public policy.
He has over 25 years experience in communications, initially as a business journalist and then as a founding shareholder at Incisive Media. Iain is co-founder and Executive Chairman at Cicero/AMO and focuses on public policy and corporate communications strategy supporting global FTSE and Fortune 500 blue chip organisations. He provides CEO and Board level counsel.
He is a Non-Executive Director of Innovate Finance – the UK body for the global fintech sector. He is one of the Financial Times LGBT Global 100 Executives and a Financial Times top 20 Champion of Women in Business. Iain is immensely proud to be a Stonewall Ambassador and Trustee of charity GiveOUT.
He is a Fellow of both the CIPR and the PRCA and a Freeman of the City of London. His recent book explores the relationship between business and policymakers. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Business Ethics and served on the Advisory Board of the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in New York from 2012 until 2016.
He is a tennis geek, an Arsenal season ticket holder and an opera nut.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
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EMPLOYMENT – EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF CICERO/AMO - [REGISTERED AS CICERO CONSULTING LIMITED] 15% SHARE OF EQUITY
Directorship of companies:
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DIRECTOR OF CICERO/AMO [CICERO CONSULTING LIMITED]
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DIRECTOR OF INNOVATE FINANCE [CITY OF LONDON FINTECH BODY]
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DIRECTOR OF CORIOLIS TECHOLOGIES
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
-
CICERO/AMO [CICERO CONSULTING LTD] - 15%
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CORIOLIS TECHNOLOGIES – 4%
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ARTCLEAR – 1%
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
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AMBASSADOR – STONEWALL
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ADVISORY BOARD – INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ETHICS
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DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – ROBERT GORDON’S COLLEGE
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TRUSTEE – GIVEOUT CHARITY
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FELLOW – RSA
Relevant interests of connected persons:
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MARK TWIGG – CICERO/AMO - 6% SHAREHOLDING
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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.
More recently, Jonathan has focused on the way technology can bridge the gap between customers and financial organisations; enabling customers to understand products and services easily, make better decisions and achieve greater outcomes.
A strong believer that exceptional client outcomes can only be delivered with engaged and enabled employees Jonathan has championed employee issues and was an executive member of The Diversity and Inclusion committee at Fidelity International.
Since stepping away from executive life, Jonathan has been appointed as an independent non-executive director of SVM Asset Management in Edinburgh and as a member of the FCA’s Financial Services Consumer Panel.
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 FCA’s Financial Services Consumer Panel
Directorships of companies:
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Independent Non-Executive Director of SVM Asset Management
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Independent Non-Executive Director of New Value Investments
Significant (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 Harris joined the University in 2000 as a lecturer in Social Anthropology and was appointed to professor in 2017. He studied at the London School of Economics and completed his PhD on the people who live on the floodplain of the River Amazon, a fascinating and challenging environment. His research continues to centre on the Amazon and what makes it a place of global, historical and anthropological significance.
He was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2004 and has been the recipient of grant funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Brazil’s research funding agency, FAPESP. Visiting fellowships have involved residences in Brazil and the USA (Brown University). His monographs are Life on the Amazon (2000, Oxford/British Academy) and Rebellion on the Amazon (2010, Cambridge) with another on the way on the early colonial period of the Amazon’s history, entitled, The Birth of Brazilian Amazonian Societies. His edited volumes include Some Other Amazonians (2006, Institute for the Study for the Americas, with Stephen Nugent), Ways of Knowing (2007, Berghahn), Reflections on the Imagination (2014, Routledge with Nigel Rapport).
He is the Head of the School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies, one of the largest and most diverse schools in the university with over 60 academic colleagues, almost 500 undergraduates and over 76 research postgraduates. He has taught in Brazil and, at St Andrews, at all levels of the curriculum and undertaken various service roles, including sitting on the university-wide Staff Committee. A fell runner in his valuable spare time he is also a member of the Scottish Athletics Hill Running Commission.
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:
- Association of Social Anthropologists of Great Britain
- Author Licensing Society
- Brazilian Anthropology Association (ABA)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Sharon Ashbrook received an MChem in Chemistry in 1997 and a DPhil in Physical Chemistry both from Hertford College, Oxford in 2001. After postdoctoral research at Exeter, she was awarded a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship in 2003, which she held at the University of Cambridge. During this time she also held the Charles and Katherine Darwin Research Fellowship at Darwin College. From October 2005, she was appointed as an RCUK Academic Fellow in the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews and was promoted to Reader in 2009 and Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2013.
Her research focuses on understanding the local structure, disorder and dynamics in the solid state, using a combination of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. She has been awarded the RSC Harrison Prize (2004), Marlow Award (2011) and Corday-Morgan Prize, and the RSE MakDougall Brisbane Medal (2012). She was elected as FRSE in 2016 and is the holder of a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award (2015). She was awarded a Suffrage Science award (celebrating women in science) in 2017. She was one of the founding members of the RSE Young Academy and is also involved in range of outreach activities in her position as Chair of the RSC Tayside Local Section. She sits on the EPSRC Facility Executive of the UK High-Field NMR facility, the RSE Fellowship and Education committees and was on the 2014 Hong Kong RAE panel.
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:
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
- Member of the Institute of Physics
- Chair of RSC Tayside Local Section
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Morven Shearer is based in the School of Medicine where she works in the area of medical ethics and healthcare policy, with a particular interest in global health.
She holds a PhD (Physiology, Cambridge), MSc (Pharmacology, Iowa), BSc (Hons) (Pharmacology, Glasgow), PGDip (Law, London), PGCertHE (Dundee) and is a Fellow of the HEA.
She arrived at the University in 2001 as a teaching fellow in the School of Biology and was promoted to principal teaching fellow and senior lecturer in 2008. She worked in the School of Biology for almost 10 years and held a number of positions during that time, including Advisor of Studies, Disabilities Coordinator and Director of Teaching.
Morven then moved to the School of Medicine in 2011 to further pursue her research and teaching interests in biomedical ethics. She chairs the School ethics committee, is deputy convenor of UTREC, a member of AWEC and part of the University research integrity working group. She has collaborated across the University on interdisciplinary teaching initiatives, set up a cross-school faculty learning community and received one of the inaugural University Teaching Awards in 2010.
Morven has worked with the NHS, WHO, QAA and HEA and is a trustee for Signpost International, a UK-based international development charity.
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:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Derek Ball joined the Department of Philosophy in 2008 as a postdoctoral research fellow funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). He was appointed to a lectureship in 2010. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA from Whitman College. During his time in St Andrews, he has served as coordinator of the St Andrews and Stirling joint PhD programme in philosophy, and as director of the Arche Research Centre. He has held visiting fellowships at the Australian National University and the University of Oslo, as well as research grants from the AHRC.
His research focuses on understanding the mind and its place in the natural world, with special focus on the ways in which our thought and language are shaped by the environment. He is the co-editor of The Science of Meaning (Oxford University Press), and his work has appeared in Mind, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Philosophers’ Imprint, Inquiry, and elsewhere.
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, British Philosophical Association
- Member, Aristotelian Society
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Donna Pierz-Fennel is a graduate of Manhattan College and New York Law School, and has a wide-ranging background in biology, basic medical science, law, education and the history of science. She spent seventeen years working in clinical and research laboratories before joining a medical malpractice and negligence litigation firm. After spending over a decade educating lawyers about clinical and research practice, and medical and research professionals about administrative law and policy, Donna became a teaching fellow with the New York City school system, teaching science in under-performing primary schools.
Donna moved to the UK in 2006 and spent three years at Bangor University as the manager of the newly formed Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, working with Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea universities to achieve Welsh Assembly strategic targets for research, public engagement and knowledge transfer. Since 2010, Donna has been the manager of the School of Biology and works with the Head of School, academic, administrative and technical staff to develop the School's strategic and operational planning and ensure that the services and resources needed for providing teaching and research support are available. She is actively involved with the School's Equality and Diversity committee and Athena Swan application development, as well as being the School's Impact Officer, Health and Safety Coordinator and Library Liaison. She is also a member of the University Support Staff Mentoring programme.
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:
- None
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 after retiring from Local Government in 2011. He commenced his working career with Fife Council in 1979 within 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 over 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 (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
Dan was born in rural Lancashire in the North West of England and lived there until moving to St Andrews in 2016. Whilst at University, he studied for a degree in Astrophysics completing a dissertation entitled “Applying Principal Component Analysis to the Chemistry of High Mass Star Forming Regions”. Prior to his election as Association President, Dan was active in a number of student societies and groups including the Astronomical Society and the Campaign for Affordable Student Housing (C.A.S.H.), as well as sitting on the St Andrews Community Council.
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:
- University of St Andrews Students’ Association (Trustee)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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-
Biography
Amy is in the final year of her Masters in Experimental Physics, focusing on Condensed Matter Physics for the subject of her final year project. Before her election, while serving as the School President of Physics and Astronomy, she worked to strengthen the academic representative system and to advocate for the impact of wellbeing on educational progression. She has co-hosted a STAR radio show and run student-led events in her department designed to build a strong sense of community, such as film nights, wine & cheese socials, and wellbeing dog sessions.
Register or 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:
-
St Andrews Students’ Association
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Tim Allan FRSA is a private equity and property entrepreneur with many outside philanthropic interests. He owns Unicorn Property Group - an award winning Scottish property business - and is particularly involved in the regeneration of Dundee. Tim is President and Chair of Scottish Chambers of Commerce and became Chair of the V&A Museum Dundee in 2019.
A St Andrews alumni, he served in the British Army for ten years and thereafter spent seven years in private wealth working for Citigroup and UBS with some of the UK’s most prominent entrepreneurs. He founded Unicorn in 2005.
Tim has had a number of key business interests particularly in the fuel forecourt sector as founder and board director of Motor Fuel Group, the largest fuel retailer in the UK. He is a major property investor and developer in Dundee and Scotland, also investing in a number of early stage technology companies and is on the board of the Archangels Investment Syndicate.
Outside business, Tim was a member of the Scotland Committee of the BIG Lottery Fund for seven years, and was formerly the Chair of Young Enterprise Scotland, the leading business and enterprise education charity in Scotland. He served as President of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce from 2014 to 2016.
Tim holds the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion and is a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Clackmannanshire.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Motor Fuel Group Ltd - Non-Executive Director
- Tricorn Properties Ltd - Owner
Directorship of companies:
- Scottish Chambers of Commerce
- Tricorn Properties Ltd
- Motor Fuel Limited
- Scimitar TopCo Ltd
- Highway Stops Ltd
- Scimitar PFS 1 Ltd
- Scorpion Topco Ltd
- Leopard PEL Ltd
- Leopard No 2 Investments Ltd
- MFG Ltd
- Kerr 1 Ltd
- Kerr 2 Ltd
- Fuel Stop (UK) Ltd
- Burns & Co Ltd
- Manor Service Stations Ltd
- Thames Rico Ltd
- Thames Rico Service Stations Ltd
- Bond Hamill Ltd
- Freeheart Ltd
- Scimitar MidCo Ltd
- 123 High Street LLP
- Elite Fuels Ltd
- Roadside Group Ltd
- Dundee Museums Foundation
- Design Dundee Ltd
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- Motor Fuel Group - 1%
- Tricorn Properties Limited - 100%
- North Swell Technologies Ltd - 7.5%
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Chair, V&A Museum Dundee
- Chair, Scottish Chambers of Commerce
- Board member, Archangels Investment syndicate
- Member, Tay Cities Enterprise Executive
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Ken Dalton retired at the beginning of September 2011 from the position of chief executive of AECOM Europe and latterly chief executive of AECOM global building engineering. With 4,500 employees in Europe and 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a professional design business in buildings, transport, water and environment.
Following graduation from Strathclyde University in 1970, Ken has more than 40 years in professional consultancy and contracting experience both throughout the UK and internationally. From 2001-2008, the company was recognised in The Sunday Times and The Financial Times as the best company to work for and a foundation member for Tomorrow’s Company which promotes leadership with all stakeholders.
Ken is the Intermediary on Court and chairs the Non-Academic Pension Plan. He has served as Master of the Merchant Company in Edinburgh, chairing the Education Board. He is also a Non-Executive Director of St Leonards School, St Andrews, chairing the Property Committee and a Non-Executive Director of STO Building Group, an international Construction Management firm, where he chairs the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Committee.
Register of interests:
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- Ownership of the Adamson Restaurant, company name Mardal Ltd
- Non executive director STO Building Group USA
- Non executive director St Leonards School
- Director Kennedy Dalton Consultants Ltd
Directorship of companies:
- Ownership of the Adamson Restaurant, company name Mardal Ltd
- Non executive director STO Building Group USA
- Non executive director St Leonards School
- Director Kennedy Dalton Consultants Ltd
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- Mardal Ltd
- Kennedy Dalton Consultants Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Ian Duncan
Lord Duncan of Springbank PhD FGS
Appointed a working peer by UK Prime Minister in 2017, Ian is currently Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.Previously, Ian was a UK Government Minister, serving in each of the territorial departments (Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland) and laterally as Minister for Climate Change with
responsibility for international negotiations. Before joining the Government, he spent over a dozen years in Brussels, finally as an MEP. During his time in the European Parliament, Ian sat on the committees responsible for Environment and for Energy (ITRE). He was the Parliament’s chief negotiator on the reform of EU carbon markets and was his group’s chief negotiator on nine pieces of environmental legislation. During his tenure he was ranked the 10th most influential MEP on environmental policy and 6th on energy by Votewatch; and 15th most influential individual in the EU on Energy by Euractiv. Ian previously worked for BP, the Scottish Refugee Council, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, and the University of Bristol. In addition to his other roles, Ian is Chair of the National Forest and of the Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR), President of the English-Speaking Union (Scotland) and the
Association of Decentralised Energy, a Board Member of the Schwarzenegger Institute and of the think tank Policy Connect, as well a Fellow of the Geological Society. He holds a degree in geology from the University of St Andrews and a doctorate from Bristol University. Register of interests:
Excerpt from House of Lords Register of Interest:
DUNCAN OF SPRINGBANK, LORD
Category 2: Remunerated employment, office, profession etc.- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (interest ceased 14 February 2020); Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Climate Change,
- Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (interest ceased 14 February 2020) - Honorary President, Association for Decentralised Energy
- Chair, CONFOR and Director of associated limited company
- Senior Counsel, Terrestrial Energy
Category 5: Land and property:
- Flat in Aberdeen from which rental income is received
- Flat in Glasgow from which rental income is received
Category 10: Non-financial interests (a):
- Member, Advisory Board, Policy Connect
Category 10: Non-financial interests (b):
- Member, Board of Advisors of the Schwarzenegger Institute, University of Southern California, USA
- Member, Advisory Board, Institute of Legal and Constitutional Research, University of St Andrews
- Member, Advisory Panel, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
- Member, Court of the University of St Andrews
Category 10: Non-financial interests (e):
- Honorary President, English-Speaking Union Scotland
- Chair, The National Forest, and Director of the associated charitable company
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Frank MacInnis is the retired Chairman 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 S.A. 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 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 Chairman 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 $8 billion (USD). 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 the Chairman 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 (67% ownership)
Directorship of companies:
- American Securities - Executive Council Member
- Argus Machine Co., Ltd. – Director
- ComNet Communications – Chairman of the Board
- Gilbane, Inc – Director
- ITT, Inc. - Non-executive Chairman of the Board
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- ComNet Communications, LLC - 67%
- AetherWorks LLC - 10%
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- The New Golf Club - Member
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- 90% AetherWorks LLC
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Biography
Eve is managing director of Whiteburn Projects, focused on the delivery of the groups Residential and Build to Rent businesses. She started her career as a Laing Civil Engineering sponsored Quantity Surveying student and studied at South Bank University. She has had a varied and diverse career within the construction industry. She qualified as an MRICS Quantity Surveyor in 1995. Eve was on Hillcrest Housing Associations' Committee of Management from 2012 to 2017.
Eve lives in Edinburgh and spends her free time walking her springer spaniel and keeping herself fit and active.
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
- Whiteburn Edenhall Ltd
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- Whiteburn Developments Ltd
- Whiteburn Edenhall Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- None
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Jenny Stewart, FRSA, retired as a Partner in professional services firm, KPMG, in 2020. KPMG 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 KPMG 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. She was also 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; Non-Executive Director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh; and Non-Executive Director of Volunteer Scotland.
She is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Dunedin Consort classical music ensemble and a member of the Scottish Government's Business Leaders Advisory Group on the Scottish Business Pledge.
Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of companies:
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Non-Executive Director – Dunedin Consort
Significant (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)
- Member of the Scottish Government’s Business Leaders Advisory Group on the Scottish Business Pledge
- Affiliate member of the Institute for Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Biography
Following undergraduate and postgraduate study in theoretical physics at the University of Edinburgh, David Wallace continued research at Princeton University as a Harkness Fellow. In 1972 he was appointed lecturer in the Physics Department, University of Southampton. In 1979 he returned to the University of Edinburgh as Tait Professor of Mathematical Physics. He was also Director of Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre. He was Vice-Chancellor at Loughborough University for 12 years from 1994. In Cambridge from 2006 he was NM Rothschild & Sons Professor of Mathematical Sciences & Director of the Isaac Newton Institute to 2011, and Master of Churchill College to 2014.
He is a former Vice-President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, President of the Institute of Physics, and Treasurer and Vice-President of the Royal Society. He served on the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, and as an Expert to the European Commission. More recently he has served as Chair of the Council for the Mathematical Sciences in the UK, and on the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. His non-executive directorships have included the Scottish Life Assurance Company, Taylor & Francis Group plc and UK e-Universities Worldwide Ltd. He has received honorary doctorates from Heriot Watt, Edinburgh, Leicester, Loughborough, Southampton and East Anglia Universities. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire from 2001 to 2006. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. He was awarded a CBE for services to parallel computing in 1996, and knighted in 2004 for services to UK science, technology and engineering.
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:
- Royal Society
- Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- Institute of Physics
- Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
- Trustee of the Bill McLaren Foundation
- Chair, Board of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences
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:
- Assessor for College of Policing
- Advisor to World Bank on strategic procurement reform
- Visiting Lecturer, Tor Vegata University
Directorship of companies:
- Non-Executive Director, Energy Efficient Scotland Board
- Non-Executive Director, Droman Solutions Ltd
- Director, Merrill Solutions Ltd
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- Merrill Solutions Ltd
- Droman Solutions Ltd
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply
- Fellow, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and commerce
- Trustee, University of St Andrews Superannuation & Life Assurance Scheme
Relevant Interests of Connected Persons:
- None
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Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of Companies:
- Director of some University subsidiaries (wholly owned by University of St Andrews).
- Attendance (non-voting) for two spinouts:
- Pneumagen
- Xelect.
- Attendance (non-voting) for M-Squared Life
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Associate - Chartered Global Management Accountant
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None
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Register of interests
Employment by, or ownership or part-ownership of, business or consultancies:
- None
Directorship of Companies:
- None, other than UstA Companies
Significant (1%+) shareholdings in companies:
- None
Membership of other bodies that may have connections to the University:
- Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Relevant interests of connected persons:
- None