Our board
The SOSE Board and Senior Leadership Team draw on an exceptional range of skills and experience in business and public service. Find out about their roles and expertise below.
Could you be our new Board member?
Are you willing to make bold decisions and play a vital role in the governance and strategic direction of the South of Scotland?
Would you like to make real change and help inspire the region to unlock the great potential of our people and resources?
South of Scotland Enterprise is currently recruiting for a new Board member with current experience in either renewables, energy or Net Zero.
What are main duties of a Board member?
The main duties of SOSE Board members are to provide leadership, governance, direction, support and guidance.
In addition, Board members are expected to ensure that we deliver our functions effectively and efficiently and in accordance with the aims, policies and priorities of Scottish Ministers.
Applicants should also demonstrate evidence of an understanding of:
• Current and future challenges and opportunities facing SOSE
• Communication and influencing
• Working co-operatively
• Collaboratively and flexibly with colleagues
• Innovation and creative problem solving.
Support available
Successful applicants will be fully supported, given access to training, and will work alongside the existing Board members to help us progress with delivering our ongoing mission to make the day to day lives of local people better.
We also value the benefits of having different experiences, with people from all backgrounds encouraged to apply.
Apply
For further information and to apply, click here.
If you have any questions, contact Susan Cannon, our Corporate Governance Lead, on 01750 535917 or email susan.cannon@sose.scot.
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Russel, who has had a long and distinguished career in the private, public, and third sector, is Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise.
Russel also chairs the Scottish Government’s Independent Regulatory Review Group which advises and works on better regulation in Scotland.
He is also aa member of the Scottish Government’s Aquaculture Council and is a board member of Lenlyn Holdings Ltd, a financial services company.
Russel is honorary Professor of the University of Glasgow, was an associate Professor at Boston University and a member of the board of the Business School at Georgia Southern University.
He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2008 for services to Scottish industry.
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Jane is the Chief Executive of South of Scotland Enterprise.
SOSE is the first of Scotland’s public agencies whose legislation promotes a wider view on the economy and how it impacts all we do, with a focus on the wellbeing of communities, the economy, and the environment across the South.
Previously, Jane was the CEO of ScotlandIS, the industry body and cluster management organisation for the digital and technology industries in Scotland.
She worked on Connecting Scotland (the Scottish Government-led digital inclusion programme), and the Digital Nation Challenge in partnership with the Scottish Government's Digital Directorate and was awarded Digital Leaders National and Regional Champion 2020.
Prior to this, Jane was CEO of Taigh Cearsabhagh in North Uist.
After a long career as a Strategy and Transformation Consultant with Capgemini, she took on the role of Business Development Director Capgemini Scotland.
She is a highly experienced consulting industry executive, a former strategy and transformation specialist with 25 years’ experience working across the public and private sector.
She holds board and advisory positions with a number of organisations.
She is a Fellow of the RSA, sits on the CivTech Strategic Advisory Board, the Economic Growth Board, and the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, and is the Chair of Culture & Business Scotland and a Lay Governor of Glasgow School of Art.
Jane brings skills in strategy, transformation, commercial development, innovation, digital and business start-up and growth.
She brings creativity thinking to economic development and has experience working across both traditional and emerging industries.
She is passionate about economic development, and the power it has to improve people’s lives, support innovation, and develop both traditional and new industries.This includes developing the ecosystem we need to enable real transformation and growth, understanding what we need to have in place to do this - such as housing, transport and education - and how all of these parts work together.
Jane lives in Sanquhar with her husband and three boys.She is a keen horsewoman, and a dedicated wild swimmer in any suitable loch, river or coastal location in the South of Scotland.
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Jeremy has over 30 years’ experience in the renewable energy sector and has been instrumental in the growth of international renewable energy consultancy Natural Power.
The company employed just seven people when he joined as a director, now has 420 staff across 14 offices in four countries, and is still growing at 10% per annum.
He is responsible for policy and regulation issues, natural power, photovoltaics, hydro, biomass and renewable heat.
They permit sites, carry out site investigation works, design sites, manage construction, and carry out asset management and operations.
Their Galloway-based control centre is the largest in the UK with the exception of the National Grid.
Jeremy is based at the international headquarters of Natural Power, Forrest Estate, in the heart of rural Dumfries and Galloway.
Jeremy is a serving director of Energy UK, chairing their Renewable Energy Committee, and is a member of the Generation Committee.
He works closely with the Scottish Government on policy for the renewable sector.
He regularly works with Scottish ministers on industry working groups.
Jeremy was a founder member of Scottish Renewables, serving as Chair, Vice-Chair and Chair of the grid group.
He served on the Scottish Renewables board from 2000 to 2019.
In 2013, he was awarded an OBE for services to renewable energy and to the community of Dumfries and Galloway.
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Helen is the Deputy Chair at SOSE and holds a number of board appointments in third sector and housing bodies in Scotland.
She also Chairs Space@the Broomhouse Hub, the Traverse Theatre and The Forth Act, a community theatre company.
She is on a housing association board in England and mentors up-and-coming leaders in the third sector.
Helen was the Chief Executive of Berwickshire Housing Association for over 13 years, during which time she inspired staff to become number nine in the Sunday Times Best Companies 'not for profit' section.To help solve the problem of building new homes at a time when funding was in decline, she led the team who developed the groundbreaking 'Fisherman Three' Community Wind Farm, near Cockburnspath.
Helen joined Berwickshire Housing Association from Places for People in 2007, where her role was Regeneration Director.Prior to this, Helen was Chief Executive at Edinvar Housing Association.
Helen’s work background has included the public sector, health and social care, and not-for-profit organisations.She has many current links with the South of Scotland, and is passionate about promoting its economic development, and ensuring rural communities thrive.
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Dr Mary Thomson is Vice Principal, Skills and Lifelong Learning at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), leading on skills provision at all levels from school to postgraduate.
Her previous roles include leading rural skills provision at Borders College and she is originally from a veterinary background.
Originally from the Borders and living near the village of Gordon, Mary has over 25 years of experience in the UK veterinary and education sectors including senior roles in industry, policy and education.
Mary is experienced in leading on widening access and participation in education, Fair Work First and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Mary led the on the successful 2023 Queen's Anniversary Prize nomination for SRUC's Veterinary Services, which specifically referenced the excellence of the livestock health schemes work delivered by SRUC's specialist facilities. -
Paul runs one of the Scottish Innovation Centres, CENSIS.
Their primary mission is to create economic activity through new companies, products and jobs in their thematic area.
CENSIS do this by building and supporting relationships between companies and academic institutions, or by supporting the company directly.
Paul grew up north of Sheffield, where he attended university in the 1980s to study Applied Physics.His first role was in UK Government, working in a research and development lab.
This evolved into a managerial role, and he moved to the private sector in the early 2000s, where he went on to lead a large part of QinetiQ’s US business from 2007 to 2009.
When he moved back to the UK, he did a period of consulting and founded his own company.
This developed his interest in economic development and laid the foundation for his current role.
Paul brings to the Board a deep expertise in digital transformation and supports Scottish Government on the digital transformation of manufacturing.He has also worked on the development and delivery of innovative projects for a number of years and is passionate about using innovation to deliver beneficial outcomes.
Paul was attracted to SOSE by the mission, values and people associated with the organisation.He is motivated by a desire to stimulate and support new innovative economic, societal and environmental outcomes in the South, while acting as a pathfinder for all of Scotland.
In his first professional role, he spent time at West Freugh in the late 1980s, including the night of the October 1987 storm.He really enjoyed this time then and continues to enjoy his time in the South of Scotland.
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Alistair has built his career in the life and chemical sciences sector, scaling a two person, home based business to becoming a major local employer, exporting to 32 countries worldwide.
Alistair strongly believes that investment in innovation, advanced manufacturing technologies and people development can lead to sustainable economic growth in the region.
Having led an entrepreneurial business through good times and bad, Alistair is well placed to understand the challenges and opportunities being faced by businesses across the region.
Having worked in a variety of international markets, he has an excellent awareness of how others see our region, and the unique opportunities that we can exploit as a centre for opportunity and growth.
Having previously volunteered his time to industry leadership groups and innovation centres, Alistair was keen to guide the strategy of the new economic and community development agency to provide practical, people-centred support to organisations of all sizes and scope throughout the region.
Alistair was previously a member of the South of Scotland Economic Partnership that led to the creation of SOSE.
Alistair lives and works in the Scottish Borders with his wife and young family.
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Kirsten's role includes responsibilities for land management, farming, rural diversification, forestry, native woodland creation, and long and short-term property management.
Kirsten has over ten years’ experience in global publishing firms in London, where she ran the global print marketing arm for The Economist Intelligence Unit, a division of the Economist Group.
She subsequently established and ran a property management firm in Edinburgh.
For the last 15 years, Kirsten has worked as managing partner for Kirkdale Estate on the Solway Firth.
Kirsten's expertise includes rural, land, forestry, woodland and property management skills with a south of Scotland perspective.
She has set up and runs a holiday let business, worked on native woodland planting, and created a lodge park on the estate.
She lives and works in Dumfries and Galloway, and she is keen to see the South of Scotland flourish.
Kirsten has lived in south-west Scotland for the last 15 years and brought up her children in the area.
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Duncan is the Managing Director of Laggan, a family run rural destination that specialises in tourism, hospitality, and sustainability.
Over the past decade, Duncan and his wife, Vicki, have transformed their family farm into an exclusive wedding and events venue.
In 2022, they acquired and revitalised The Murray Arms Hotel in Gatehouse of Fleet.
Their mission is to create new opportunities, expand the business for future generations, and attract visitors to Galloway from around the globe.
Additionally, Duncan co-founded the Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance to advocate for the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He brings valuable insights into rural business operations to the SOSE board, coupled with a proactive approach to achieving results.
Passionate about fostering a vibrant rural economy, Duncan strives to ensure the South of Scotland receives the representation and opportunities it merits.
A native of Gatehouse of Fleet, he enjoys water sports, rugby, and traveling.
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Emma is an outdoor instructor working with young people through the Duke of Edinburgh programme, as well as a member of Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team.
Previously, Emma was the Project Manager for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which took place at Glentress in August 2023. She was also Founding Director of Scottish Community Tourism (SCOTO).
Emma is a graduate of fine art - turned professional downhill mountain biker.She has represented Great Britain at European and World Championship level, as well as travelling internationally, and racing on the mountain bike World Cup circuit as a sponsored rider.
Following retirement from racing, Emma set up a mountain bike cafe, bike shop, and skills school with her partner at Glentress Forest, which operated for ten years.Since then, she has been involved in various tourism projects in the South of Scotland, including Scottish Community Tourism, which represents community-led tourism enterprises in Scotland.
Emma has a wealth of knowledge of mountain biking and tourism, combined with a creative approach and a passion for the potential of community, and the power of the bike.She was drawn to SOSE to play a part in an organisation that is making a huge difference to the South of Scotland and providing leadership in a different way.
Having joined the board, she is now even more excited and motivated about helping the region and its people to reach their potential.
Emma has lived and worked in the Tweed Valley for over 20 years and feels very much rooted in the area.She is a keen cyclist, and her life has been very much influenced by her journey through biking.
She also loves the outdoors on foot with her dogs and cannot think of anywhere better to live and work.
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Anna is the Estate Manager for the Caerlaverock Estate, a coastal estate south of Dumfries, overseeing its farming, tourism, hospitality and property businesses.
Anna recently delivered a large scale diversity project, aimed at restoring natural habitats across the estate.
Previously a lawyer, Anna has significant regulatory and commercial law experience having worked for law firm Pinsent Masons (previously McGrigors).
She has also held several legal and commercial roles with global drinks company, William Grant and Sons. Anna has an MBA from Strathclyde Business School.
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Rory Christie is Director of Dourie Farming Company Limited in Port William, Dumfries & Galloway.
It is a family business specialising in pastoral dairy and intensive pig production.
He is a Board Member and Lead on dairy contract legislation for the NFUS Milk Policy Committee and also founder and current Chair of the Milk Suppliers Association Co-op.
He is Chair of Board of Directors of the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society.
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