Donald Bell - Halcrow
Donald is a chartered civil engineer and Halcrow's Regional Director for its 350-strong Glasgow office, where he is responsible for corporate development.
He is a graduate of Dundee University and has over 25 years’ experience in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of transport infrastructure. Donald joined Halcrow in 1989 and has gained an international reputation in the development of strategies for outsourcing road maintenance and the performance management of services. Currently he is Project Director for the prestigious Performance Audit Group commission for Transport Scotland and has also recently delivered major sustainability and carbon management projects. He also provides strategic advice to various European roads authorities.
He has been pleased to lead Halcrow's award-winning approach to partnership working with schools and sustainable travel in Scotland.
Sharon Burgess - BT
Sharon is responsible for the management of BT’s Work Inspiration programme in Scotland. She has been part of the UK wide team since 2010, and has overseen a number of new Work Inspiration initiatives including linking into the Ministry of Defence. Sharon has made BT her career and has extensive experience in Service Operations across a wide variety of areas in the company.
She lives in Edinburgh and is married with two teenage daughters, Vanessa and Olivia.
Phil Duffield - Scottish Power
Phil is Community Liaison Manager, at ScottishPower. He is responsible for developing external relationships and partnerships with local community organisations with a focus on supporting the development of young people as they prepare to enter the workforce, as well as providing opportunities for ScottishPower employees to get involved in community based development activities for their personal & professional development.
Since moving to Scotland from New Zealand 14 years ago, Phil has worked in Human Resource & Management Development roles for a variety of organisation including Kwik-Fit Financial Services, BSkyB and Stakis Hotels. He has a Business Degree in Marketing and is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel & Development.
Tom Henderson – Haven Products.
Tom has been with Haven Products for 6 years, and has a dual role encompassing Group Business Development, and General Management of Haven’s Complementary Workforce. Prior to joining Haven, Tom spent 23 years in the Drinks Business, and a further 7 years in Computers & Electronics, in a range of Operational & Management roles, and joined Haven after setting up his own Consultancy Business, to service the Computer, Defence and Bio-tech sectors.
Tom is a Masters Graduate of Caledonian Business School (MSc), and a Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS).
Laura McBride - John Lewis Glasgow
Laura is the Operations Manager at John Lewis Glasgow and holds this role within the Steering Group in the branch and as well as having responsibility for operations within the branch, Laura has held the responsibility for CSR within John Lewis Glasgow for the last four years and is pleased with the progress they have made within the community. Laura has also held the roles of Operational Support Manager and also Finance Manager, all within the Senior Management Team of the branch, holding these leadership roles since 2007. Prior to this in John Lewis Laura was part of the junior management team structure where she held a Department Manager role for six years.
Laura began her career in retail for the discount retailer ‘ What Everyone wants’, as part of the project team of opening new branches which offered a development opportunity to spend two years in the South of England, learning about design ,development, negotiating in new markets and recruitment. Laura went onto work also for an independent retailer in Glasgow for a few years and also spent a few years working for Asda during her further education time. Laura is married and has two daughters aged thirteen and seven. Juggling the demands of parenthood with a full time career offers more than its fair share of challenges however it’s one that Laura relishes.
Neil MacGowan BA (Hons), FRSA. Scottish Qualification Authority
Neil MacGowan has spent his entire career in educational administration, initially with Lothian Regional Council in the Edinburgh Division. In 1982 he moved to the former Scottish Business Educational Council where he was responsible for administration and examination arrangements for business and professional studies courses.
At the creation of the Scottish Vocational Education Council (SCOTVEC), Neil was appointed Committee Secretary, responsible for the operations of the Board and senior committees and providing support to the Chief Executive and Chairman, eventually becoming Head of Administrative Services. At the formation of SQA in 1997, Neil took on the role of Head of Higher Still Implementation and was responsible for all aspects of the implementation of the new National Qualifications system.
Neil then moved into the post of Head of Customer Relations and Marketing with responsibility for all services which interface and support SQA’s wide and diverse customer groups. This was followed by the post as Head of the Chief Executive Department. Neil is currently Head of Corporate Affairs with responsibility for SQA’s estates, communication, corporate events and leading SQA’s corporate social responsibility strategy.
Neil is an Honours graduate in Business Studies from Napier University, Edinburgh. He was a member of the SQA Board between 2002 and 2005.
Rita McLean – John Lewis Glasgow
Rita has been with John Lewis Glasgow for more than 11 years, and has a dual role encompassing Community Liaison, and Leisure Benefits for Partners. Prior to joining John Lewis, Rita worked in Social Work learning and development, and started her retail career in Lewis’s Department Store, as a department sales manager.
John Lewis Glasgow has been accredited with a Big Tick Award for the past three years due to its successful and innovative mentoring scheme with Saint Roch’s Secondary and work with their feeder primary schools. Rita was delighted when John Lewis in Scotland was also awarded Large Company of the Year at the SBC Awards 2010. Rita lives in Airdrie with husband Andrew and her two children.
Caroline Rickard - Glasgow City Council
Lifelong Learning Manager, Vocational Education,
Caroline has worked for Glasgow City Council for some 20 years. In that time she has focused on young people through managing skillseeker and modern apprenticeship programmes as well supporting unemployed adults and helping them get back into work. In this time, she has implemented adult literacies for employees as well as a unique Lifelong Learning Programme for non-traditional learners. She remains committed to these two programmes to this day. She possesses an MSc in Lifelong Learning from Stirling University.
In 2010, she took over the responsibility for Council’s outdoor residential centre and became active in the co-ordination of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, increasing her involvement with school age young people.
