Philip Rodney LLB -  Chair

Philip Rodney studied Law with English, Economics and Industrial Administration at the University of Strathclyde. He qualified as a solicitor in 1976, and was a Partner at Alexander Stone and Co from 1979 to 1998 before becoming a Partner at Burness LLP. He is now Chairman of Burness.  As a lawyer, he is singled out as a leading individual in Dispute Resolution, Defamation and Media & Entertainment by Chambers UK 2013.Philip is a Governor of Hutchesons' Educational Trust in Glasgow. 

Professor Seona Reid CBE BA (Hons) D.Art Hon D.Litt FRSA - Director of The Glasgow School of Art

Seona was appointed Director in 1999, having served as Director of the Scottish Arts Council for nine years and before that as Assistant Director of Greater London Arts, Director of Shape, Head of Public Relations Ballet Rambert, Press and Publicity Officer at Northern Dance Theatre, Business Manager, Lincoln Theatre Royal and a freelance arts consultant working with the Arts Council of Great Britain and the London Contemporary Dance Trust. She is a member of Universities Scotland Executive Committee and a board member of Cove Park. In April 2011 she was appointed as Deputy Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund / Heritage Lottery Fund and Chair of the Scottish Committee and is Scottish Commissioner to the Fulbright Commission.  In recent years, she was a member of the Knowledge and Evaluation Committee of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, a Commissioner on the Scottish Broadcasting Commission, vice chair of the Lighthouse Centre for Architecture, Design and the City and on the boards of the Arches and Suspect Culture Theatre. She has honorary degrees from Robert Gordon University, the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University and Strathclyde University. She is an honorary professor of the University of Glasgow and was awarded a CBE in 2008 for services to the creative industries.

Ms Alison Lefroy Brooks BA (Hons) ACA MCT - Vice-Chair

Alison is a chartered accountant and worked for KPMG in London before specialising in treasury. She worked for the BOC Group plc and was Assistant Treasurer at the TPG Group NV, based in the Netherlands prior to moving to Scotland to take up the role of Group Treasurer for Aggreko plc, the global leader in the rental of power, temperature control and oil-free compressed air systems to customers around the world.  She is chair of the Scottish discussion group for the Association of Corporate Treasurers

Sir Muir Russell KCB FRSE - Vice-Chair

Muir was the first Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Executive following devolution and then Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow from 2003 to 2009, when he was Convener, Universities Scotland, member of the boards of UUK and UCAS and trustee of USS. Currently he chairs the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland, the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Dunedin Concert Trust; and is a board member of the Moredun Research Institute. He is a member of the board of NHBC (the National House-Building Council) and chairs its Scottish Committee. He is also a member of the Council of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. A graduate of the University of Glasgow in Natural Philosophy, Muir was created KCB in 2001 and FRSE in 2000 and given honorary degrees by the Universities of Strathclyde, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Professor Linda Drew BA (Hons) MA PhD FRSA FDRS - Deputy Director and Director of Academic Development

Linda joined the GSA in August 2011 from the University of the Arts London (UAL) where she was Dean of the Graduate School for Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon. She is currently the Chair of CHEAD (Council for Higher Education in Art and Design) and is a member of the Design Commission, an industry-led research group, which sits alongside the Associate Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group. She is also a member of the Singapore British Business Council and an External Quality Reviewer for arts higher education at the Singapore Ministry of Education. Linda was Head of College at Chelsea College of Art and Design (UAL 2006-7). Before joining the University of the Arts as Dean at Chelsea in 2003, she was Co-Director of the Art, Design and Communication subject centre based at the University of Brighton. She is founding editor of the highly regarded peer-reviewed research journal Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education, published by Intellect books for over 10 years. Linda is an alumna of Saint Martins School of Art, a Fellow of the Design Research Society (FDRS) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA).

Ms Kerry Aylin BA (Hons) FHEA EADiM

Kerry graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 1983. After 11 years in industry, she returned to GSA as a member of staff. She has been running her own design business since 1994, where her creative work has been mostly in communication design, primarily publishing and interactive technology. Amongst her accomplishments are a Scottish Design Award, Europrix winner, Prix Mobius shortlist and British Interactive Media Awards finalist. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and member of European Academy of Digital Media. At GSA, Kerry supports all schools as a specialist in assistive technologies and in the innovative application of technology to traditional industry techniques and divergent thinking. Kerry has been an Adobe Education Leader and contact for the Adobe Partnership for a number of years.

Ms Sharon Bamford BA (Hons) MBA

Sharon is Chief Executive of the Association of MBAs. Previously she was CEO of the UK-India Business Council, Chief Executive of the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, Director of the Edinburgh Technopole at the University of Edinburgh and lectured in the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Robert Gordon University. Earlier roles included Managing Director, Panmure Consulting Ltd, Director of the charity Challenges Worldwide; Head of Grampian Technology Development Unit, Director of International Marketing for Drilling Systems (Rigsim) Ltd and Principal of Gateside Schools.

Mr Douglas Brown BA (Hons) Dipl Arch (Oxford) FRIAS RIBA

Douglas Brown is a chartered architect who spent most of his professional career with international strategic design consultancy DEGW, a firm whose reputation was built on innovation in workplace, research and learning environments.  From 2001 to 2008 he was Group Managing Director of DEGW Plc with responsibility for leading growth and managing the performance of the firm's worldwide operations from 14 offices in 9 countries across Europe, Asia and North America.  He left the firm in February 2009.  From 1998 to 2001 Douglas was also a partner at Dutch Management Consultancy Twynstra Gudde Group.  He is a past Board Member of the British Council of Offices.

Dr Janet Brown BSc PhD FInstP FRSE

Janet is Chief Executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, having previously been Managing Director of Industries at Scottish Enterprise.  Prior to this she spent 19 years working in the private sector in the United States and has extensive experience in science, research and technology as well as business management.  A graduate of the University of Birmingham, with a BSc in Physics and a PhD in Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, Janet is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.

Mr Bob Downes DipTP, B.Phil.

Bob Downes is Deputy Chair of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Non-Executive of Care Visions Group and works with a number of small technology businesses. Until 2011 he was a Director with BT Group where he served in a wide variety of executive roles, most recently with Openreach.  Previous to 1999 he was a Director in Scottish Enterprise and before that of Conran Roche, a London based creative consultancy. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Adam Smith Business School at Glasgow University, Scotrail Advisory Board and the Scottish Ensemble.  He served on the Carter Review on PAYE for Small Businesses, was a board member of the International Council for Urban Development (Washington DC) and of many voluntary organisations including Wise Group, Ulster Community Investment Trust and the Flax Trust in Belfast. Bob is a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.

Ms Roberta Doyle BA

Roberta graduated in Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde and has held senior management roles with Scotland's largest cultural organisations.  She is currently Director of External Affairs with the National Theatre of Scotland, having held a similar post with Scottish Opera. Her specialism is in strategic marketing and communications. Previous other posts include Director of Public Affairs for the National Galleries of Scotland, Director of Marketing and Press with Scottish Ballet and Head of Marketing for Glasgow's Department of Performing Arts and Venues and the Citizens' Theatre.  She has lectured and taught widely in the UK and abroad on strategic issues relating to arts management, audiences, marketing, fundraising, communications, and audience development.

Dr Simon Groom MA (Hons) PhD

Simon has been Director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh since November 2007. He graduated in English Literature from Edinburgh University before spending a year in Japan and three years in Italy. In 1994 he returned to London to complete an MA and a Doctorate in Art History at the Courtauld Institute. For three years he worked as the curator at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge before being appointed Head of Exhibitions at Tate Liverpool, where he curated numerous exhibitions of modern and contemporary international art, including "The Real Thing: Contemporary Art from China" in 2007 as well as leading the Tate's acquisition strategy in Asia.

Mr Daniel Ibbotson BA (Hons)

Daniel graduated in Fine Art Photography at Glasgow School of Art in 1996. After six years working within the creative community in Scotland he cofounded Graphical House design consultancy, where he works as a designer and director. In 2006 he was awarded the Scottish Design Awards Designer of the Year title. Between 2004 and 2007 Daniel was a member of the UK Design Skills Advisory Panel, formed by The Design Council and Creative and Cultural Skills in order to develop 'The Creative Blueprint' sector skills agreement. He now sits on the UK Design Alliance Scotland panel, a partnership of regional design organisations working together to strengthen the sector.

Mr Douglas Kinnaird BA CA

Douglas is a business graduate from Strathclyde University and a Chartered Accountant.  He runs MacDonald Kinnaird which has the reputation of recruiting for many of the major roles in Scotland's public and private sectors and is founder and deputy chairman of Scotland International. In 2004 he bought the former Lady Artists Society building in Blythswood Square, whose door and entrance is featured in every Charles Rennie Mackintosh book in the world. He occasionally returns to Strathclyde to lecture in Marketing, was on Cancer Research UK's Scottish Council, a Director of Scotland the Brand and a governor of Hutchesons' School.

Mrs Linda McTavish CBE BA (Hons)

Principal of Anniesland College, Linda studied at Strathclyde University, followed by research at Edinburgh University and TQFE at Jordanhill College.  She taught at Cardonald College and Langside College before becoming Depute Principal at Anniesland in 1993 and Principal in 1997. She has been a SQA assessor/verifier, member of Scottish Executive Lifelong Forum, New Deal Taskforce, Scottish Refugee Integration Forum, SE Glasgow, Community Learning Scotland and the Glasgow Economic Forum and is currently a member of the Education Commission for Glasgow. Linda was awarded the Lord Provost's Medal for education, a CBE for services to further education and a Fellowship of the SQA. She is Chair of the Glasgow Colleges Strategic Partnership and has also been appointed as Regional Lead for Further Education in Lanarkshire.

Dr Ken Neil MA (Hons) MFA PhD PGCert FHEA
Ken Neil studied Painting and the History and Philosophy of Art at Edinburgh University as an undergraduate, before achieving an MFA in Painting from Edinburgh College of Art in 1995. He completed a PhD in art theory in 2003, while teaching Humanities and History of Art at ECA and the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. From 1999 he was lecturer in Contextual and Critical Studies at Gray's School of Art, taking on the Headship of Fine Art and Fine Art Critical Studies in 2002. In 2005 he led a new MFA in Critical Social Art Practice for Gray's before being appointed Head of Historical and Critical Studies at The Glasgow School of Art in 2006. His research relates to three fields: contemporary art and art theory; issues around access, inclusion and tradition in creative education; and theories of the real and the everyday. Since joining GSA he has been a Sector Lead for creative and cultural practice disciplines for the Scottish Enhancement Theme 'Research-Teaching Linkages' and has served on the AHRC Fellowships Review Panel. Ken is on the Editorial Board of the journal 'Art & Research' and is a member of the AHRC Peer Review College and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In April 2012, Ken took on the role of Acting Head of Research for GSA.

Mr Nicholas Oddy BA (Hons) PGDipDes MA (RCA)

Nicholas studied at Edinburgh College of Art and was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum to study design history. He taught at Teesside and Duncan of Jordanstone before joining Glasgow School of Art in 1993 where other roles have included representative of the Design History Society and President of the GSA UCU.  His research interests focus on late 19^th and 20^th century mass manufactures, particularly the cycle and toy industries; he is chair of the Cycle Touring and Countryside Trust and advises auction rooms for specialist sales of cycles and cycling memorabilia and collectors' items.

Ms Christa Reekie Mag.phil. Dip Ed LLB NP

Christa was a school teacher in Austria, moved to Scotland and re-qualified as a teacher there. She joined the University of Edinburgh as a tutor teaching German before moving into the software industry (Adobe) as a translator and later a project leader, thus funding her accelerated law degree at Edinburgh University. She trained with Brodies in Edinburgh, became a commercial property lawyer and joined Burness in 1996, where she specialised in construction law before concentrating on PFI/PPP large infrastructure projects, becoming a partner in 2000. She was appointed as commercial director of the Scottish Futures Trust in November 2009.

Mr Kenneth Ross OBE

Ken currently has property interests in land, commercial and residential property and recently became Chairman of a renewable energy company operating throughout Scotland. He graduated in 1970 and qualified as a Surveyor in 1972.  He was President of the Scottish Housebuilders Association in 1987/1988 and was a founding Director when Homes for Scotland was formed.  He went on to become Chairman of the Scottish Property Federation during 2007.  In 2006, he was appointed to the Regeneration Board advising the Executive and Scottish Ministers on matters relating to regeneration in Scotland. He was a member of the Climate Change Business Delivery Group. In 2007, Ken was a member of the Sullivan Committee advising the Scottish Ministers on a low carbon strategy for Scotland and is now a Member of the 2020 Group actively involved in sustainability and renewable projects throughout Scotland.  In 2008, he was invited to join the National Economic Forum and in 2009 was invited to become a Member of the Housing Supply Task Force.  In 2010, he was appointed to the Housing Policy Advisory Board, advising Scottish Minister on housing matters in Scotland.  Ken is a Member of the Executive Committee of SCDI and continues to chair the Building Standards and Sustainability Committee for the SPF. He is also actively involved in projects involving the arts, social and educational sectors in Scotland.

Mr. Sam De Santis BA (Hons)

Sam studied fine art photography at the Glasgow School of Art from 2008 to 2012. During this time he was awarded the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Art Undergraduate Award and has had his work exhibited across the UK with shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London. His work 'Hand Compacted Sphere' was chosen to represent the Glasgow School of Art 2012 Degree Show, being reproduced all over Scotland in a variety of formats. During his time as a student Sam was an active member of both the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Student Staff Consultancy Committee (SSCC) and he was elected to the position of President of the SRC just prior to his graduation in May 2012. As the student representative and a Governor of the School, Sam is responsible for both expressing and protecting the interests of the Glasgow School of Art student body.

Professor Alison YarringtonBA (Hons), PhD, FRSE, FSA, FRSA

Alison Yarrington is Professor of Art History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Hull. Professor Yarrington, an expert in sculpture, took a foundation course at Chesterfield College of Art and Design before moving into higher education. She gained her undergraduate degree in fine art and history of art at the University of Reading before undertaking a doctorate at Darwin College, Cambridge. Professor Yarrington was appointed to a lectureship in the history of art at the University of Leicester, promoted to a Personal Chair of Art History and then was elected Dean of the Faculty of Arts. She was appointed Richmond Chair and Head of the Department of Art History at the University of Glasgow in 2003, where she was also Honorary Keeper of Fine Art for the Hunterian Gallery and Museums. She is currently Chair of the Association of Art Historians and  a member of the Advisory Council of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.