Fergus Ewing MSP
Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity

Fergus Ewing is the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity. Prior to that, He was the Minister for Community Safety and then the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism. He is MSP for Inverness and Nairn, and was first elected in 1999, having been re-elected on four occasions. He is the elder son of Winnie Ewing, and his sister Annabelle is also a Minister in the Scottish Government.

Educated at Loretto School, he graduated in law from Glasgow University before serving his apprenticeship and then running his own legal practice. After decades of bagging Munro's, completing marathons and serving as a member of Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, he now engages in more sedentary pursuits such as the piano, listening to jazz and doing crosswords.

Joan Aitken

Traffic Commissioner for Scotland

Joan Aitken has been Traffic Commissioner for Scotland since 2003. She is a solicitor by profession and activist by instinct. She is passionate about road safety and public transport. In 2017 she became an Ambassador for Transaid, having completed its Cycling Challenge in South Africa and is in training for Zambia.

Cllr Susan Aitken
Leader
Glasgow City Council

Susan Aitken became Leader of Glasgow City Council when the SNP became the largest party on the Council and formed a minority administration in May 2017. She was elected as a councillor for the Langside ward, where she lives, in 2012 and has been leader of the SNP group since 2014, having previously served as the group spokesperson on health and social care. She is the SNP's national Local Government Convener.

Before being elected, Susan worked in a variety of policy and research roles in the Scottish Parliament and the third sector, and as a freelance writer and editor specialising in health and social care policy. She grew up in Biggar in South Lanarkshire, moved to Glasgow aged 17 and is a graduate of both Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities.

Dr Jillian Anable
Professor of Transport and Energy at University of Leeds, and Chair of the Research and Evidence Committee for the Scottish NTS review

Jillian Anable is Professor of Transport and Energy at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds. Her research addresses the potential for demand-side solutions to reduce carbon and energy from transport. Broadly, her current research direction investigates 'the future of the car' – bringing together socio-technical developments including electrification and new mobility services to explore the concept of 'car usership' and assessing the potential impact of these disruptions on the energy system. She has led large interdisciplinary research teams and projects mainly funded by UK Research Councils (RCUK), the Energy Technologies Institute, the UK Department for Transport, Scottish Government and the European Union. She has sat on a number of advisory boards and strategy panels for UK Government Departments, the Climate Change Committee, US Dept. of Energy, HoL Science and Tech Committee, RCUK and NGOs, including currently acting as Chair to the Research and Evidence Group for the Scottish National Transport Strategy Review

Prof. David Begg
Chief Executive
Transport Times

Prof David Begg is Chief Executive of Portobello Partnership Ltd which specialises in strategic advice to clients in the transport sector; publishes Transport Times magazine; and runs a series of transport best practice awards in conjunction with the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland and Transport for London.

He is a non-executive board member of Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd, a member of the Cubic Transportation Systems' Advisory Board and a non-executive chairman of EAMS Group.

From 1999 to 2005 he chaired the Government's Commission for Integrated Transport which was set up to advise the Government on transport policy and to monitor performance. He was a board member of Transport for London from 2000 to 2006 before joining Tube Lines as chairman (2006-2010). He was a non-executive director of the Strategic Rail Authority and before that British Rail. From 2005-2014 David was a Non-Executive Director of First Group Ltd.

Before moving to London he was Professor of Transport Policy at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. He is a visiting professor in Transport at Plymouth University. In the 1990s he was the political lead on transport on Lothian Region and then the City of Edinburgh councils.

Roy Brannnen (Session 3 Chair)
Chief Executive
Transport Scotland

Roy Brannen is the Chief Executive of Transport Scotland, the national transport agency for Scotland and part of the Scottish Government responsible for delivering Ministers transport priorities and commitments with oversight of the operation and improvement of the trunk road, ferry, inland waterway and railway networks in Scotland; prioritising future transport policy and investments, actively promoting sustainable transport and road safety, air passenger facilities in the Highlands and Islands and securing of traditional and new air routes for Scotland; national concessionary travel schemes and the provision of network traffic and travel information services.

Roy is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of both the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineers and The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation

Heather Cowan
Head of Transport Strategy
Transport Scotland

After Edinburgh University, Heather joined London Underground Limited on a graduate programme laterally working in operational management. She moved back to Scotland to join Transport Scotland in its rail directorate and her roles included managing the ScotRail Franchise on behalf of Scottish Ministers. She has embraced the opportunities within Scottish Government to move roles and has since worked in Public Health in Alcohol Policy and Delivery, and on a Review of Public Health. Heather has returned to Transport Scotland to take forward the National Transport Strategy Review which is being taken forward in collaboration with stakeholders.

Prof. Iain Docherty (Session 1 Chair)
Professor of Public Policy and Governance and Director of External Engagement
Adam Smith Business School

Iain Docherty BSc PhD CMILT is Professor of Public Policy and Governance and Head of Management at the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School. Iain's research and teaching addresses the interconnecting issues of public administration, institutional change and city and regional competitiveness, with particular emphasis on the structures and processes of local and regional governance, policies for delivering improved economic performance and environmental sustainability, and the development and implementation of strategic planning and transport policies.

His total research and consultancy awards in the last six years exceed £2 million, and he is currently Co-Director of the Scottish Cities Knowledge Centre and Co-Investigator on two major Research Council projects on sustainable transport and low carbon transitions. Iain has worked with and advised a range of private sector, governmental and other organisations including governments and public agencies in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Sweden, and the OECD. He served as Non-Executive director of Transport Scotland, the national transport agency for Scotland, from 2006 – 2010. Iain was appointed as one of the inaugural members of the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland in 2011, and to the Expert Panel advising the North East Independent Economic Review in 2012.

Giles Fearnley
Managing Director
UK Bus, First Group

Giles Fearnley has been Managing Director of First Group's UK Bus Division since February 2011.

In 1991 he led a management buy-out of Blazefield Holdings which operated bus networks principally across Yorkshire and Lancashire. He remained as Chief Executive for two years following the group's sale to Transdev plc in 2006. In the mid 90's Giles took a "sabbatical" from the bus industry into rail and was one of the founders of Prism Rail plc, which operated four UK passenger rail franchises. He was appointed as Chief Executive and led the Group prior to the sale in 2000 to National Express. He then served as Chairman of Grand Central, the open access rail operator, prior to its sale to BB in 2011.

At various times, Giles has served as Chairman of the Association of Train Operating Companies and President and then Chairman until 2011, of the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

Stuart Greig
Assistant Director, Low Carbon Economy
Transport Scotland, Scottish Government

Stuart has led a number of areas of Government policy over the past 10 years, including in the fields of Energy, Economic Development and the Environment.

His current role places him at the centre of the Scottish Government's commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.

Prior to joining the Scottish Government, Stuart worked in environmental regulation and research, which took him from the valleys of Wales to the lakes of western Alaska. Stuart has a PhD from Southampton University.

Alex Hynes
Managing Director
ScotRail Alliance

Alex Hynes was appointed Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance on 1 June 2017.

Before joining ScotRail, Alex was Managing Director of the Northern franchise for three and a half years where he successfully delivered their best ever customer satisfaction scores as well as record levels of employee engagement.

An experienced transport professional, Alex has almost 20 years of industry experience and a proven track record delivering rail improvement and investment programmes.

Having spent his early career as a consultant for Halcrow Fox, Alex worked with the Office of Rail Regulation before joining the Go-ahead Group in 2005 as Strategic Planning Manager and, in 2007, as Commercial Director at London Midland, and finally, as Managing Director – Rail Development.

Originally from Manchester, Alex serves on the board of The Institution of Railway Operators and North of England Excellence.

Ross Martin
Economic Agitator & Adviser on Regional Economies @ScotIncGrowth and Member
Glasgow Connectivity Commission

Ross works with governments at all levels to design, develop and deliver #InclusiveGrowth - combining the power of economic value and social purpose. To achieve these socio-economic aims, Ross agitates for meaningful collaboration between, and across, the public, private & social sectors to ensure the creation, nurture, and sustainability of Inclusive Growth.

Ross has a keen eye for critical linkages between People and Place, thus enabling a range of initiatives to flourish in this important interface, e.g. co-creating Adopt an Intern, Driving the rapid expansion of Business Improvement Districts, and currently delivering a new form of Regional Economic Leadership across Scotland.

Ross has played a variety of roles in advisory, executive and thought-leadership capacities across the private, public and social spheres of the economy, with the consistent thread of strengthening Scotland's socio-economic resilience, with a current focus on two of the core characteristics of the emerging economy: low carbon infrastructure, being driven by data and digital technology.

Bill Reeve
Rail Director
Transport Scotland

Bill Reeve joined Transport Scotland to establish its new rail team, following the devolution of rail powers to the Scottish Parliament in 2005. Bill has worked in a number of roles in Transport Scotland, and am now Director of Rail. Bill also leads their work introducing integrated smart ticketing across all public transport modes in Scotland.

Bill has more than thirty years of experience of the passenger and freight transport industry, working in British Rail, the privatised rail industry, and as Director of Project Sponsorship at the Strategic Rail Authority prior to joining Transport Scotland.

Bill's career has included front line production management; rail freight business development; policy and strategy development; management of franchise contracts; and major rail project sponsorship including new railways, rolling stock and service developments.

Bill is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and recently served as Chairman of its Railway Division.

Cllr. Anna Richardson
City Convener for Sustainability & Carbon Reduction
Glasgow City Council

Anna Richardson graduated with an MA (hons) in Geography in 2001, and an MSc in Human Resources in 2005, as well as spending several years working in the public sector, in administrative roles. She has since gained an HND in Antenatal Education, and works part time for the national parenting charity, NCT.

She was elected as a councillor in Langside, Glasgow in 2015, and re-elected in 2017. She currently holds the position of City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction.

Anna also has three school aged children.

Tim Roberts

Leads on Business Development for UK Rail

Tim Roberts leads on Business Development for UK Rail in Cubic Transportation with particular emphasis on working with the Train Operating Companies and the Rail Delivery Group to realise the development and introduction of new technologies in the areas of ticketing and revenue protection. Prior to Cubic, Tim comes from an Aerospace background having worked in R&D in previous organisations and then moving into a Business Development and Account Management roles within QinetiQ for a number of years.

Ranald Robertson
Partnership Director
HITRANS

Ranald Robertson has been HITRANS Partnership Director since 2012.

An experienced transport professional, Ranald has 20 years of experience and a proven track record of delivering multi modal transport projects and programmes and helping shape transport policy in the Highlands and Islands and beyond.

His early career included work for Caledonian MacBrayne and Highland Council before joining HITRANS in 2002 initially to deliver a public transport improvement project.

Originally from North Uist in the Western Isles, Ranald is a member of the SCDI Highlands and Islands Committee, Scottish Government Expert Ferry Group and ScotRail Stakeholder Panel. Ranald has been involved in the NTS development as a member of the NTS Partnership Group and co-Chair of the Tackling Inequality Thematic Working Group.

Dr. Stephen Thomson
Head of Environment and Sustainability
Transport Scotland

Dr. Stephen Thomson is the Head of Environment and Sustainability for Transport Scotland. Stephen is leading the transport-based air quality actions as outlined in the Cleaner Air for Scotland Strategy, with a focus on the Programme for Government commitment to introduce Low Emission Zones into Scotland's four biggest cities between 2018 and 2020.

Stephen was previously responsible for leading the corporate and operational environment and sustainability programmes in Transport Scotland, which encompassed the provision of corporate advice and leadership on emissions (including air quality, noise and climate change mitigation) in addition to climate change adaptation, carbon management and environmental management.

Stephen is a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). Transport Scotland is the national transport agency for Scotland, delivering the Scottish Government's vision for transport.

Gordon Smith
Regional Director
VisitScotland

A graduate in Tourism Management from Glasgow Caledonian University, Gordon has over 20 years experience working in Scottish tourism. Following his studies he joined Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board where he worked within visitor services and then with Glasgow Convention Bureau. Since 2005 Gordon has held tourism industry facing roles at VisitScotland including as National Partnerships Manager with a key focus in developing strategic partnership activity across the transport sector. He has recently taken up a new position within VisitScotland's Regional Leadership and Development team as a Regional Director.