L-R: Sarah-Jane Laing, Jackie McCreery, Ailsa Anderson, Andrew Malcolm, Jane Corcoran, Paul Wakefield, Jason Rust, Anne Gray, Drew McFarlane Slack MBE, Joyce Karch, Scott Petrie, Luke Borwick, Douglas McAdam, Janice Fenny, Dr Andrew Midgley, Pat Somerville, Linda Cairns, Richard Blake, Teresa Dougall

Scottish Land & Estates Executive Management Team

Douglas McAdam, Chief Executive

Douglas has been CEO since 2006, when he joined following a career in the commercial sector overseas and in the UK, latterly with Thames Water. As well as undertaking the role of CEO and Board member, he represents the Scottish Land & Estates on a number of external governmental and industry groups and Boards. These include

Scotland’s Moorland Forum National Species Reintroduction Forum Board Member Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group Board Member Executive Board of Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime Chair of Police Poaching & Coursing Crime Priority Group Police Raptor Crime Priority Group Deer Management Round Table Executive Committee of the Association of Deer Management Groups SAC Council Member Upland Coordination Group Member Board Member Wildlife Estates Scotland

He spent over a decade in the Far East in various appointments with the Swire Group, mostly in Cathay Pacific Airways, Douglas returned to Scotland in the late 1990s. He then played a major role in building Thames Water’s business in Scotland, working both with Scottish Water and the Ministry of Defence. Douglas lives with his family in Highland Perthshire, near Tullimet.
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Paul Wakefield, Director Operations & Communications

Paul has been with Scottish Land & Estates since September 2011 having joined us from Bell Ingram Chartered Surveyors where he was an Associate and UK Marketing Manager for seven years. Paul has extensive experience in marketing communications, PR and business development having previously worked in Corporate Event Management and in Conflict Management.

Paul originally hails from Surrey and spent nine years as a Police Officer with the Metropolitan Police.
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Andrew Malcolm, Company Secretary and Accountant

Andrew has responsibility for the finances, company administration and IT. He joined in 2000 and became Company Secretary in 2003 on incorporation of the organisation as a limited company, and as such has been closely involved in its evolution in recent years. Andrew read Geography at St. Andrews University and trained as a chartered accountant with Peat Marwick (now KPMG) in London. He lives in East Lothian.
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Jane Corcoran, Communications Officer & Administration Supervisor

Jane joined the organisation in 1999 as Public Affairs and Legal Secretary, after 13 years in the electronics industry.  She has had various roles in the organisation over the years and became Communications Officer in 2006.  Jane assists with all internal and external communications.  Responsible for co-ordinating and circulating all Scottish Land & Estates publications and communications to members such as LandBusiness, Enewsletter, website, mailings.  Jane also co-ordinates and assists with all Scottish Land & Estates events and shows.

Jane lives in the Scottish Borders in Galashiels.

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Joyce Karch, PA to Chief Executive

Joyce joined the organisation in 2006 having previously been employed as a legal secretary as well as working in the import/export industry. Joyce is PA to our Chief Executive and also assists the Chairman, Director of Operations & Communications, Company Secretary, Head of Policy and Policy Team.  Joyce is also responisble for organising all Scottish Land & Estates members' Long Service Awards.

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Linda Cairns, Membership Secretary

Linda Cairns joined the organisation in January 2009 and has 44 years secretarial and administration experience, gained in large national organisations and smaller independent companies where she particularly enjoyed the personal contact with clients( etc.) Linda lives in a small village near our Musselburgh Headquarters with her husband. She is a member of the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland, other interests include going to the ballet, cooking, baking and her garden.

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Scottish Land & Estates Policy Team

Sarah-Jane Laing, Head of Policy

Sarah-Jane joined the organisation in 2004 as Housing Strategy Officer, after 10 years in both local authority and housing association environments. During these 10 years she carried out a number of housing related roles, latterly specialising in housing research and strategic policy development. Her role as Housing Strategy Officer involved raising awareness of the role of the rural private rented sector, increasing and maintaining standards within the sector, and identifying opportunities for further development of the private sector role in meeting the housing needs of rural Scotland. Sarah-Jane played a lead role in the development of the Rural Homes for Rent Grant Scheme.

 She became Head of Policy in 2009 and her current role involves overseeing the policy team and leading on lobbying and representational work. A large part of her role involves direct advice to members on a wide range of issues and she also sits on a large number of national and local stakeholder groups, covering various subjects of relevance to our members. She retains specific policy responsibility for housing, planning, communities and rural services.

 Sarah-Jane is a Board member of the Rural Housing Service, lives on her family’s farm in the Scottish Borders and is a Parent Council member at her local village school

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Richard Blake, Legal Adviser

Richard Blake read Law at the University of Edinburgh and trained, and subsequently worked as a Solicitor, with Dundas and Wilson in Edinburgh prior to becoming a partner in Condie Mackenzie & Co (subsequently Condies), Perth in 1983 and then a Consultant with Thorntons , Perth. He advised on all aspects of rural law, acting for landowners, owner-occupiers and agricultural tenants throughout Scotland, as well as foreign owners of Scottish property. As Clerk to both The Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board and The Tay Foundation, he built up a considerable knowledge about salmon fisheries law.

He represents Scottish Land & Estates on the Tenant Farming Forum. He lives in rural Perthshire.

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Andrew Midgley, Senior Policy Officer (Land Use)

Andrew is Senior Policy Officer. He covers agricultural, forestry, crofting and land use policy. He holds a PhD from Edinburgh University which examined the cultures of nature conservation in contemporary Scotland. He worked for Scottish Natural Heritage on the implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, then moved to the Scottish Agricultural College to help set up their Rural Policy Centre. In SAC he was involved in a wide range of projects including 'Farming's Retreat from the Hills' and Rural Scotland in Focus 2010. He also supported Brian Pack in his inquiry into the future of agricultural support in Scotland.

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Janice Fenny, Policy Officer (Environment)

Janice read Geography with French at the University of St Andrews before accepting a fully funded Natural Environment Research Council place at the University of Stirling to study for a Masters in Environmental Management.  Through a combination of modules taught and coursework completed during both of these degrees, Janice became increasingly aware of the many issues facing the rural sector in Scotland and decided that it would be interesting to pursue a career in this field.  Therefore, after graduation she accepted the position of Policy Officer (Environment) with Scottish Land & Estates (then the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association).

Janice covers a range of policy areas for the organisation falling under the “environmental” banner including renewable energy, biodiversity and conservation, water and moorland management.  She is responsible for responding to relevant consultation documents and sits on a range of stakeholder groups, such as the Diffuse Pollution Management Advisory Group and the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Steering Group.  These activities ensure that Scottish Land & Estates members are well represented in policy development.  Janice also manages a number of policy subgroups within the organisation, such as the renewables subgroup, and always welcomes new interested members to these groups.  

Outside of work Janice enjoys playing tennis at her local club, cycling and has a keen interest in gardening. 

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Anne Gray, Policy Officer (Access)

Anne Gray joined the organisation in 2007 as an Access Officer.  The post was at the time one of a handful at national-level that were grant-aided by Scottish Natural Heritage and placed in recreational and land management organisation to facilitate the implementation of Scotland's outdoor access legislation, including developing detailed guidance for land managers and ensuring that relevant Government Agencies and recreational bodies were aware of the needs of land managers in relation to accommodating outdoor access.  This work continues, but Anne’s role has more recently broadened out to include advice and lobbying around business opportunities which arising for members from outdoor recreation and rural tourism.  Anne comes from a farming background in the Borders, is a keen horse-rider and cyclist and has a First Class B.Sc. Hons in Environmental Studies.

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Ailsa Anderson, Graduate Trainee (Policy Assistant)

Brought up on a rural estate Ailsa has always had a keen interest in rural affairs. Ailsa was a member of Echt Young Famers and competed both locally and nationally. Ailsa graduated with an honours degree in Rural Surveying and Spatial Planning from Aberdeen University and is now is undertaking her APC in rural surveying in order to achieve MRICS status.

Her main policy areas include:

•  Animal health
• Buildings at risk
• Wayleaves
•  Planning

In her spare time, Ailsa enjoys curling and spending time with friends and family in the North East of Scotland.

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Pat Somerville, Rural Enterprise Project Officer (Demonstration Days)

Pat joined the organisation in 2011 to develop and organise the demonstration day programme. Pat has had a varied career. After leaving Elmwood College, she worked as bookkeeper and company secretary for Troon Marina Ltd and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, enjoying plenty of sailing alongside work. Along with two techies she started a software house around a dining room table, which was successfully sold 11 years later before joining the Countryside Alliance as West of Scotland Regional Director. She moved on to work for the British Horse Society covering Scotland as Access Officer to support equestrian access rights under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act, sitting on a number of committees including the National Access Forum.

She is a Director of Paths for All, and of the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society.

She lives in Ayrshire with her partner and various animals and is keen on country sports.

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Scottish Land & Estates Regional Team

Teresa Dougall, General Manager (Regions), South East & South West Regional Manager

Teresa joined the organisation in September 2006 as South East & South West Regional Manager and took on the additional role of General Manager – Regions around 2 years later.

Since leaving college, Teresa has worked in the rural sector. Previous employers include James Craig Auction Mart, Self employed consultant and book-keeper, Animal Health Department SEERAD (now SGRPID).

Teresa sits on the following national and regional groups:-

•   Scottish Flytipping Forum
•  Lantra Partnership Group
• A Working Countryside
• SBC Borders LEADER LAG
• South Ayrshire Local Access Forum
• East Lothian Biodiversity Partnership
• Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership Board
• Ayrshire & Arran Chamber Tourism Partnership
• North Ayrshire Rural Housing Sub Group

Teresa is married and lives in Ayr.  She enjoys music, books, walking, DIY and travel.

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Scott Petrie, Central & North East Regional Manager

Scott Petrie has been Regional Manager for North East and Central since March 2010.

Since graduated in 1997 with an Honours degree in Rural Business Management from the University of Aberdeen, Scott has amassed extensive practitioner and research experience in both socio-economic research and analysis, and strategy development and action based solutions.

Scott’s current focus of work is to engage with the Membership and represent their interests on a wide range of subjects ranging from management of land, agriculture, forestry and country sports through to rural housing, rural services, business diversification and rural development.

In addition, Scott is tasked with engaging and building strong productive relationships with media, politicians, government agencies, local authorities and other key influencers as well as delivering a range of activities which raise awareness of the role of landowners and estates play in their local communities.

Previous employers include the Scottish Agricultural College, the University of Aberdeen, Angus Rural Partnership and the Rural Development Company.

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Drew McFarlane-Slack, Highland Regional Manager

Drew McFarlane-Slack MBE joined Scottish Land & Estates in 2007 as the Highlands and Islands Regional Manager. Drew is the Chairman of the Highland Housing Alliance and Company Secretary of Lochaber Housing Assn. He also serves as Chair of Duneland Ltd., a housing development company based in the Findhorn Foundation. Drew has considerable experience as a Director of the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board, Convener of the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service and Chairman of Lochaber Enterprise. He was the Highland Councillor for Glencoe from 1992-2007 during which time his responsibilities included Planning and Housing management and development. Drew represented Highland Council on CoSLA and in various European agencies. He lives in Ballachulish with his wife and daughter and prior to his political career was both a greengrocer and trawlerman.

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