Office Bearers and Business Committee Members

Ann graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a B.Sc. in Psychology(1970); Ph.D.(1974) and M.Phil.(Clin.Psychol.) in 1975.

She worked in clinical practice and led a research team working on psychosocial issues in cancer and cancer genetics. She had leadership roles in several national and international bodies including the Board of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer through which she established a unit in Brussels concerned with patient reported outcomes in international clinical trials in oncology. From 2001-8 she was Director of Training for Psychology Services for NHS Scotland with responsibility for expansion and modernisation in postgraduate education for psychologists to meet NHS service needs.

Doreen Davidson graduated as a Bachelor of Arts from Edinburgh University. She went on to do a post-graduate course in Human Resource management and is a member of the Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD).

She has had a long career in human resource management, initially in the publishing sector (with Holmes McDougall), as well as a short spell with a large organisation in Johannesburg, South Africa (Brown Boveri). For the last 30 years she has worked with a large contract research organisation. The company was originally known as Inveresk Research but became part of a global organisation of more than 7,000 staff called Charles River Laboratories, headquartered in Massachusetts, in October 2004. Her current role is Senior Director of Human Resources for their UK and Ireland operations (ca 1,100 staff). As well as having overall responsibility for all human resources and training strategies in these territories, she is also a member of the Executive management team which oversees the preclinical operations in the UK and Ireland. During the period when the company was part of the Inveresk group, she played an active role in mergers and acquisitions including a management buy-out, a number of European acquisitions, a US NASDAQ listing and the sale of the Inveresk group to Charles River in 2004.

Business Angel and Mentor working with SMEs to help them grow and develop through input of sound business knowledge and funding if required. He set up Equity Gap – a business angel syndicate in August 2010 and it now has approximately 150 members and they have invested in 26 companies. He is Chairman of LINC Scotland, the Scottish Business Angel Association and on the Board of a number of SME companies, including Sunamp who make heat batteries and use technology developed at University of Edinburgh.

Born and brought up in the Scottish Borders. Jock attended University of Edinburgh, gaining an Honours degree in Chemical Engineering and then gained a Diploma in Malting and Brewing at Heriot Watt University. He worked with Scottish & Newcastle for almost 30 years in production, operations and logistics roles, with 20 of these years as a Director. In 2006 Jock left S&N and set up his management consultancy, Millican Associates.

The Hon Lady Wolffe (Sarah P L Wolffe QC) was appointed as a Senator of the College of Justice, Scotland’s Supreme Courts, in 2014. She is one of the Commercial Court judges, and the first woman in Scotland to hold that position. She was called to the Scottish Bar in 1994; appointed a standing junior to the Department of Trade and Industry in 1996, and  took silk in 2008. Her principal areas in practice were in Commercial and Public law. She was one of the founding members of Axiom Advocates. While in practice, she was a contributor or Scottish editor to a number of editions of two legal textbooks,  MacGillivray on Insurance Law and Mithani on Director’s Disqualification. She was one of the UK members on the Panel of Experts looking at the harmonisation of aspects of professional indemnity insurance.  She was also, prior to her appointment, the Chancellor (or legal advisor) to several Bishops in the Scottish Episcopal Church. She was born in the United States and her first degree was from Dartmouth College (graduating Summa cum Laude), one of the Ivy League colleges. After post-graduate work at Balliol College at the University of Oxford, she took a graduate LLB from the University of Edinburgh. Her husband is the Lord Advocate. She has two grown sons (of whom she is inordinately proud).

Philip Mawer was a member of the Business Committee from 2014-18, during which he convened its Finance and Services Committee.  An experienced Chairman, his career includes spells as a senior civil servant, Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England, Westminster's Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests to two Prime Ministers and Chair of Allchurches Trust, a major grant-making charity. 

Gordon Cairns has previously served on the Business Committee and hopes to provide added value to the committee, given his experience as a solicitor, tribunal judge, university tutor and examiner. He considers working to enhance the reputation of the University and the student experience through membership of the Business Committee to be an honour and a privilege.

My association with the University includes three decades of academic staff membership, with six years as Vice-Principal International.  I received an OBE in 2015 for 'services to International Higher Education'.  If re-elected I would strive to ensure that student and staff wellbeing remain top of the Business Committee agenda.

William Duncan was Chief Executive of the The Royal Society of Edinburgh - Scotland's national academy of science and letters - for over 30 years and believes this gives him considerable insight into the challenges and opportunities the HE sector faces from the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework, creation of UKRI and Brexit. 

Krysytna Szumelukowa was educated at Newland High School in kingston upon Hull and King's College at the University of London from which evolved a career in town and country planning and research, corporate management and economic development in London, East Sussex, Humberside and Edinburgh.  Subsequently she took a Master of Philosophy Research degree at the University of Edinburgh specialising in the Ancient History and Archaeology of The Levant.

Alastair Dunlop is a graduate of the University of Dundee and was called to the Scottish Bar in 1978, practicing mainly in civil law but for a three-year period serving as an advocate depute prosecuting in the High Court. He later served as a part time Chair of both the Pensions Appeal Tribunal and the Employment Tribunal.

He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1990 and for a period of nine years held office as Procurator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland before being appointed Sheriff Principal of Tayside, Central & Fife in 2000, which office he held until his retirement in 2015. He has also served as a Temporary Judge of the Court of Session and continues to be a part time member of the Sheriff Appeal Court.

Professor Miller has a lifetime's experience as an academic at levels from Assistant Lecturer to Principal at five universities: Edinburgh, Melbourne, Oxford, Grenoble and Stirling.  He is the Founding Director of two European Research Laboratories: EMBL (1975-80) and ESRF (1986-1991). He is familiar with funding bodies from Government to Charities.

During Judith's undergraduate degree she was convener of the Disability and Mental Wellbeing Action Group and member of the Access and Facilities Sub-group Committee. She has extensive experience of disability and equality issues and as a current student she looks forward to supporting the Business Committee to improve disability access.

Brian Smith was born and attended school in Edinburgh. He graduated in philosophy in 1966 (MA). He next studied theology at Cambridge (MA, MLitt), moved to Oxford, where he was ordained, and taught theology at Cuddesdon College.

He has held a number of ecclesiastical appointments, together with responsibilities in the field of theological education.

He was appointed bishop of Tonbridge in 1993, and was subsequently elected bishop of Edinburgh in 2001. He retired from that post in 2011.

A graduate of Oxford (German/French) and Edinburgh (European Legal Studies), and Austrian Consul for Scotland, John Clifford's professional life is focused on inter-national discourse across the range of public affairs. He hopes to contribute to strengthening Edinburgh University’s links with European, and other, places of learning, government and people.

My strengths are in strategic finance and management which have served me well in local authority top teams, as a director of a professional society and a management consultant. I wish to bring these skills and experiences to assist the University’s strategic planning in consultation with members.

Ario Santini graduated in 1966 with a degree in Dentistry and is currently University Professor at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Targu Mures.  He is confident that his connection with two continental universities could assist with the University's international links with institutes of learning and peoples in Europe.

Candice Donnelly graduated from the University in 2005 with a Law degree and obtained her Diploma in Legal Practice in 2006.  She is currently a solicitor and is keen to use her expertise in corporate governance and strategic projects to support the University.

Arron Ashton graduated from the School of GeoSciences in 2013 and has worked in the public sector since. He can contribute by bringing modern thinking and ensuring that the University continues to utilise its world-leading talent and react appropriately to the ever-changing global landscape.

Moyra Forrest retired in 2013 after 37 years working part-time in the University, latterly as Information Officer for the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation. She combined this variously with working as a librarian in the private sector, freelance book indexing, and 13 years public service as an Edinburgh City Councilor.

She is interested particularly in the role of the University in the life of the city - where it is both a major employer, and offers and supports lifelong opportunities for learning.

Formerly consultant and senior lecturer in Psychiatry in Edinburgh. Member of Business Committee of General Council (2010-2014), Convener Academic Standing Committee from 2012. This experience revealed the diversity and excellence of the University and highlighted for me the challenge of ensuring that the student experience is personally rewarding and enriching.

Lady Caplan is President of Friends of Edinburgh University Library, Trustee of Scottish PEN and Chair of the Poetry Association of Scotland.

She has taught English Literature at Edinburgh University for 25 years and is committed to maximising students' learning opportunities within the University framework.

She chairs several Scottish NGOs.