New blueprint for Scotland's rural economy: recommendations to Scottish Ministers

Appendix 1: NCRA Member Biographies

Lorne Crerar (Co-Chair)
Lorne is a founding partner and chairman of leading Scottish commercial law firm Harper Macleod LLP. Lorne has wide experience of the operations of the public sector and has been appointed by the Scottish Government to undertake a number of independent reviews including the Enterprise and Skills Review in 2017 and his Review of Regulation, Audit, Inspection and Complaints handling of public services in Scotland in 2010. Lorne joined the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( HIE) in April 2008 and was appointed as chair in March 2012.

Alison Milne (Co-Chair)
Alison is a self-employed consultant, currently representing the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association on matters relating to agricultural policy. Alison also farms a mixed arable and livestock business, in partnership with her husband, mother and father-in-law. In this role Alison was a driving force in hosting the Fife HGCA arable Monitor Farm from 2013 to 2016.

Jackie Brierton
Jackie Brierton has been CEO of GrowBiz since 2012 – a community-based enterprise support organisation in rural Perthshire. She is also chair of the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER Local Action Group, and founder and vice-chair of Women's Enterprise Scotland CIC. She has more than 30 years' experience in business, enterprise and policy development, including a period as adviser in the DTi's Small Business Service between 2002 and 2006. She developed the UK government's first 'Strategic Framework for Women's Enterprise' in 2003 and managed two centres of enterprise expertise for young people and women in the West Midlands between 2007 and 2010. Until recently, Jackie was chair of Community Enterprise Ltd, and is passionate about the role of local enterprise development in the strengthening of the rural economy in Scotland.

Willie Cameron
Willie was the founding director of the 'Cobbs' Group of companies and is now their business development director. He had 25 years' experience in financial services before establishing Loch Ness Marketing – a service company to film, TV and media. Willie went on to be the director of the Highland Feast Food and Drink Festival of the Highlands for 10 years, and director of the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards. He also sat on the board for the University of the Highlands and Islands – Inverness College. In 2005, Willie was voted Highland Ambassador of the Year for services to tourism, and in 2016 was voted Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Ambassador.

Archie Gibson
Archie Gibson is a director of the James Hutton Institute and former chair of the Food & Drink Federation Scotland. He is also the managing director of Agrico UK Ltd, a subsidiary of a Dutch farmers' cooperative with 800 members. Archie gained experience in a variety of land management roles producing store lambs and cattle before joining the food industry in 1999. He represented Scottish supply chain interests in a far-reaching review on food defence and resilience led by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure ( CPNI) and British Standards Institute ( BSI). He is a director of the James Hutton Institute.

Henry Graham
Henry Graham runs a 450-acre mixed farm in Midlothian in partnership with his wife and is an experienced figure from the world of rural banking and agriculture. He has held senior roles in the Royal Highland Agricultural Society, Quality Meat Scotland, Scottish Agricultural College and banking, specialising in agricultural business. Henry is also a member of Forestry Commission Scotland's National Committee and is a trustee of Lantra (U.K.) acting as national chair for Scotland.

John Kinnaird
John Kinnaird is a partner in 240 hect. family arable and beef farm and was president of the National Farmers' Union Scotland from 2003 to 2007, representing Scotland's farmers at a time of significant change. Since then John has taken on other challenges, including committee member of AgriScot, local director of NFU Mutual, director of the Moredun Research Institute, chair of the Scottish Government's Scottish Appeals Procedure Panel, chair of RSABI, and Guardian member at Scotland Food and Drink. John also chaired a review of veterinary surveillance and is the vice-president of the RHASS, Deputy Lieutenant – East Lothian and a Fellow of Royal Agricultural Societies.

Alan Laidlaw
Alan Laidlaw is chief executive of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland ( RHASS) – a registered charity with a remit to promote and protect the interests of rural Scotland. Alan was appointed to the role in August 2016 after spending 11 years with the Crown Estate Scotland, latterly as head of property. He is rural practice surveyor, founding director of a community woodland, former director of the Oxford Farming Conference and an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies ( ARAgS).

Lynn Mann
Lynn Mann is the co-owner of Supernature Oils. The company is based in Midlothian and is a farming enterprise (cereals) which has diversified into a food product. Supernature Oils specialise in cold pressed rapeseed oil, which is the fastest growing sector of the oils category in the UK. Lynn is the driver behind the company and has recently been successful in getting listings in the UK and opening several export opportunities. Lynn is also an ambassador for Women's Enterprise Scotland and on the board of Interface.

Marion McCormick
Marion MacCormick previously worked for ALDI (Scotland) and was responsible for growing and developing a comprehensive Scottish fresh meat range, capitalising on a comprehensive local network to develop a fresh meat and with quality, freshness and the local customer at its heart. Marion also developed the strategy for marketing the Aldi brand in Scotland and building confidence in the brand.

Jim McLaren
Jim McLaren was appointed chairman of Quality Meat Scotland in April 2011. He runs a mixed arable and livestock business in Perthshire. The main arable enterprise is the production of spring malting barley, with the livestock side of the business including a pedigree Simmental herd. Jim was NFU Scotland President from 2007 to 2011.

Sarah Millar (formerly Allison)

Sarah Allison comes from an agricultural background having grown up and worked on her family's organic farm and food business. She worked with farmers in England and Scotland before joining the Soil Association Scotland in 2017. Sarah is a keen member of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs ( SAYFC), recently retiring as chair of the SAYFC Agri and Rural Affairs Committee.

Sarah Simpson
Sarah Simpson is a director of a dairy farm at Garlieston, near Newton Stewart in Galloway, together with her husband Peter. She also works as a consultant to a group of dairy farms within Dumfries and Galloway providing benchmarking advice and information. Prior to farming, Sarah was director of policy with NFU Scotland.

David Sulman
David Sulman is executive director of the United Kingdom Forest Products Association ( UKFPA) which represents the technical and commercial interests of processors of British-grown timber and secretary to the Scottish Timber Trade Association, the trade association which represents the interests of timber importers and merchants in Scotland. He is a member of various Forestry Commission expert groups/committees, is involved in skills development matters, is a member of the Timber Transport Forum and chairman of its Technical Working Group and also chairman of the Scottish Strategic Timber Transport Scheme's Assessment Panel. David is involved in the work of the Forest Industry Safety Accord.