Biographies
The following biographies are excerpts from the members' cv's.
Ken Mackenzie - Champion for Economy
Ken MacKenzie is the former Chief Officer of Scottish Co-op. As well as Scottish Co-op's 270 food stores, Ken also had operational responsibility for Northern Ireland Co-op and Manx Co-op, where a further 48 stores are located.
Ken's retail career began more than 30 years ago and he has held a number of senior management positions in Scotland with major food retailers, joining Scottish Co-op in 1992 as Chief Officer.
He is a strong advocate for the development of the Scottish retail industry, Scottish suppliers and quality Scottish products, and takes a leading role in the retail sector.
Ken is a member of the Executive of the Scottish Grocers' Federation and is Vice-Chair of Skillsmart, the UK retail sector skills council. Ken is also Chairman of Caravan Scotland, formerly the National Grocers' Benevolent Fund.
Professor Jan Bebbington - Champion for Environment
Since the early 1990s Jan's research programme has focused on the area of social and environmental accounting and reporting. Specifically, she has developed research expertise in three areas: (i) considering the issues which the sustainable development agenda brings to bear on organisations and the role of accounting in the sustainable development agenda, (ii) developing systems for identifying (on a corporate and/or project level) the externalities created by economic activity via the development of full cost accounting methods and (iii) evaluating the reports which are produced by organisations which relate to their interaction with the natural environment, society in general or how the organisation has progressed towards sustainable development. Jan's research has a strong applied flavour and a number of longitudinal case studies underway using participant observation research methodologies. She also uses interviews, questionnaires and case study research methods to obtain research data. The theoretical themes underpinning her research are: (i) the role of accounting and reporting in organisational change processes, (ii) how accounting operates within regimes of control and (iii) the representational power of accounts of organisational activities.
Faculty Title
Professor of Accounting and Sustainable Development
Director, St Andrews Sustainability Institute
Education
1984-86 Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy, University of
Canterbury, New Zealand
1989-90 Masters of Commerce (Honours) in Accountancy, University
of Canterbury , New Zealand
1991-99 PhD in Accountancy, University of Dundee
1997 City and Guilds 7037 (Further and Adult Education
Teachers' certificate)
Governmental appointments:
2006 to date Vice Chair ( Scotland) of the Sustainable Development Commission. This is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body, reporting to the Prime Minister and the First Ministers in Scotland and Wales. Its role is to promote sustainable development across the UK and all sectors of society, particularly within government and build consensus on the actions needed if further progress is to be achieved. Appointment to this committee was by way of competitive interview and post is for 3 years in the first instance.
2001-2007 Member of the Scottish Executive Cabinet Sub-Committee on Sustainable Scotland. This was a high level policy committee which was chaired by the Scottish First Minister with the membership of the Minister and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs, the Finance Minister, the Deputy Minister for Social Justice and the Minister for Education, Enterprise and Life-Long Learning. There are three external advisors to the committee, with a member of the business community and a NGO representative being the other members. Appointment to this committee was by way of competitive interview after being invited to apply for the post.
Professor Bebbington has held various National and International Appointments
Dave Simmers - Champion for Access and Affordability
Dave worked for over 20 years in local government, first as a community worker in the mid 70's in Aberdeen's poorest community and latterly ('87 - '97) as Head of Social Strategy in Grampian Regional Council's Chief Executive's department. After one year of local government reorganisation, Dave took early severance and set up as a Community Development Consultant. As a volunteer, working with friends and colleagues, Dave set up and subsequently co-ordinated for 7 years, the Gypsy/Traveller Education and Information Project.
As Head of Social Strategy, Dave initiated, co-ordinated and established Aberdeen Foyer and it was in this process that he first had contact with what has become Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE) with which he has been Chief Executive since November, 2004. CFINE focuses on improving health and well-being, in particular tackling health inequalities, and contributing to regeneration and employability of our most disadvantaged, vulnerable and excluded communities.
Dave's voluntary passion is credit unions, which everyone should join! He is president of North East Scotland Credit Union and vice president of the Scottish League of Credit Unions (he takes any chance he gets to promote CU's!).
Gavin Hewitt
Chief Executive, The Scotch Whisky Association ( since 2003)
Formerly Her Majesty's Ambassador to Belgium (2001 - 2003), HM Ambassador to Finland (1997 - 2000) and HM Ambassador to Croatia (1994 - 1997)
Gavin Hewitt started his professional career at the Ministry of Transport in 1967 and joined the Diplomatic Service in 1970.
As a Diplomat, he worked overseas in Brussels on EU issues, Australia, Yugoslavia and in Geneva at the UK Mission to the United Nations as Deputy Permanent Representative, from where he returned to London as Head of South East Asia Department.
Born October 1944 in Scotland.
Allan Burns - Workstream 1: Sustainable Economic Growth
Allan Burns was appointed chairman of Scotland Food & Drink in June 2007. He has brought a wealth of experience to the new industry led organisation, which aims to grow the industry from £7.5bn to £10bn by 2017 and to position Scotland among the world's leaders in food and drink.
Following a 20 year career with Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks company, he has the leadership skills to steer Scotland Food & Drink towards its vision of making Scotland known internationally as 'A Land of Food and Drink'.
Most recently, he was executive director of Diageo Scotland, responsible for the strategic leadership of the company including the management of £1.4bn of assets and £400m of costs across 45 locations and 1,500 people. Aligned with this, Allan also held the role of Global Procurement Director responsible for a £4.5bn procurement budget and 250 people world wide.
Allan's international business experience stretches over 30 years in consumer and manufacturing industries, ranging from pharmaceuticals to alcoholic drinks. He has led and has managed both SME and large corporate organisations and has been involved in acquisitions and international business restructuring.
In 2007 he was awarded a CBE in the New Years honours list for his contribution to Scottish business.
Allan is a visiting professor and a member of court at Napier University, an ex-committee member of the CBI and SCDI and vice-chairman of the National Theatre of Scotland. He was formerly Chairman Scottish Enterprise Fife.
He is married with two children and lives near St Andrews.
Professor Annie Anderson - Workstream 2: Food and Drink Choices
Professor Annie S. Anderson is a Public Health Nutritionist and dietitian with extensive experience in designing, implementing and evaluating lifestyle intervention trials whilst based at the Universities of Cambridge, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee. Since taking up the post of Director at the Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research (University of Dundee Medical School) in 1997 a number of studies have contributed to a programme of work on theory based, behaviorally focused dietary interventions. Recent work has focused on obesity control and this has included the establishment of the University of Dundee Obesity Research Group and clinical work in a specialist obesity clinic.
Advisory work includes activities at an international level through the UICC (International Union against Cancer) Taskforce on Cancer Prevention. She is also a member of the Taskforce on Diet, Nutrition and Long term health of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). In 2007 she was awarded a Healthway Fellowship in Perth, Australia to explore obesity prevention research and practice. At UK national level she has been an expert science member of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) since 2000, advisor to the UK Food Standards Agency (Nutrient Profile committee and the Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey) and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Programme development group on Maternal and Child Nutrition. Annie was a founding member of the Berry Scotland Group and chaired the steering group for five years. In 2003 she was awarded The Caroline Walker Trust Award for Public Health Nutrition.
Martin Wishart - Workstream 3: Celebrating and Safeguarding Scotland's Reputation
Martin Wishart opened his eponymous restaurant in Edinburgh's historic Port of Leith in 1999. Since then it has become known as one of the UK's most acclaimed dining venues, currently holding one Michelin star, 4 AA rosettes and a score of 8/10 in the Good Food Guide.
Martin trained under renowned chefs including Albert Roux, Michel Roux Jr, Marco Pierre White, Nick Nairn, John Burton-Race, Marc Meneau and Charlie Trotter.
Martin is an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking. He keeps on top of his profession by forming bonds with other internationally acclaimed restaurants. His brilliant career has taken him around the world to Australia, the USA and across Europe. In New York he was invited to cook at the James Beard Foundation and experienced the kitchens of Per-se, Daniel Boulud and The Bernadin. In Holland he has established a friendship and professional respect with Lucas Rive from the two Michelin-starred restaurant De Bokkedoorns and Jonnie Boer from the three Michelin-starred restaurant De Librije.
In 2006 Martin participated in the Rencontres Internationals de la Gastronomie alongside the worlds other great chefs including Santi Santamaria, Michel Troisgros, Tetsuya Wakuda, Jaques Decoret. This experience widened his awareness and deepened his understanding of the evolving culinary styles at the pinnacle of the profession.
Martin continues to strive for professional success at Restaurant Martin Wishart. Now, with the opening of his Cook School, Martin aims to strengthen Scotland's reputation for good food and to encourage others with his enthusiasm for cooking.
Robin Gourlay - Workstream 4: Walking the Talk
Robin Gourlay is currently Head of Facilities Management within the Department of Educational and Social Services at East Ayrshire Council with responsibility for a range of services but with a particular commitment to school meals.
He has a varied CV, having started in Hotel Management, Catering Officer at the University of Aberdeen, Strathclyde Colleges Refectories Manager, and then Client Manager for Strathclyde Regional Council where he was responsible for2,100 locations of which 1,800 were schools. Now with East Ayrshire Council he has managed at various times Leisure, Refuse Collection, Street Cleaning, Grounds Maintenance and Cleaning, Janitorial, School Crossing and Catering Services.
He believes that school meals are uniquely placed to deliver a community focused health improvement, sustainability and economic development agenda.
Reverend Professor David Atkinson - Workstream 5: Access, Affordability and Security
David Atkinson was born in and grew up in Blyth, Northumberland. After School he read Biology at the University of Hull and then obtained a PhD in plant ecology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. This was followed by 17 years as a research scientist at East Malling Research Station in Kent. During this period David was involved in studies of the development of the below ground part of the fruit tree, its roots and associated micro-organisms and of the impact of various aspects of the management of the soil, such as the use of herbicides and other weed control treatments and irrigation. Towards the end of his period at East Malling he was responsible for its Strawberry programme which involved both the breeding of new varieties and the development of novel methods of cultivation, particularly those which extended the season.
In 1985 David moved to Aberdeen to head the Soil Fertility Department of the then Macaulay Institute for Soil Research. This introduced him to the issues of Scottish agriculture and systems of food production in Scotland. In 1988 he moved to the University of Aberdeen as Professor of Agriculture with responsibility for developing work on crops, soil and the environment. As part of this he established a research team, jointly between the university and the then North of Scotland College of Agriculture to study soils processes and especially symbiotic links between crop plants and soil microbes. In 1993 he joined the recently created Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) as Vice Principle responsible for its Scotland wide research programme and for its Edinburgh campus. The SAC programme at that time included crop and animal husbandry, animal health and food science as well as studies of agricultural economics and rural sociology. David's period as research director of SAC covered that of the growth in importance of Organic Farming and the debate over the appropriateness of producing GM crops in Scotland, both areas in which he had a significant involvement.
David retired from SAC in late 2004 but since that time has continued to be involved in agricultural, rural and food issues. Since 2000 he has had a role in organising an annual consultation on Agriculture at St Georges House, Windsor Castle. The 2009 Consultation will revisit issues related to GM foods. He was ordained as a minister in the Scottish Episcopal Church in 2005 and since 2007 has chaired the Scottish Churches Rural Group. As part of this church activity he led a group for the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council which in 2007 produced a report on Fair Trade in Food. The report sought to reconcile the needs for a future food policy for Scotland to be fair to both Scottish food producers and producers from the developing world. David is a Fellow of the Institute of Biology (IoB), The Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Vice Chair of the British Crop Production Council (BCPC), a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh's Lay Advisory Board and the Management Board of the MRCP qualification and a Director of Falkland Farming.