Meet Our Board

Meet Our Board

When all positions on our Board are filled, we are a Board of 20 people. Board members arrive at the Board in different ways, through appointment and nomination processes, but are all equal. Our Board values the diversity of thought, skills and experience members bring.

The Chair is appointed by Scottish Government Ministers following an open and regulated process overseen by the Ethical Standards Commissioner. The Principal, appointed to lead and manage the College, is also a member. Our students, staff and trade unions nominate two members each who bring their expertise and knowledge of the college’s day-to-day workings. The remaining 12 members are people independent of the college who bring a range of professional skills and experience in a variety of sectors.

    Chris brings over 35 years of global experience with organisations including Shell, Cargill, Schlumberger, Motorola, and Diageo. He has held senior roles in finance, strategy, and transformation, leading international teams and driving large-scale change.  Throughout his career, Chris has focused on making a difference - improving performance, developing people, and turning complexity into practical progress.

    Alongside his corporate work, he has always made time to contribute locally - coaching young athletes, mentoring future leaders, and supporting community sport and wellbeing projects across Scotland.  Chris is a keen competitive runner and believes strongly in the role sport, education, and good governance can play in building confidence and changing lives.

    Principal Paul Little, CBE

    Paul Little is the founding Principal and CEO of Scotland’s largest technological and professional skills college. A Harvard Business School graduate and distinguished academic, Paul brings a wealth of experience in tertiary sector transformation, curriculum innovation and performance excellence. He has for the past 28 years successfully led and reshaped five UK colleges earning a national and international reputation as a visionary reformer, successful change agent, merger specialist and thought leader in redefining college education. He has successfully pioneered the merger of Glasgow’s specialist colleges into a world-class super college for 40,000 students. As a qualified yacht skipper, Paul enjoys sailing. He served with HM Coastguard as a part-time search and rescue Officer for 30 years, completed several tours of duty with the US Coastguard and was decorated three times by the Queen. Paul received a CBE in the King's first Birthday Honours in his Coronation Year in 2023 for services to education.

    Manira Ahmad

    Manira is the Chief Officer at Public Health Scotland where she leads on several key cross-organisational programmes. Her career spans local, regional and national levels, including a decade in Scotland’s financial services sector and working internationally before joining the NHS in 2015. With a background in systems leadership and public health, Manira has excelled in driving cross-sector collaboration and improving public health outcomes.

    She has also served on the boards of the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector and the Scottish Minority Ethnic Women’s Network and is also involved with St Angela’s Participation Centre Community Sports Hub, which is helping to embrace diversity and improve the lives of young people and their families in and around Greater Pollok through the provision of free sporting activities.

    Nicola Cameron

    Nicola is currently the Director of Property Development & Investment for the University of Glasgow where she has worked since 2014, with a remit to develop and deliver a transformational, world changing campus. Nicola has developed a wide range of skills over nearly 20 years in property and has most recently been working on the development of several strategic initiatives, which enhance the experience of all who engage with the University and the wider environment.

    In her career Nicola has worked for a major European retailer, a leading Scottish commercial developer and was the Head of Estates at the National Trust for Scotland before joining the University.

    In addition to an Honours degree in Geography, from the University of Glasgow, Nicola has postgraduate diplomas in Environmental Policy, Surveying and Change Management & Transformation from the Universities of Strathclyde, Reading and Brighton. Nicola is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and undertakes a non-exec role for a local afterschool care charity board.

    Samantha is the Vice President of Learning and Teaching and brings a unique perspective to the Board of Management, informed by their background as a social science student. In their role, Samantha is committed to enhancing the academic experience for all students through transformative learning initiatives, innovative teaching methods and curriculum development. With a passion for education, Samantha aims to ensure that the college's curriculum remains up to industry standards, engaging, and aligns with what's relevant to the current student body.

    Kathleen is the Chief Commercial Officer of the University of Strathclyde’s Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC), where she has led and secured over £50 million in diverse funding streams and delivered a £22 million strategic capital investment programme to transform the Centre’s development and innovation capabilities.

    A proud STEM graduate of the University, she has more than 14 years’ experience with Rolls-Royce, Altrad Babcock and the University, bringing a strong track record in income diversification, capital projects and cross-sector collaboration across industry, government and academia.

    Roddy, a graduate and former lecturer of one of the College’s legacy institutions, has extensive experience in education in Scotland, throughout the rest of the UK and across the world. He has worked at the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) and Cambridge International. He has also been Chair of the Joint Qualifications Council (JCQ) and a board member of an Edtech company.  Roddy, currently Chair of Standards for a college in the Northwest of England, now runs an educational consultancy company and works on projects across the UK and internationally for government agencies, publishers and education providers.

    David Green joined City of Glasgow College in 2021 already having gained over ten years’ teaching experience at the universities of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and the Czech Technical University in Prague. He has a Master’s degree in Russian, Central and East European Studies, a Diploma in Czech language, and a PhD in Czechoslovak political history. His current teaching duties at the college centre upon his expertise in politics and in research methodology. He has also worked on departmental and organisational-level projects with pedagogical foci, including on student representation and student feedback in higher and further education. He is an active member of the local EIS-FELA branch. 

    Laura is the Head of Strategic Information, Innovation and Technology at Glasgow City Council, where she drives the city's Digital Glasgow Strategy and oversees the delivery of digital, data and technology services and transformation for the Council group. With almost 20 years of experience in strategic roles in local government, she is a member of the Council Management Group and plays a key role in shaping and enabling the delivery of the Council’s Strategic Plan.

    Laura is a fully qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants, where she is also the lead examiner in audit and assurance. With 15 years of experience at Glasgow Caledonian University as a lecturer in audit and assurance for one of the global accountancy institutes, Laura brings broad experience and a strong background in education, corporate governance, transformation, audit and compliance.

    Flora is the Student President at City of Glasgow College, representing students and acting as a voice for them. During her term as president, she aims to make the food options at college more inclusive, improve the mental wellbeing of students and help build strong relationships between students and staff.

    Flora studied HND Journalism and took on the role of Deputy Editor of Lifestyle for the college’s online magazine, CityLive which was a role she thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from. Between being a Board Member and being Student President, Flora is looking forward to making the college an even better place than it already is.

    Ewart Keep

    Ewart is emeritus chair in Education, Training and Skills at the Department of Education, Oxford University, and a board member of the Scottish Funding Council.  He has been researching issues to do with skills and the labour market for nearly 40 years and has advised governments, government bodies, think tanks, and charities across the UK and beyond.  He has also acted as an advisor to parliamentary inquiries at Holyrood and Westminster.  He has been a member of the 4 Nations College Alliance’s independent commission on the College of the Future.

    Don MacKeen

    Don is the teaching staff member of the Board of Management and was elected in November 2023. He has worked at the College as a lecturer in supported education since 2003, working specifically with students with Asperger’s Syndrome, where he has helped develop the curriculum and introduced urban gardening and geography. Don has an interest in how education can allow marginalised people to empower themselves and develop their talents.

    Throughout his career, Don has presented at international conferences in Greece, China and Russia, participated in research trips abroad including in Cuba, published papers in peer-reviewed journals, and filmed a documentary that looked at urban gardening in Detroit and Glasgow and how it can be used as an educational tool.

    Stuart McDowall

    Stuart joined the Board of Management as the elected support staff Board member in July 2023. Stuart is the College’s Head of Innovation & STEM and over the past 15 years has held several roles within the Corporate Development team.

    Holding an honours degree in Communication and Mass Media, Stuart is also a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and a Fellow of the Institute of Innovation & Knowledge Exchange (IKE). As well as his role in Corporate Development, Stuart also delivers courses from the IKE Institute, with a special interest in Innovation Development, Strategic/Digital Marketing, Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange.

     

    Amy Paterson

    Amy, Head of Products at Alba Co Ltd, has worked in financial services for over a decade and has experience in risk management and compliance. Her career began at Barclays, where she earned professional qualifications from the London Institute of Banking and Finance. Through her involvement in the Scottish Financial Enterprise Young Professionals Network, first as Deputy Chair and now as Chair, Amy has been passionate about supporting young people and promoting equal opportunities within the industry. She is also a member of the Institute of Risk Management and Women in Banking and Finance.

    Stewart is a Senior Programme Manager with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), where he commissions over 30 national specialist services in cancer care, diagnostics and trauma and has responsibility for service performance, improvement and financial scrutiny. At NSS, he has led major national programmes, including the Scottish Trauma Network and cancer screening services. Stewart served on the board of NHS NSS as the elected Employee Director, and has also served as the Chair of the Baldy Bane Theatre Company.

    Charandeep Singh

    Charandeep is the Deputy Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC), representing Scotland’s business community nationally and internationally. In addition to his SCC role, he also serves as an Advisor to the Principal of the University of Strathclyde, where he previously held the role of Student Union President, serves as a Lay Advisor to the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow and holds the role of voluntary Chair of national charity Sikhs in Scotland. He was named in the Queens New Years Honours List and was awarded a BEM for services to charity during Covid-19.

    Robbie is Group Financial Controller at Robertson Construction Group. A Chartered Accountant and first-class honours graduate in Accounting and Finance from the University of Stirling, he began his career in audit at Chiene + Tait before holding senior finance roles at Lothian Buses and Warranty Services Ltd.

    Robbie is a member of ICAS, serving on its Charities Panel, and brings governance experience as Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee at Lothian Community Transport Services as well as being treasurer for Planning Aid for Scotland, NED at housing association Whiteley Homes Trust alongside previous board roles with Capella Scotland. Robbie was recognised as one of the top 35 CAs under 35 in Scotland within the ICAS’ CA Rising Stars of 2025 search.