Board Members

Information on each of our Board Members, including links to details of each member's Register of Interests.

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Non-Executive Directors
Ms Margaret Burns
Mr Nigel Henderson
Ms Neelam Bakshi
Ms Joan Fraser
Ms Maggie Mellon
Mr Russell Pettigrew
Dr Anne Maree Wallace
Prof Jan Webb

Employee Director
Mr Gary Wilson

Executive Directors
Mr Gerry McLaughlin
Ms Mary Allison
Mr Alan Crawford
Ms Cath Denholm
Dr Laurence Gruer

Non-Executive Directors

Ms Margaret Burns CBE (Chair)

Margaret Burns CBE has many years experience working for consumer organisations such as the Scottish Consumer Council and Consumer's Association. For nine years, until March 2007, she was a member of the Health and Safety Commission and Chair of the Partnership for Health and Safety in Scotland. She is presently a member of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

Ms Burns has been appointed for 4 years from 3 December 2007.

The Chair can be contacted by email at Chair@health.scot.nhs.uk

Mr Nigel Henderson (Vice-Chair)

Nigel Henderson has worked in mental health in Scotland since 1979, and is qualified as both a psychiatric nurse and a general nurse.
He is currently the Chief Executive of Penumbra, the Scottish mental health charity.

Mr Henderson has been reappointed for four years from 1 April 2007.

Ms Neelam Bakshi

Neelam Bakshi is a self-employed Training Consultant with strategic and operational experience of the public sector.
She is also an advisory committee member of the Equal Opportunities Commission (Scotland), and Secretary of Scottish Employment Tribunals Association Committee.

Ms Bakshi has been reappointed for four years from 1 April 2007.

Ms Joan Fraser

Joan Fraser is Chair of Scotland Yard Adventure Centre, a voluntary organisation which supports and develops play for children with additional support needs; a member of the Visiting Committee for Polmont Young Offenders Institution; and a trustee of The Scottish Power Energy People Trust, which assists projects aimed at alleviating fuel poverty. Other voluntary experience includes work with the Miscarriage Association and as Chair of a Community Council and a School Board. As a senior official with the Scottish Government, she led the review of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams and worked on developing health education in schools. She was also seconded to YouthLink Scotland where she was Interim Chief Executive for two years.

Her appointment is for a period of 4 years from 1 February 2008.

Ms Maggie Mellon

Maggie Mellon is a board member of both the Scottish Child Law Centre and Community Care Providers Scotland. Her previous experience includes a range of roles in social work management and in policy and strategy within local government and the voluntary sector.

Her appointment is for a period of 4 years from 1 April 2008.

Mr Russell Pettigrew

Russell Pettigrew began his career in local government in Glasgow before moving on to the Development Corporations in Cumbernauld and then in Glenrothes. He joined NHS Fife early in 1992, becoming Director of Finance in March 2000, a post he held until his retirement in November 2008. Since then he has undertaken financial and management consultancy work on a part-time basis in the NHS sector.

He has been appointed for four years from 1 June 2009.

Dr Anne Maree Wallace

Anne Maree Wallace graduated from the University in Aberdeen and, following a year of house jobs, spent 3 years working in the field of General Medicine, Paediatrics and Community Medicine. Moving back to Edinburgh in 1982 to begin her career in Public Health Medicine, she became a Consultant in the speciality in 1987. Following her appointment as Acting Director of Public Health in NHS Lothian, from February 2004 to March 2005, she became the National Director of Training in Public Health and the Lead Consultant for the Scottish Public Health Network, prior to accepting the post of Director of Public Health in NHS Forth Valley in January 2008.

She has been appointed for four years from 1 June 2009.

Professor Jan Webb

Professor Jan Webb is a reader in Sociology with Edinburgh University and Vice-Chair of the Scottish Low Pay Unit.
Following a BSc Hons in Psychology from Hull University and a PhD in Social Psychology from Nottingham University, she began her career at the University of Kent in 1979.

Professor Webb has been reappointed for four years from 1 April 2007.

Employee Director

Mr Gary Wilson

Gary Wilson is the Employee Director on the Health Scotland Board. He has worked at HEBS and now Health Scotland for over 6 years as Programme Manager for Young People. He also has been a Board Member of PHACE (Promoting Health and Challenging Exclusion) Scotland for 3 years (1998 to 2001) and for two of these years he was Chair of the Board. He has extensive experience of working in health promotion particularly around diversity/equality issues. Gary was appointed on 1 September 2006 for 4 years.

Executive Directors

Mr Gerry McLaughlin

Gerry McLaughlin will take up the post of Chief Executive of NHS Health Scotland on 6 September 2010.

Ms Mary Allison

Mary Allison started working life studying music and drama then gravitated to a degree in leisure studies. After graduation she spent many years in research-related roles. The overall theme of quality of life was strong throughout her research and led to a particular interest in better health and wellbeing. Her first post in NHS Health Scotland was Research Specialist for Physical Activity, Older People and Environment, following which she took up a secondment to the (then) Scottish Executive for three years, returning in 2005 to become Head of Health Topics. In October 2008 she took up post as Director of Programme Design & Delivery.

Mr Alan Crawford

Alan Crawford was appointed to the post of Director of Resource Management with NHS Health Scotland with effect from January 2004. He has worked in the Scottish Health Service since 1991 and at national level since 1992 as the (former) Health Education Board for Scotland's Director of Finance & Support Services.

Ms Cath Denholm

Cath Denholm has worked in the NHS in Scotland since 1995, with a focus on primary care development and general practice management. In 2002, she joined NHS Education for Scotland to implement the GP appraisal scheme in Scotland. Then she moved to NHS Health Scotland in 2005, first as Head of Policy & Planning, then as Director of Equalties & Planning, and currently as Director of Equality, People & Performance.

As Director of Equality, People & Performance, she has overall responsibility for the provision of support by NHS Health Scotland to the NHS in Scotland in progressing the equality and diversity agenda, through planning, performance management and organisational change.

Dr Laurence Gruer OBE

Laurence Gruer is Director of Public Health Science with Health Scotland. He was a consultant in public health medicine with Greater Glasgow NHS Board from 1989 to 2001 where he tackled HIV infection, drug and alcohol misuse, sexual health, homelessness and mental health. He joined the Public Health Institute of Scotland in 2001 where he focussed on tobacco and child health. Dr Gruer served on the UK Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for 10 years and has advised seven successive Scottish health ministers on a range of public health issues.

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