Trustees

HAMISH BUCHAN

Hamish Buchan started his financial career at the Scottish Widows in 1963. In 1969, he moved to Wood Mackenzie and started a 30 year career in the Investment Trust Sector as an analyst.

On moving to a plural career in 2000, he took on a number of investment company non-executive director roles and is currently chairman of one Investment Trust. He served as a Director of the Association of Investment Companies from 2001 to 2011 and was Chairman from 2005 to 2007. In the Charitable Sector, he has taken on a wide range of trustee roles including Foundation Scotland, UK Community Foundations, Stafford Trust, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Kilfinan Group, Scottish Council of Independent Schools and Dollar Academy.

He began as a project mentor with SIFET in 2003 when the project was launched through the Stewart Ivory Foundation. In 2008, he took over as Chairman with the key responsibility for fund raising, retiring in 2015, only to return to the role from late 2017.

GAVIN BROWN

Gavin Brown is the Managing Director of Speak With Impact Limited, a training company specialising in helping people to improve their presentations and public speaking. He is based in Edinburgh but works with a range of clients across the UK and overseas.

From 2007-2016 he was a Member of the Scottish Parliament, serving the Lothian region. During that time he spent 4 years as the Shadow Finance and Economy Minister and 4 years as the Shadow Enterprise Minister. He also served as the Convenor of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee and was the Co-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Skills.

Prior to politics Gavin was a solicitor where he specialised in litigation at a large commercial law firm.

Gavin joined SIFET as a Trustee in 2017.

LESLEY JOHNSTON

Lesley Johnston spent her professional career in education, latterly as Head Teacher of Broughton High School, Edinburgh, where she oversaw the move to the new school building and redevelopment of the school structure. Having dealt with young people from the widest variety of backgrounds she believes passionately in the importance of financial education as a platform for all. Outwith her role in mainstream education she has for a number of years been a trustee of Spartans Community Football Academy. This organisation provides a range of educational opportunities for young people in one of the most deprived areas in Scotland.

Lesley maintains a wide range of outside interests. For more years than she cares to remember she has been a member of the choir of St Giles Cathedral. Following her retirement she joined the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Chorus. This involves rehearsals from October to August each year, culminating in performances with international orchestras and conductors. She is also a member of one of the Professional Conduct Committees of The Law Society of Scotland.

WENDY COLQUHOUN

Wendy is a corporate finance lawyer with a particular specialism in financial services and significant experience as a trusted adviser to boards and business leaders of financial services entities on transactions and strategic projects of all types. She is now pursuing a non-executive director and consultancy career and her current roles include the following:

• Consultant with international law firm CMS;
• Non-executive Director and Chair of the Risk and Governance Committee Scottish Financial Enterprise;
• Non-executive Director Henderson opportunities Trust plc; and
• Non-executive Director Schroder UK Midcap Fund plc.

Wendy was appointed as a trustee of SIFET in February 2017.

KENNETH McDOWELL

Kenny is a partner at Saffery Champness LLP, based in Edinburgh, and leads the firm’s Charities team in Scotland. He provides assurance and advisory services to Scottish charities in the heritage, arts, education and care sectors, as well as faith-based charities and grant-making organisations. He brings a wealth of experience, having worked with a number of large Scottish charities as auditor and adviser, and has acted as trustee on charitable boards for many years. Kenny specialises in financial reporting developments and is a member of a number of committees at the forefront of technical development, including the UK Charities SORP Committee and the Financial Reporting Council’s Technical Advisory Group for FRS 102.