Place Directors: factsheet

The role of Place Directors is to:

• understand, promote and support how public services work together and with communities
• improve wellbeing and outcomes on local and national priorities. 

They provide a bridge between local areas and the Scottish Government, providing two-way intelligence, constructive criticism and, where valuable, support for local capacity building. Their strategic role complements the more detailed responsibility of civil servants in relevant Scottish Government policy teams for testing and supporting how specific policies, services and reform programmes are taken forward in places across Scotland.

This is a list of current Place Directors and their contact details (correct as of March 2023):

• Aberdeen City, Richard McCallum (Richard.McCallum@gov.scot)
• Aberdeenshire, Anne Aitken (Anne.Aitken@gov.scot) and Kerry Morgan (Kerry.Morgan@gov.scot)
• Angus, Tim.Mcdonnell (Tim.Mcdonnell@gov.scot)
• Argyll & Bute, Rachael McGruer (Rachael.McGruer@gov.scot)
• Clackmannanshire, Derek Grieve (Derek.Grieve@gov.scot)
• Dumfries & Galloway, Colin Cook (DirectorDED@gov.scot)
• Dundee City, Sean Neill (DirectorForLocalGovernment&Housing@gov.scot)
• East Ayrshire, Jane O’Donnell (Jane.O’Donnell@gov.scot)
• East Dunbartonshire, vacant
• East Lothian, Bettina Sizeland (Bettina.Sizeland@transport.gov.scot)
• East Renfrewshire, David McPhee (David.McPhee@gov.scot)
• Edinburgh (City of), Alison Cumming (Alison.Cumming@gov.scot) and Will Tyler-Greig (Will.Tyler-Greig@gov.scot)
• Eilean Siar, Jim Baird (Jim.Baird@gov.scot)
• Falkirk, Orlando Heijmer-Mason (Orlando.Heijmer-Mason@gov.scot)
• Fife, Alison Taylor (Alison.Taylor@gov.scot)
• Glasgow City, Gary Gillespie (Gary.Gillespie@gov.scot)
• Highland, Donna MacKinnon (Donna.MacKinnon@gov.scot)
• Inverclyde, Fiona Simpson (Fiona.Simpson@gov.scot)
• Midlothian, Penny Curtis (Penelope.Curtis@gov.scot)
• Moray, George Burgess (DirectorARE@gov.scot)
• North Ayrshire, Sam Anson (Sam.Anson@gov.scot)
• North Lanarkshire, Rebecca Hackett (Rebecca.Hackett2@gov.scot)
• Orkney Islands, Joe Brown (Joe.Brown@gov.scot)
• Perth & Kinross, Dougie McLaren (Douglas.McLaren@gov.scot)
• Renfrewshire, Gavin Gray (Gavin.Gray@gov.scot) and Ellen Leaver (Ellen.Leaver@gov.scot)
• Scottish Borders, Alison Irvine (Alison.Irvine@gov.scot)
• Shetland Islands, Phil Raines (Philip.Raines@gov.scot)
• South Ayrshire, Susan Gallacher (Susan.Gallacher@gov.scot) and Lisa Mcguinness (Lisa.Mcguinness@gov.scot)
• South Lanarkshire, Clare Hicks (DirectorForEducationReform@gov.scot)
• Stirling, David Robb (David.Robb@gov.scot)
• West Dunbartonshire, Colin MacBean (Colin.MacBean@gov.scot)
• West Lothian, Jonathan Pryce (Jonathan.Pryce@gov.scot)