Public appointment: Members appointed to Skills Development Scotland

The Minister for Higher and Further Education, Ben Macpherson, today announced the appointment of Stephen Davis, Zahra Hedges, Louisa Macdonell, Lisa Thomson, and Danny Gallacher as members of the Board of Skills Development Scotland.

Members

Stephen Davis is an experienced senior manager and leader in further and higher education with over 33 years of experience in this space. Currently leading one of the largest college groups in England as Chief Executive Officer & Group Principal he has worked extensively with government and employer representative bodies in both the creation and, implementation of skills development policy. He has worked in and for colleges in England, Scotland and the United States and has experience as senior leader of leading structural change whilst ensuring that the needs of learners and stakeholders are continued to be met.

Zahra Hedges is an experienced senior leader with a career across business, charity and public service, bringing a strong track record in strategy, system change and organisational transformation. She has served on multiple boards, mentored young people and business leaders and supported national She has a longstanding commitment to prevention, early intervention and improving outcomes for children, young people and communities. As Chief Executive of Winning Scotland, she has strengthened the organisation’s clarity of purpose, partnerships and impact. Alongside her professional roles, she is a foster carer and openly neurodivergent, experiences that shape her inclusive and grounded leadership approach.

Louisa Macdonell is the Scotland Director for the charity, Business in the Community (BITC) and is a Just Transition Commissioner for Scotland. She specialises in supporting businesses to look at staff skills needs in recruitment, retention and progression to support people into employment. She is Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Edinburgh University Business School and supports and mentors students and small business owners, especially those run by women and social enterprises. Louisa sits on the board of Social Investment Scotland, the responsible finance provider, is Vice-Chair of the Community Benefit Award Panel for SSE Transmission and is the IoD South of Scotland Regional Chair.

Lisa Thomson is an experienced Board member and people strategy leader with over 20 years’ experience supporting organisational growth, transformation and governance. She brings deep expertise in workforce strategy, organisational design, leadership development and culture, built through board and advisory roles across Scotland’s entrepreneurial and skills ecosystem. Lisa currently serves on the boards of Entrepreneurial Scotland and Prosper (SCDI) and is an ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland, alongside mentoring roles with CodeBase and Barclays Eagle Labs. A former founder who successfully scaled and exited her own HR consultancy, she combines commercial acumen with a strong understanding of talent pipelines, regional skills needs and employer engagement.

Danny Gallacher, as a senior leader experienced in the Private, Public and Higher Education Sectors, is passionate about developing people to enable them to contribute to Scotland’s economic success, whilst enjoying fulfilling, stimulating careers. Danny is particularly interested in promoting the growth of apprenticeship opportunities, being active in doing so for many years, both in his role as a University Governor and as an employer. Danny is also focused on the increased use of lifelong learning and continuous professional development to help Scotland’s workforce adapt to meet the dynamic demands of our employers and consequently help drive Scotland’s economic performance

Appointment

The appointments will be for 4 years and will run from 08 January 2026 to 07 January 2030.

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

The appointments are part-time and attracts a remuneration of £339 per day for a time commitment of 2 days per month.

Other ministerial appointments

Danny Gallacher is a Member of the Scottish Funding Council for which he is entitled to receive a maximum remuneration of £13,199.40 per year, for a time commitment of up to 3 days per month.

Stephen Davis, Zahra Hedges, Louisa Macdonell, Lisa Thomson do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit, and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Stephen Davis is a member of the Labour Party.

Zahra Hedges, Louisa Macdonell, Lisa Thomson, and Danny Gallacher have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

Skills Development Scotland is the national skills body supporting the people and businesses of Scotland to develop and apply their skills.  A series of skills and economic strategies interlink to shape SDS's work, making sure that services and partnership activity are meeting the needs of customers and effectively contributing to our inclusive, sustainable growth ambitions for Scotland.