BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Peter Lawson CBE - Chairman
Professor Dorothy Miell OBE - Vice Chair
Jessica Burns
Neil Campbell
Nicola Candlish
Marcus Cheng
Roberta Doyle
Julie Ellen
May Ferries
Peta Hay
Sarah Jackson OBE
Alex Reedijk OBE FRC
David Seers MBE
GENERAL DIRECTOR
Alex Reedijk OBE FRC
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Stuart Stratford
FOUNDER
Sir Alexander Gibson
PATRON
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester GCVO
PRESIDENT
Sir Thomas Allen CBE FRCM
Peter Lawson CBE
Chairman
Peter is a lawyer, and a partner in a Glasgow-based firm specialising in licensing. He has been involved in a number of arts organisations and trusts, both as legal adviser and as a board member, over the past 30 years.
Peter is a past Chairman of the Tron Theatre Company, past Chairman of Glasgow UNESCO City of Music and a former committee member of BAFTA Scotland.
Peter lives in Glasgow, and his other interests include film, theatre and walking.
Professor Dorothy Miell OBE
Vice Chair
Dorothy is Head of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Vice Principal of the University of Edinburgh, where she holds a personal Chair in Social Psychology.
Her research interests are in relationships and communication and especially how these are involved in the process of collaborative working in creative fields. She has recently had a key role in developing the University’s relationships with institutions and organisations in the creative and performing arts across Edinburgh and Scotland.
Dorothy is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Fellow and past President of the British Psychological Society. She is a member of the Council of the Edinburgh International Festival.
Jessica Burns
Jessica was, until March 2018, the Regional Tribunal Judge for Social Entitlement Chamber in Scotland, managing a judicial team hearing approximately 20,000 Social Security and Criminal Injuries Compensation appeals every year and she continues to sit as a part-time tribunal judge. She also sits as a non- executive member of the Advisory Body of Social Security Scotland and is the Independent Observer for QC appointments in Scotland.
She gained a BA (Joint Honours) in History and Sociology at Stirling University and an LLB degree at Edinburgh University before working as a solicitor in Edinburgh, then as a lecturer in Law at Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities.
She is a former Board member of Theatre Objektiv and Playwrights Studio, and a Board member of NOISE (New Opera In Scotland Events).
Jessica has sung in choirs at school, university and beyond, including Paddy Cuneen's Sirens of Titan between 2005 and 2012.
Neil Campbell
Neil is a management consultant and is a director with a global business consultancy specialising in pensions reform and change programmes. He works with public bodies in the UK and overseas, as well as with large employers and pension fund trustees. He is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management.
Neil has a lifelong passion for classical music and opera and is a regular amateur singer. He lives in Glasgow and his other interests include gardening, cooking and learning piano.
Nicola Candlish
Nicola is Senior Manager of Performing Arts at Durham University. She has a PhD and BA in Music from Durham University and is due to complete her Masters in Business Administration with the Open University in 2024. Nicola was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2017.
Prior to relocating home to the North East of England Nicola was Chief Executive of British Youth Opera and her extensive career in opera includes stage management, general management and producing. She is a founder director of Opera UK.
In her spare time Nicola plays rugby for Gateshead RFC and volunteers with Girlguiding.
Marcus Cheng
Marcus is a chartered accountant, and a corporate financial advisor with a global professional services firm. He has worked with a wide range of private and public sector organisations to negotiate successful outcomes at speed.
He gained an MA (Joint Honours) in Accounting and Economics at Edinburgh University, and was the Chairman of Edinburgh University Trading and Investment Club, the largest non-sport society in the University.
Marcus lives in Edinburgh with his wife and son, and his other interests include musical theatre, cinema, travelling and trying new things.
Roberta Doyle
Roberta Doyle has held Director-level roles in marketing, communications, digital, learning and fundraising within Scotland’s largest cultural organisations, including the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera, the National Galleries of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, the Citizens’ Theatre and with Glasgow City Council’s Department of Performing Arts and Venues. She is a graduate in Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde
Roberta is Chair of the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, a board director of the Donald Dewar Awards and a trustee of the William Syson Foundation. Roberta has served on a number of boards, committees and working groups including Glasgow School of Art, the Tron Theatre, the British Council’s Cultural Diplomacy Group and the Scottish Arts Council’s Implementation Steering Group for the creation of the National Theatre of Scotland.
She lectures widely in the UK and abroad, and has been a tutor, lecturer, speaker and mentor for, amongst others, the Creative and Cultural Skills Future Leaders’ Programme, Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Langside College, UK Theatre, Arts Council England, Scottish Arts Council and Arts Council Ireland.
Roberta is a Justice of the Peace in the Sheriffdom of Glasgow and Strathkelvin, sitting at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Julie Ellen
Julie took up the post of Director of the Byre Theatre, St Andrews in early 2024 after 8 years as Artistic Director/CEO of Macrobert Arts Centre. Prior to that she was the first AD/CEO of the Beacon, Greenock leading the process of transition from the Arts Guild, through the construction and opening of the new arts centre in its stunning waterside location.
Julie went to the Beacon from the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland, where she was the founding Creative Director, realising and establishing this eminent national arts organisation, the only one in the UK exclusively dedicated to the artistic development of writers for live performance.
Previous board roles include at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and as Chair of the Federation of Scottish Theatre.
May Ferries
May grew up in Clydebank, attending Kilbowie Primary and Clydebank High School. She graduated from Glasgow University in 1974, adding a teaching qualification from Jordanhill College in 1975.
For 33 years, she was a primary school teacher working at Yoker Primary then at Victoria in Govanhill (both Glasgow). Throughout her career she was an active member of the teachers’ trade union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), negotiating at local, regional and national levels, as well as serving as National President in 1996/7. May was elected for four terms at the General Teaching Council for Scotland, serving on many committees, and was Convener of Council from 2007-2009.
May plays an active part with the Friends of Scottish Opera. She has chaired the Holiday Committee and enjoyed many wonderful opera trips with the Friends. She is a member of the Strathclyde Group and a keen participant in their activities, particularly Study Days. She's also passionate about the work of the Company's Education and Outreach programme.
Other interests include theatre, cinema, visual arts, museums and gardening.
Peta Hay
Peta works as a Management Consultant and Executive Coach, supporting Chief Executives and senior leaders across a wide range of sectors. She is an experienced leader within Retail Operations, Capital Projects, Strategic Human Resources and Leadership Development. Peta has held a range of positions including - Store Director and Group Talent Director at Tesco PLC, Group Development Director at Asda/Walmart and Managing Partner at Saxton Bampfylde. She has also been a Non-executive Director within the Health Sector and Chair of Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).
Having grown up in a family of musicians and with a daughter training to be a professional dancer in London, the role that the arts play in the lives of young people is something she is passionate about. Peta has seen at first-hand how important the therapeutic benefits of music, drama and dance are to children and young people and believes it is vital that wide and diverse access to the arts is maintained for us all.
Sarah Jackson OBE
Sarah has shaped family-friendly policy, legislation and public attitudes for over 25 years, for which she was awarded an OBE in 2007. As the former CEO of the work-life charity Working Families, she is an expert in workplace discrimination, family friendly and flexible working best practice and policy development. She writes, speaks and researches on flexible and new ways of working.
Originally from Perth, Sarah lives in London and is a regular opera-goer there and in Scotland. Her actor daughter trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the family home continues to be a base for early-career performers.
Sarah is a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University School of Management, Chair of PiPA (Parents and Carers in Performing Arts) and a trustee of Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls.
Alex Reedijk OBE FRC
Alex Reedijk joined Scottish Opera as General Director in February 2006, following four years at the helm of The NBR New Zealand Opera. Prior to that he was Executive Director of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts.
Having worked for many opera companies and festivals across the world, including Scottish Opera, Wexford Festival Opera and the original Garsington Opera, he became New Zealand Festival’s Deputy Executive Director with particular responsibility for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which made its highly successful inaugural visit out of Edinburgh to Wellington in 2000.
Over his 18 years at Scottish Opera the company has flourished, bringing opera performances to over 45 communities across Scotland every year. There has also been an array of new initiatives for young people, and for people living with Dementia, including the world’s first Dementia Friendly opera performances in 2016. He has also worked closely in partnership with Music Director Stuart Stratford to sustain and develop a very strong commitment to young singers, 20th and 21st century opera and new commissions.
In November 2011, Alex was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Alex spent 10 years as a Trustee and Vice Chairman of Citizens Theatre, and is currently Chair of Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock.
Alex was also awarded an OBE for services to the performing arts in Scotland in the 2024 New Year’s Honours.
David Seers MBE
David’s career was as a civil servant in central government, firstly in London and later in Glasgow and Edinburgh. From 2008-23 he was Head of Cultural Sponsorship and Funding at the Scottish Government, responsible for its relationship with Scotland’s national performing companies and collections, Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland. He oversaw government investment in major cultural capital projects such as the establishment of the V&A Dundee, the Theatre Royal foyer and RSNO centre in Glasgow, the refurbishment of the National Portrait Gallery and King’s Theatre in Edinburgh. David was awarded an MBE for services to the arts and culture in Scotland in the 2024 Birthday Honours.
David initially trained as a classical choral singer in Canterbury, Cambridge and London. In addition to opera and music, his interests include theatre, travel, museums and galleries. He is a Trustee of Music at Paxton, and he enjoys playing chamber music.