David C Watt OBE
Chair
David Watt is the former Executive Director of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Scotland and continues to work in a variety of non-executive roles in the public, private and third sectors.
His IoD experience brings knowledge of business and commerce as well as governance, while much of his prior working life was in sport, education, and business. David has served on a wide range of Government Advisory Boards and Task Forces over the years, as well as being a regular contributor to Parliamentary Committees. He has also served on the boards of Scottish and British Gymnastics, Basketball Scotland and Fife Sport and Leisure Trust. In addition, he is the first non-military person to have been awarded the title of Honorary Colonel of the Royal Marines Reserves.
David, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Edinburgh Napier University, is driven by a vision and a desire for positive transformation, he is a strong advocate of good governance and equality and diversity on boards.
David is passionate about economic empowerment and education, and as Chair of Fife College, he draws on his extensive experience and expertise to help nurture and transform the College and position it as one of Scotland’s leading, innovative, and successful further and higher education providers.
Antony Martin
Depute Chair
Antony Martin was born and raised in Sussex came to Scotland in 1968 and moved to Fife in 1976, his career was in the clothing industry running a fashion agency for 30 years, was a local councillor from 1992 and 2017 representing the Dunfermline South ward. He has a particular interest in further education, principally its role in economic development. Antony has dedicated the last 30 years to the service of communities across the Kingdom of Fife, channelling energy into supporting widening access to education and skills for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
During his time as a councillor he was Chair of Opportunities Fife Partnership which promotes skills and training in Fife. Antony also served on the Forth Estuary Transport Authority and its predecessor The Forth Road Bridge Joint Board for 20 years, and during that time served as Convener for 4 years. He has gained valuable experience and insight serving on several boards including South East Scotland Transport Authority, Dunfermline Delivers and Frontline Fife Homelessness services.
Hobbies are bowling ,member of the Open History Society , the University of the Third age and playing the guitar.
His passion for improving skills, training and educational opportunities for all encouraged him to apply for board membership.
In his retirement Antony is keen to share his knowledge and expertise to help our learners get the most out of their Fife College experience.
Jim Metcalfe
Principal and Chief Executive
Jim joined Fife College as Principal and Chief Executive on 17 April 2023. He previously held the position of Chief Executive at the College Development Network (CDN) where he worked to champion the importance of impact of colleges across Scotland and to ensure colleagues across the college sector had access to personal development and communities of practice. Prior to this he was Head of Practice & Development at the Carnegie UK Trust, based in Fife. At the Trust, Jim led a nationwide programme of activity supporting young entrepreneurship and community economic development. His non-executive roles, past and present, include Director of the UK Energy Saving Trust and Chair of the EST Foundation, Trustee of the SCQF Partnership, and as a Skills Ambassador with the Institute of Directors. Jim is married with two young children. He is also an economic history researcher, studying and publishing on the history of 20th century migration, affluence, and community cohesion in industrial communities.
Mike Boyle
Mike Boyle has had an extensive career in Financial Services within Scotland. A graduate of Edinburgh University, Mike began his career with Bank of Scotland and has experience across a wide range of disciplines including Marketing, Risk Management and Data Management, holding Senior Leadership roles in each discipline.
Until recently Mike worked at Virgin Money where he initiated and led the centralisation of all reporting functions. A keen supporter of continuous learning, he also holds a post-graduate business degree from Durham University.
A resident of Dunfermline for over 20 years, Mike believes Scotland has fantastic potential in our people, our environment and key industries, such as Financial Services and Data. He is passionate about a future where we create a more balanced set of skills - blending academic and vocational courses - and crucially giving people more entrepreneurial skills to build a sound and self-sustaining economy for the future and creating valuable careers for students.
Mike has significant experience of transformational change and is keen to see Fife College grow and prosper so that it delivers across the full range of its ambitious targets.
Garry Dickson MCIPD
Garry has 35 years of experience in HR across both the private and public sectors, the most recent of which has been over 12 years in a strategic HR and transformation role for NatWest Group. Garry is also a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and is the Regional Facilitator for the CIPD in Scotland.
Garry has links with the college as a former student of the college, having successfully completed qualifications in accounting, computing and his full CIPD qualification with us. Garry is passionate about lifelong learning and continuous professional development and regularly volunteers his time to help CIPD members with Conferences and Events. Garry is chair of our People and Culture Committee.
His passion for lifelong learning has seen him recently take up freshwater kayaking and photography.
Pamela Dobson
Pamela has worked in the Education sector for nine years with a primary focus on widening access to, and equality, diversity and inclusion within further and higher education, and has an interest in social justice.
Pamela worked for the University of St Andrews Admissions Team for five years, where she co-led the access portfolio. Pamela also led on corporate parenting strategies for the university. Pamela then became a Senior Policy Analyst for the Scottish Funding Council, where she provided support with the remit of the Access, Skills and Outcome Agreement team, and then became the Medical Admissions Manager at the University of St Andrews. Pamela is currently People and Diversity Officer at the University.
Pamela has an interest in education-based research, particularly around closing the attainment gap. In her spare time, Pamela enjoys travelling, running, and spending time with her husband and son.
Taylor Edwards
Hiya, I’m Taylor Edwards and I am the President of Education and Representation at Fife College.
Before taking up this role I studied HNC Acting and Performance at the City of Glasgow College and then moved closer to home to complete my HND in Acting and Performance at Fife College.
During my studies I worked closely with the FCSA as I became part of the FCSA talent agency, which was established to provide students with real-world employment experiences. This was where I found out about this opportunity and following a successful election campaign, I am now in post for the next 2 years, to help the students have the best experience they can possibly get.
I can’t wait for all the amazing opportunities that will come with this role.
Brian Fisher
Brian Fisher has over 30 years’ experience within the financial services sector gathered from his time working at Aegon (in both their UK offices and group offices in The Netherlands). Initially focussed on actuarial / financial modelling he then moved into business change management.
Through working both in the UK and Europe, Brian brings with him the experience of leading multicultural teams and working in a dynamic environment. Between 2013 and 2020 Brian worked independently, providing project management services to the UK insurance sector.
Brian is chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and a member of the New Build Project Board.
A born and bred Fife resident, he attended Woodmill High school and still lives locally. In his spare time Brian is a keen golfer and also enjoys gardening and DIY.
Stacey Fleming
Stacey’s career path spans over 33 years in the hospitality and tourism sector, her early career saw her in operations and then she progressed into sales and marketing. Most recently she has been in a group operations director role in the highlands of Scotland for a collection of hotels on the NC500. Stacey brings a range of skills that includes transformational change, operating in remote and community led locations, technology implementation, creating guest journey excellence, and people and culture strategies.
With a love for all things hospitality, particularly in luxury hotels Stacey has great a good industry network, a previous link to the college where she was a lecturer in hospitality as well as studying at Dunfermline campus as a hospitality student at the very beginning of her career.
More recently, Stacey has developed motivation for promoting this wonderful and diverse industry though schools and colleges to develop accessible pathways especially for young people.
Kayleigh Gallacher
Elected as President of Wellbeing and Equity in April 2023, Kayleigh Gallacher commenced her term at Fife College in July 2023, bringing with her a vibrant commitment to student representation and advocacy. Formerly a Class Representative during her tenure as an HND Acting and Performance student, Kayleigh's passion for championing student voices was ignited.
In her role, Kayleigh prioritizes open communication and engagement, fostering a supportive environment for every student. Working with the Board of Governors and college staff, she ensures decisions align with enhancing the overall student experience.
An unwavering advocate for positive mental health, Kayleigh collaborates closely with the college's support services to guarantee students have access to essential resources. Beyond the college walls, she forges partnerships with local organizations and charities, working on impactful campaigns and projects.
Kayleigh's overarching goal as President is to cultivate a college environment that is not only welcoming but also embraces diversity and inclusivity for all students.
Brenda Heenan
Brenda was elected to the non-teaching staff position on the Board in September 2023 and is School College Partnership Co-ordinator, within the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) team. A working week can include checking in with young people on our school college partnership courses, reviewing attendance, attainment, meeting with curriculum and schools to review courses and opportunities across the college.
She is also the Fife College member of staff on Opportunities for All Groups within the 18 Fife High Schools, looking to support young people into college, working with support areas across college to help them to be successful learners and sustain a positive destination.
Brenda understands that young people are now experiencing different barriers to learning (mental health, resilience, financial crisis) and the challenges that education faces to entice and sustain learners in full-time courses. However, she has also seen the positive difference that a college experience can provide for young people, from learning in a different environment, to opening their eyes to the opportunities out in the world.
In her 34 years working for Fife College, Brenda has had a variety of roles, but always linked to supporting curriculum. She is an advocate of Fife College and both her husband (as a mature student) and her son have been students at the college.
Evelyn McPhail, Senior Independent Member
Evelyn was appointed to the Board as a non executive member and was thereafter elected by the Board to the role of Senior Independent Member. The role of the senior independent member is to provide a sounding board for the chair and to serve as an intermediary for the principal, other board members and the board secretary when necessary
Evelyn was until her retirement in July 2019, the Director of Pharmacy and Medicines for NHS Fife and the Fife Integrated Joint Board of the Health and Social Care Partnership and was responsible for providing strategic and clinical leadership, working with partner organisations on the delivery and development of pharmaceutical services for the people of Fife.
Through Evelyn’s career in pharmacy she has gained a wealth of experience of transformational change. Evelyn was awarded the Scottish Pharmacy Lifetime Achievement Award in November 2019 for her work in Pharmacy and the public sector.
Her non-executive roles include six years as a Council member of the General Pharmaceutical Council and is currently a member of the Board of NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Evelyn’s interests include circuit and weight training, reading and exercising her two dogs.
Susan Mitchell
Susan Mitchell has a background in both private industry and the public sector. Originally trained as a teacher, developing a strong belief in the power of education, Susan found her career calling within retail management where she worked for Marks & Spencer and Boots within the finance sector of those organisations. Susan joined Lothian & Borders Police as Head of Business Management and over the following years rose to the position of Director of Corporate Services in the amalgamated Police Service of Scotland.
Much of Susan's experience has been focused on delivering transformational change and leading in a financially challenging context. With an MSc in Public Leadership from Warwick Business School, Susan is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Her excellent track record of delivering great results in challenging contexts, and her passion for education that can transform lives, makes Susan an ideal person for our board to provide us with guidance in the coming years. Susan is chair of our Finance, Commercial and Estates Committee.
Gordon Mole
Gordon Mole is Fife Council’s Head of Business and Employability. He is the Council’s senior lead for Employability, Economic Development, economic policy, town centres, and tourism. Gordon leads on the development of Fife projects for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland and Tay Cities Deals, and is the lead for Community Wealth Building activity.
Gordon has a particular interest in better collaborative working between national, local, and third sector agencies for employability and employer engagement. He is a former Director of the Institute of Economic Development.
Throughout his career he has looked to improve the working lives of young people with new apprenticeships and graduate training, as well as looking at employment initiatives for major construction programmes. He has also provided policy advice to local, regional and national government on the Work Programme, re-use of electronic waste, social enterprise and employment of military veterans.
Outside work, Gordon is the Honorary Treasurer of ALACE Scotland and is involved in charity work.
Samantha Mowbray
Samantha is one of our Non-Executive Board members and provides us with her insight towards our policymaking and planning strategies, developed over her varied career. She has worked in a number of diverse organisations, Bank of Scotland, ECS, Sainsbury’s, McEwan Fraser and Aegon in areas such as IT, property, legal and financial services. She is particularly interested in organisational strategy, and is passionate about the benefits of further education, particularly the need to move to a more digital society, while maintaining a view to diverse needs - bringing opportunities to all, regardless of background or demographic. Samantha supports the College in its Vision to transform the lives of its students through inspirational learning and teaching.
As a lifelong learner herself, and a working mum, Samantha is well placed to promote the need for a flexible approach to learning, while ensuring that both the needs and risks of the future are factored into college strategy.
Phillip Thompson
Phillip is the Europe and Australia Regional Leader for Thornton Tomasetti, a global multidisciplinary consulting engineering firm. A Chartered Physicist and a graduate of Dundee University, Phillip has over a thirty three year career, specialised in the design and protection of structures from extreme loading including blast loading on buildings from terrorist attack. He is currently responsible for all of Thornton Tomasetti’s work in Europe and Australia which includes structures, infrastructure, facades, sustainability, decarbonisation, defence and security projects.
Splitting his time between UK and Australian offices, his teams have been involved in many prominent international projects including the European Central Bank, Wimbledon Court No 1 and several Parliament buildings in the UK and Australia.
Phillip sits on several advisory committees at international and national level advising government in areas of defence and security and regularly advises overseas companies and governments in structural survivability. He is currently Chair of the Fife Economy Partnership Innovation Group.
Originally from Newcastle, he was educated in Dundee, he has been a resident of Fife for over 31 years and currently lives in Markinch.
Zoe Thomson
Zoe Thomson is a Quality Improvement Officer for Equity in the Education Service at Fife Council.
She qualified to teach Mathematics in 1999 after completing her PGCE at Moray House. Zoe was a Depute Headteacher in Fife for six years before taking up her current post. She has recently completed an Med in Leadership of Learning at Edinburgh University.
Lorraine Wilkinson
Lorraine Wilkinson has over 30 years’ experience of working in education and started her career as a primary school teacher before joining Fife College 15 years ago. She has a strong passion for education and helping others which supports her ethos of strongly believing in equality, diversity and widening education for vulnerable groups - everyone deserves a second chance is something she will often be heard to say.Lorraine has worked across campuses which has given her the opportunity to network with many colleagues; understand barriers – both of staff and students - and celebrate successes across all faculties. She will use her experiences to ensure that the education of every person needing that second chance is considered when policies or strategies are being devised for the college.
Lorraine has a particular interest in community and helping individuals believe in themselves which led to her winning the Herald Higher Education Community Award 2022. Outwith her college role she is a ‘community champion’ involved with several local community groups, the Linton Lane Centre; as well as a Sunday school teacher and organist at the Methodist church. In her spare time, Lorraine enjoys ‘playing’ with fused glass and attending craft fairs.
