Aero Space Kinross

Alisdair is a retired senior banker with some 40 years experience across a wide range of financial sectors including personal, commercial and corporate lending, leasing, venture capital and investment fund management.

Alisdair was until recently chairman of the Kinross-shire Partnership, holds a Private Pilots Licence and is a volunteer representative of MAF which flies 130 light aircraft to reach vulnerable people in remote locations in 25 of the world’s poorest countries.

Simon Byford is a retired civil engineer who worked for over 40 years for Sir Robert McAlpine, a major civil engineering and building contractor.

He is a Fellow of The Institution of Civil Engineers and The Chartered Institute of Building.  In 2007 he was given the Construction Manager of the Year Award for his work on the HBOS project.

Nicola Carmichael is an experienced marketing and communications professional with a background in both the commercial and public sectors.

Her main focus is now on the third sector – sharing her knowledge and expertise to help develop impactful community-based organisations.

Jon West specialises in the creation and assurance of operations focused management systems. Trained as an RAF Fast-Jet test pilot and subsequently as a National Regulator branch-head, he has a keen insight into the synchronising elements of Operating Safety Cases.

Ross qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1988, and as a Chartered Tax Advisor in 1995. He trained with an independent Edinburgh firm, and after qualifying worked for a medium sized firm before setting up his own practice in Kinross in 1995. His practice specialises in tax compliance and tax planning for small and medium sized business, and high net worth individuals. He is also involved in charitable organisations, acting as reporting accountant for various local organisations and also as a trustee for a local charity.

Eric Williamson is partner and Director of J & G Wilson, Solicitors & Estate Agents. Established in 1888, J&G Wilson have been providing legal and property services advice to the people of Kinross-shire for generations.

Eric is a trustee and Company Secretary of ASSET & ASK.

Andrew graduated from Imperial College in 1987 and joined the Aerodynamics Department at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough working on projects for Airbus, Boeing and several Formula 1 teams.

His first role in academia was as a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor of Design at the University of Surrey and he is now Professor of Engineering at the University of the Highlands and Islands, holds a personal Chair as Professor of Experimental and Applied Aerodynamics, and is a Visiting Professor at two universities in China.

Mike is an accomplished director in the global aviation and airport community. Having successfully worked at board level across airport management and consultancies, he has spent the last 5 years working within the domain of air traffic management and how to manage the growth and performance of commercial air traffic and airports by applying novel technological concepts within increasingly constrained environmental, financial, political and operational conditions.

Neil McDougall is a Chartered Surveyor who provides planning and development advice mainly in the commercial property arena.  Previously responsible for the property development activities of BAAplc at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Airports  he continues to provide specialist Airport and aviation related property advice including concept and masterplan input for the new Airport for Istanbul.

Robin joined the Royal Air Force in 1979 on graduation from the University of Strathclyde.  His first flying posting was as a navigator on Victor K2 tankers carrying out air-to-air refuelling tasks which varied from maintaining the Falkland Islands air-bridge to accompanying Lightning and Phantom fighters intercepting Soviet aircraft in the far North Atlantic.

Karen has spent her career in local government in both England and Scotland. Her specialist experience is in Human Resources, and she has been involved in all areas of people management and training. She has been a personnel adviser to one of the national employers’ organisations in local government and worked for them on the revision of national recruitment and selection procedures. Following a career break to undertake a PhD, she is now dividing her time between working as a Senior Human Resources Officer for a Scotland wide Charity and as an independent researcher in sports history.

Hannah graduated from Edinburgh University with a First-Class Bachelor of Education Degree, with Honours, in 2012 and became a Primary Teacher for Fife Council. With previous experience working in an aquarium, providing visitor services, classroom sessions and outreach programmes, teaching became a natural progression. With a passion for science and the natural world, Hannah completed a range of CPD sessions with SSERC and became a leader of science curriculum development in school.