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New appointments strengthen James Hutton Institute Board of Directors

L-R: Samantha Barber, Ken Greetham, Aileen McLeod
“Samantha, Aileen and Ken bring a wealth of experience to the Institute and I am delighted they are joining us to help lead and support our vital work. In the year the international climate conference comes to Scotland, the superb science we do at the Hutton has never been more important.”

The James Hutton Institute has announced three non-executive appointments, bringing business leader Samantha Barber, former MEP and MSP Aileen McLeod and agricultural expert Ken Greetham to its Board of Directors.

Samantha Barber specialises in environmental, social and governance leadership, focussing on corporate strategy, sustainability, non-financial risk, governance, culture, and people. She has been a non-executive director with global energy company Iberdrola since 2008 and joined the Board of Scottish Water in 2017.

Aileen McLeod was first elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament in 2011 and served as the Scottish Government’s Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform from 2014 to 2016. In 2019 she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for Scotland, a role she held until the Brexit process was completed. Aileen is presently a Senior Advisor with The Club of Rome. She has extensive experience in Scottish and EU public policy and expertise in European and international policy-making across a wide range of policy issues relating to the environment, climate change and the wellbeing economy.

As the former Chief Executive of Wynnstay Group plc, Ken Greetham has significant experience in agriculture and its supply chains, corporate planning and the development of commercial businesses. He maintains an active interest in the agricultural industry and sits on the Audit and Risk Management Committee for Harper Adams University.

Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, commented: “I am delighted to welcome these new Board members who with our existing Board will bring further new ideas and perspectives in key areas to support our purpose and ensure we stay at the forefront of using science to build a better future.  

“The Hutton Board reflects the knowledge we need to combine understanding and perspectives and have a whole-systems view of how people, environment, agriculture and food interact. Only by doing this will we solve the urgent and major challenges around sustainable land use.” 

Dr Ian Gambles, Chair of the Institute Board, said: “Samantha, Aileen and Ken bring a wealth of experience to the Institute and I am delighted they are joining us to help lead and support our vital work. In the year the international climate conference comes to Scotland, the superb science we do at the Hutton has never been more important.”

All the appointments are the result of open advertisements and public searches. The other members of the Institute’s diverse Board are Ian Gambles, Chair; Susan Davies; Archie Gibson; George Lawrie; Deborah Keith; Iain Reid; Alyson Tobin and Elizabeth Wade.

Press and media enquiries: 

Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, James Hutton Institute, Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0)344 928 5428 (switchboard) or +44 (0)7791 193918 (mobile).


Printed from /news/new-appointments-strengthen-james-hutton-institute-board-directors on 29/03/24 06:28:34 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.