Bronagh Power was Head of the Business School for the Open University in Scotland and Faculty Lead for the Postgraduate Business and Management programme for the Open University throughout the UK and Continental Europe. She is a passionate believer in the transformative power of education, an experienced facilitator within leadership development contexts but most of all, an advocate of empowering women to realise their dreams and potential.

Lesley is currently Scotland Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission, a non-executive director of Crosswinds Developments Ltd and a Director of GenAnalytics Ltd and previously, she was Vice Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor for Business, Enterprise and Innovation at Glasgow Caledonian University, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and Deputy Chair of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. Lesley was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to equality and business.

Catriona is highly experienced international HR Director, having worked in the power, telecommunications and drinks industries. She has championed inclusion and diversity with a specific focus on increasing diversity in manufacturing and supply chain and has a passion for people development and coaching, particularly in the context of women in leadership. She has been a member of Court for one of Scotland’s universities and is inspired by the role education plays in female empowerment.

Rachel Meddowes is a Trustee of Smart Works Scotland having joined the Board in Autumn 2022. Rachel is also a Volunteer Dresser In Edinburgh. A Freelance Consultant for Ideas, Research & Concept, Collaborations, Content, Styling Decoration & Project Managing. She has always worked in the Style, Magazine & Decoration arena & is currently the Associate Editor at Piero Publishing & previously worked at Harpers Bazaar.

Professor Christopher Moore is Principal and Chief Executive of New College Lanarkshire and is Professor in Fashion and Marketing at the University of Manchester. Christopher has held senior positions at universities in York, Glasgow and Edinburgh and was Director of the British School of Fashion at Glasgow Caledonian University’s London campus. With a PhD in Marketing, he has provided research and strategic consultancy support to a range of leading fashion and consumer goods businesses.

Christine is an economic development specialist with significant expertise gained from working in global public & private sector organisations. Christine has worked with many sectors, her specialism is supporting businesses successfully enter new markets. Co-founder of Scottish Business Network, a not-for-profit global community. Christine is an Ambassador of Women’s Enterprise Scotland, ScotsCare London. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts in recognition of her leadership and drive to empower women.

Mark has been creative director of Harris Tweed Hebrides since 2008 and has a brand consultancy in fashion and textiles. Much of his work is as part of the award-winning Harris Tweed Hebrides team that have been credited with transforming the unique heritage industry. He sits on the Advisory Council of The Campaign for Wool and is an industry leader on the influential Erasmus Plus project on Sustainable Fashion Employability Skills through Glasgow Caledonian University.

Danielle heads up a dedicated team of specialists delivering bespoke advertising solutions for clients across the country. She leads the STV Growth Fund, a £30m pot which enables SMEs to quickly reach more consumers through affordable and accessible advertising. Through her work, she drives partnerships and solutions to increase awareness of the range of cost-effective marketing solutions available at STV. Prior to this, she was Director of Strategic Development, leading a team to combine business strategies with brilliant marketing opportunities for clients looking to increase their presence and grow their business. Danielle has over 16 years experience working with SMEs and PLCs. She is also a member of the NABS Scotland committee, DMA Scotland Council and the STV steering group on Diversity & Inclusion.

Communications professional Charlene Sweeney is media relations director at leading independent UK agency BIG Partnership. A former senior journalist, she worked in both print and broadcast media before joining BIG Partnership where she delivers strategic PR campaigns for a range of corporate and consumer clients. She is also highly experienced in reputation management and media training. She will bring her PR expertise to Smart Works Scotland as it seeks to grow its services across the country and help more women gain access to the world of work.

Rachel Kennedy is our Young Ambassador at Smart Works Scotland. She is a client account manager for Synechron, a global consulting firm, and is responsible for leading Synechron’s activity in Scotland. Prior to Synechron, Rachel was the events and relationships manager at Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE). Passionate about gender equality, Rachel leads the Women’s ERG at Synechron for UK. Outside of work, she is the events lead for the Women in Banking and Finance Board and an active board member, delivering their flagship WIBF awards and creating and executing the WIBF events strategy. Rachel is an SFE Gender Equality Network (GEN) steering group member and an advocate for the Young Women’s Movement.