College welcomes new Chair and Board members

Top row: Amy Paterson, Ciara McCarthy and Dave Anderson Bottom row: Laura Heggie, Manira Ahmad and Polly Vaker

City of Glasgow College, Scotland’s largest professional and technological college, is delighted to welcome a new Chair and several new members to our Board of Management as the new academic year commences.

Our Board, as the College’s governing body, is responsible for setting our strategic direction, ensuring its effective management and delivering high-quality learning and outcomes. Board members arrive at the Board in different ways, through appointment and nomination processes, but are all equal and serve voluntarily.

Dave Anderson, who has served as a non-executive Board member since June 2023, has been appointed by the Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board to serve as Chair for up to four years. Dave is a history graduate with a master’s degree in education and brings 30 years of experience in senior roles in skills policy, economic development and urban regeneration. He currently runs a consultancy company specialising in urban regeneration and serves on the board of Right There, a charity preventing homelessness.

The Board also welcomes five new members, including three non-executive and two student members, following the conclusion of recent recruitment and election processes.

Amy Paterson, Head of Products at Alba Co Ltd, has worked in financial services for over a decade and has experience in risk management and compliance. Amy is the Chair of the Scottish Financial Enterprise Young Professionals Network and she is passionate about supporting young people and promoting equal opportunities within the industry.

Laura Heggie is the Head of Strategic Information, Innovation and Technology at Glasgow City Council where she is responsible for delivering digital services and transformation, including the city's Digital Glasgow Strategy.  Laura is a chartered accountant and has valuable experience in corporate governance, audit and compliance. She is also a lecturer in audit and assurance at Glasgow Caledonian University, one of our neighbouring institutions.

Manira Ahmad is the Chief Officer at Public Health Scotland where she oversees cross-organisational programmes on health, economic growth, international development, sustainability, and inclusion. With a background in systems leadership and public health, Manira has excelled in driving cross-sector collaboration and improving public health outcomes. She has also served on the boards of three Glasgow charities.

Our students recently elected Ciara McCarthy as Student President and Polly Vaker as Student Vice President of Social and Activities – and both join the Board as members. Ciara has studied HND Social Sciences and is a dedicated advocate for students and disabled people. Polly studies HND Creative Industries: Television, after completing her HNC Media and Communication, and is passionate about ensuring that our campuses are inclusive and accessible for our diverse student body.

Dave Anderson, Chair of the Board of Management, said:

“I am truly honoured to be appointed Chair of the Board. The College has a well-earned reputation as a sector leader, is a world-class institution and is ambitious for our students. I am very much looking forward to working with our talented and committed Board members, both seasoned and new, and our exceptional staff to ensure the College continues to strive for excellence in education and effectively serves our students, staff and wider stakeholders.

“It would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to Alisdair Barron MBE who has just stood down from the Board after 19 years of service, eight of which as Chair. He has made an invaluable contribution to the work of the College and I thank him wholeheartedly for it.”

Dr Paul Little CBE, Principal and Chief Executive, said:

“I am delighted to welcome our new Chair and Board members to Team City. Together with our existing Board members, and excellent management and staff teams, this latest injection of fresh talent will help us to reach even higher levels of success as a flagship tertiary institution for Glasgow, Scotland and beyond. Having had the opportunity to get to know Dave over the past year, I know he is a highly accomplished leader with an impressive track record in both the public and private sectors – and has already shown a deep commitment to our students and our purpose to Let Learning Flourish. I’m also delighted to see such distinguished professionals like Laura, Amy and Manira join our Board, alongside passionate student leaders like Ciara and Polly.

“I also wish to pay tribute to Alisdair as he steps down as Chair and from the Board. It has been a genuine privilege to work with him for nearly 20 years. Throughout his entire executive and non-executive career, he has selflessly demonstrated an absolute commitment to young people, working tirelessly in the third sector and on the Children’s Panel to enhance their life chances. We owe Alisdair a huge debt of gratitude for his consummate excellence in governance, for his generosity in time and for this expert strategic leadership. We are pleased that he remains one of our honoured Fellows”.

Our recent appointments, following an open and competitive selection process, have resulted in the College once again achieving gender balance on our Board in accordance with the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. For more information about our Board, please see here.