Edinburgh College appoints new board members

Edinburgh College’s Board of Management has appointed three new non-executive members to support it to lead the strategic direction of the college.

The new members – all of whom are women – are high-profile figures in Scottish public life and have extensive experience in industry, education, and both public and private sectors. The Board has appointed the three with approval from the Scottish Government.

These appointments maintain overall Board membership at an even gender balance, with 18 members altogether.

The new Board members are: 

Judith Sischy OBE

Judith has worked in education and charitable work throughout her career. She began her career in teaching in Toronto, before moving to Edinburgh and teaching French. Then she moved into education management and, from 1990 to 2010, was the first chief executive of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). She served on the Scottish Qualifications Authority Advisory Board, the General Teaching Council for Scotland, the Government’s Curriculum for Excellence Management Board and other education bodies.

Judith has a history of voluntary work and, as a qualified tutor of adult literacy and numeracy, works with disadvantaged Edinburgh communities. She has been on the Appointments Committee of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, on the Court of Queen Margaret University, a public interest member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for Scotland, and is currently a member of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities in Scotland. She is a mentor for voluntary organisations and works for a number of charitable bodies in Scotland and abroad. 

Lesley Drummond

With a career that has included qualification as both a chartered accountant and a chartered marketer, Lesley has worked across a wide range of industries and sectors, including education, consumer goods, drinks, retail, financial services and investment trusts. She has been assistant director of the technical department of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland; a brand manager for United Distillers; and marketing director for Edinburgh Fund Managers. Currently, Lesley runs a successful Edinburgh-based retail business.

She has been a lifelong advocate for education in Scotland and has lectured in accountancy and marketing at Edinburgh Napier University, and marketing at Edinburgh College. 

Jeanette Stevenson (pictured below)

Jeanette is part of the senior management team at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, where she has been head of the Department of Education and Training since 2011. In this role she facilitates training and CPD for specialist doctors around the world.

Jeanette has more than 15 years’ experience in further, higher and postgraduate education in Scotland and internationally, and is a firm believer in education’s ability to enhance lives. Her experience includes project management and administrative roles in the University of Abertay and the University of Dundee, and the management of a language school in Penang, Malaysia.

Jeanette has an MA from the University of Dundee, an MBA from the University of Durham and is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Ian McKay, Chair of Edinburgh College’s Board of Management, said: “On behalf of the Board, I welcome Judith, Lesley and Jeanette to their new roles. Each of them has lifelong links with education and a desire to use their expertise to give others opportunities, so their principles and commitment match what we are striving for at Edinburgh College.

“Our new members have operated at the highest strategic levels. They will provide the Board with the wisdom and experience to lead us as we work through a period of significant change and new opportunities.”

Edinburgh College Principal Annette Bruton said: “The Board has appointed some very accomplished figures in public life to take the college through its transformation over the next few years, so I commend their choices. Judith, Lesley and Jeanette are not only hugely talented professionals and leaders with strong visions, but they also have the personal touch, empathy and understanding of students’ learning needs that’s so critical to our success.”

Audit Scotland recently announced that Edinburgh College continues to face ‘significant financial challenges’.