board members
Vacancy
Anyone interested in becoming a Member of the Board of Management should contact Mrs Fiona Odger, Secretary to the Board on 01346 586100.
John Cousins - Chairman
John became a Board Member in August 2005. He is an Electrical Engineer and holds a post-graduate diploma in Accounting and Finance. His career spanned 37 years in the electricity supply industry working in coal, oil, gas and nuclear power plants, and was a power station manager for 11 years. He left the industry in 1999 and incorporated Interim Energy Management Limited, providing advice and information to a wide range of clients in UK and the USA. He is a regular contributor to several energy industry magazines and tutors on industry training courses. John lives in Peterhead and is married to Sandra. They have four grown up children and six grandchildren.
Ann Bell
Profile to follow.
David Cook - Management Representative
David joined the College as a Lecturer in 1992 and then went on to manage the College Technology Sector. He is currently Assistant Principal (Business & Skills). His initial career as an Engineer began with British Steel in Scunthorpe working with hydraulic systems. Following a spell of teaching in secondary schools, both rural and inner city comprehensives, David worked in the oil industry with Santa Fe.
Jennifer Fowlie, Branch Manager Clydesdale Bank - Chair of the Audit Committee
Jennifer was Educated at Peterhead Academy and commenced her Banking studies at Banff and Buchan College. She went on to graduate as a Chartered Banker with the Institute of Bankers in Scotland. She has worked for Clydesdale Bank in Business and Retail Banking for over 30 years. Jennifer has worked in a number of branches in Aberdeenshire and is currently Manager at Peterhead and Mintlaw. In her spare time Jennifer is a volunteer Adult Literacy tutor and also enjoys walking, cooking and is an avid MotoGP fan.
Anna Gillanders - Student Representative
Profile to follow.
Caroline Inglis, HR Director, University of Aberdeen - Chair of the Staffing Committee
Caroline was born and brought up in Dundee where she undertook her secondary education at Harris Academy. She graduated MA Hons in Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and began her career in the 1980s as a 'Monbusho Fellow', taking part in the Japanese government's initial pilot programme to introduce English as a spoken language into Japanese High schools. On her return to the UK she entered a Royal Mail management training programme and covered a broad range of operational roles within the Regional Staffing Office, ultimately specialising as Industrial Relations Manager. During this time Caroline undertook professional postgraduate studies and obtained her Diploma in Personnel Management. Caroline joined the University in 1990 and was appointed Director of Human Resources in 1999. In 2004 Caroline undertook a period of secondment to the Scottish Funding Council to assist in the implementation and development of Human Resources within the Council's Strategic Planning Framework.
Lynne Macfarlan - Chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee
Lynne was educated at Larbert High school and later graduated MA Hons from Edinburgh University. She qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Young in Edinburgh. She relocated to the North East in 1989 working for Coopers & Lybrand and then the University of Aberdeen in both the External Funding and Finance departments. In 1996 Lynne joined Score (Europe) Limited part of Score Group plc worldwide group of engineering companies where she is currently Financial Director of the European companies. Hobbies such as tennis, gardening and reading are indulged in whenever possible.
John Raine - Communications and Social Investment Advisor, Shell
John Raine is Communications and Social Investment Advisor for Shell. He has a proven track record in developing and delivering creative approaches to communication and social investment. He manages two national programmes, Shell LiveWIRE an online support service with an awards programme for young entrepreneurs aged 16-30, and Shell Springboard a programme that provides a financial boost to innovative, low carbon business ideas from across the UK. He is also a member of the Board at Banff & Buchan College.
John joined Shell in 1990 as Graphic Designer and progressed to Manager of the Multimedia Department. He transferred to Communications in 2006 where he has worked in Internal Communications and Social Investment, until taking up his current position.
Originally from Whitby, North Yorkshire, he now lives in Aberdeen with his partner Jules, and daughter Daisy.
Sarah Reid - Support Staff Representative
Sarah first started work in the college in 2004 as an Open and Flexible Learning Administrator in the Learning Resources area before moving on to work with the Employability Team in 2007. As part of the Employability Team she was involved in working with students who are funded by Skills Development Scotland, in particular the Get Ready For Work trainee group and the Modern Apprentice (MA) trainee group. By 2010, the number of MA trainees had grown considerably. This has now led to her becoming the MA Contracts Manager and she currently has approximately 450 apprentices that she looks after. In her day to day job, she works with staff at all levels in the college, as well as employers, external bodies and students alike”.
Paul Sherrington - Principal and Chief Executive
Paul is originally from the north east of England. After graduating from the University of East Anglia, he began teaching science in a secondary school before moving to Peterlee College, initially as a lecturer and finally as Faculty Director for Maths, Science and Engineering. After a period as Acting Depute Principal at Peterlee College, Paul moved to Banff and Buchan College as Head of Department of General Studies and then Depute Principal. He became Principal of the College in April 2010. Paul has a number of hobbies, including sailing, gardening, and reading. He is also a keen supporter of football and cricket.
Keith Sime - Lecturing Staff Representative
Keith joined the College in 1994 as a Lecturer in Welding and Fabrication after working on major construction contracts offshore for 15 years. He has been a partner in his own business making gates and railings and industrial welding for 12 years. Hobbies include vintage tractors and he is currently secretary of the Banff and Buchan Tractor and Engine Club.
Anne Simpson
Anne was brought up in Bannockburn and graduated from the University of Stirling in 1972. Her early career was at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen where she undertook research for her Ph.D. then a post doctoral fellowship. She became interested in youth work in her twenties firstly as a volunteer and later as a paid part-time youth worker. This resulted in a change in career direction. She qualified as a Youth & Community worker in 1982 after a course at Northern College in Aberdeen. Since then she has worked in the Community Learning & Development and Education fields in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. From 1998 until 2002 she was an Education Officer in the Buchan Area. In July 2002, she became Aberdeenshire Council’s Community Learning Manager. She took early retirement from this post in June 2011. She remains as passionate about education, youth work and young people now as she did in her twenties. Her interests include her family, travelling, gardening, church, cooking, reading, walking, history, family history, photography, music, and the internet. She lives in Mintlaw.
Wilfred Weir - Head of Education Banff and Buchan
Wilfred is Head of Education for Banff & Buchan and a member of the Directorate Management Team of Aberdeenshire Council Education, Learning & Leisure Service. Prior to this he managed schools in central Aberdeenshire and earlier in his career taught English in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire schools. He is a member of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland."