South of Scotland Enterprise CEO, Jane Morrison-Ross, succeeds Diana Murray CBE as our new Chair. Joining Jane, five new Trustees bring a new range of skillsets to our Board.

She succeeds Diana Murray CBE in the role, while Lucinda Coulthard, Graham Dow, Peter Drummond, Susan McIntosh, and Pamela Tulloch also join the Edinburgh based charity, which has a national remit to nurture creative, social, and commercial relationships between the culture and business sectors.

Morrison-Ross’s focus at South of Scotland Enterprise, the newest economic development agency in Scotland, is to lead the growth and development of the economy, environment, and communities in the South, with the creative and cultural heritage at the heart of her remit.

Prior to joining South of Scotland Enterprise, she was CEO of ScotlandIS, the industry body for the digital and technology industries in Scotland. She also worked on Connecting Scotland, the Scottish Government’s digital inclusion programme. Morrison-Ross brings to the charity an enthusiasm for innovation and a wealth of experience and strategic knowledge from industry, third sector and public sector organisations.

Lucinda Coulthard is a passionate and creative fundraiser with a genuine enjoyment in building strong relationships.  She has extensive experience in attracting and stewarding investment in the arts from Corporate Partnerships and Trusts and Foundations, as well as from Individual donors.

Graham Dow is currently Head of Adviser & Personal Channel at abrdn. He brings a strong commercial and strategic perspective and understanding of industry dynamics and drivers. This will help to develop intelligence on how the culture sector can provide solutions for business challenges.

Peter Drummond runs his own chartered architecture practice specialising in heritage and conservation.  He brings extensive governance expertise and is a representative on national agencies and committees that contribute to the development of national policies, including how our built heritage can contribute to urban regeneration.

Susan McIntosh is currently Director of Finance at the Edinburgh International Festival. With a career that has spanned both the private and public sectors, her experience and knowledge will support governance and financial control, as well as provide insights on the public funding landscape.

Pamela Tulloch is Chief Executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council(SLIC), which is an independent advisory body to the Scottish Government on library and information related matters. She has cemented the role that libraries play in economic wellbeing within communities.

As an independent charity originally established in 1986, Arts & Business Scotland is the only agency in Scotland that connects the business and culture sectors. It plays a key role encouraging cross sector collaboration that enriches creativity and cultural engagement.

With the nation still recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and economic and environmental pressures posing an ever-increasing challenge, the charity’s critical role as an advocate for and enabler of strengthening relationships between businesses and the culture sector has never been more important.

Jane Morrison-Ross said: “I am delighted to be chairing the Arts & Business Scotland board at a time of both unprecedented challenges and incredible opportunity for the Scottish creative sector. As the cultural landscape evolves and new opportunities continue to unfold, the organisation is in a unique position to bring creativity into the heart of economic transformation and to help relationships between the commercial and cultural sectors to thrive, and I look forward to working with the team, stakeholders, and membership to achieve this vision.”