The PAG HRM network facilitates the sharing of professional expertise, advice and support, and helps strengthen the ongoing development and relevance of the HRM subject area within Edinburgh Napier University. The PAG meets twice a year to discuss curriculum development, employability, and research amongst other things. Discussions surrounding contemporary HR topics, organisational practice and lessons for students facilitate fantastic knowledge exchange.
For further information, to get involved, collaborate or contribute please email Dr Laura Gerard (PAG HRM Chair).
Please find below biographies and photos of our current external PAG HRM members. For members of the HRM academic subject group please visit the staff directory.
Lauren Adams, Human Resources Manager, Sappi Europe
Greig Aitken, Group Head, Colleague Strategy & Insight, NatWest Group
Greig Aitken is Group Head, Colleague Strategy and Insight at NatWest Group. Based in Edinburgh, he leads the development of the Group’s People Strategy across 16 brands including NatWest, Ulster Bank, Coutts and Royal Bank of Scotland. The focus of Greig’s work includes employee experience, engagement, culture assessment as well as enabling leaders to deeply understand the effectiveness of their people strategy and its tangible impact on businesses performance, sales and service.
He is a qualified chartered Banker, has an MBA in finance and management, is a Fellow of the CIPD and of the Learning & Performance Institute. Greig is passionate about the positive impact of human capital on business success and has taught human capital strategy case studies at Harvard Business School, London Business School and the University of Southern California. He is a member of the European Council on Strategic Workforce Planning and The European council of strategy & Transformation.
Greig believes strongly in the combined benefits of academia and business working together and delivers an HR strategy class on the Napier Masters programme and has been on the PAG HRM for over 5 years.
Greig’s areas of expertise include Organisational culture, employee engagement, HR strategy, colleague experience, Human Capital research & Benchmarking, M&A, Organisational listening.
Dr Chiara Amati, Director & Chartered Occupational Psychologist for The Keil Centre
Chiara is an occupational psychologist with specific interests in wellbeing and leadership. Work is a core influence on our wellbeing and psychological health and Chiara works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop ‘good jobs’, strong positive interpersonal relationships and to maintain wellbeing and resilience. Often the relationship with our manager is key in terms of our wellbeing at work and the majority of Chiara’s time is spent working with managers and leaders, either in 1-to-1 coaching sessions or in team sessions, to explore how they can better support their own and their team’s wellbeing.
Chiara also works in leadership assessment, helping to make the experience of psychometric assessment more inclusive, more informative and, ultimately, more insightful and useful for both selection panels and candidates.
Dr Chiara's areas of expertise: Wellbeing, selection.
Laura Briggs, HR and Recruitment Coordinator, Kitchin Group
William Brown, Head of People and Corporate Services with the Robertson Trust
William Brown is a senior human resources professional with over two decades of experience leading HR strategy and operations across organisations. His career spans multiple sectors—including healthcare, higher education, and local government—where he has driven transformation in areas such as organisational design, strategic workforce planning, employee engagement, and leadership development. William is Head of People and Corporate Services with the Robertson Trust, a Scottish charitable foundation that funds and supports organisations working to reduce poverty and trauma across Scotland.
Known for his collaborative leadership style and strategic insight, William has successfully guided organisations through periods of growth and change, helping to shape inclusive, high-performing cultures aligned with business goals. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and also serves as a Board Member with The International Association for Democracy.
An alum of Edinburgh Napier University, William holds an MSc in Human Resource Management having graduated in 2010, and is delighted to contribute to the HRM Professional Advisory Group. His involvement reflects both a professional commitment to advancing the field of HR and a personal dedication to giving back to the university that helped shape his career.
William’s areas of professional expertise encompasses HR strategy, organisational design and development, employee engagement, strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, learning and development, change management, and employee relations.
Mark Crawford, Global Director of Human Resources for JBT Corporation
Mark Crawford is a progressive, proactive and driven Global Executive HR professional with 15 years of experience in the various facets of HR. Principled business partner providing solutions in HR strategy, talent management, organizational capability, talent acquisition, organizational development, design and analytics. Mark describes his HR style as ‘unorthodox’ in comparison to more traditional views of the HR partner, but one that delivers business leadership through the HR lens. Mark’s principles of trust, integrity and continuous improvement drive him to have a strong belief to give back, spending much of his time mentoring and coaching business and HR leaders.
Mark having been an alumni of Edinburgh Napier in 2016, is delighted to be a member of the PAG HRM, keen to remain connected and support the development of our future HR professionals. Sports have always played a key role in Mark’s interests having played for both local football teams; Bonnyrigg Rose and Edinburgh City, but although not playing today you will find him regularly attending games while supporting his children in their own sporting interests.
Mark's areas of expertise include Talent Management, HR Systems/Data Analytics, Merges & Acquisitions, HR Transformation, Organisation development & design, Culture.
Adam Gray, Senior People Operations Business Partner for Apex Hotels
Adam graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2018 with a Masters in Human Resource Management and has gone on into various HR roles throughout the Student Accommodation and Hospitality Sectors. As a HR Generalist, Adam works in HR to delivery a valuable people experience to the employees that work in the businesses he supports.
Adam currently is Senior People Operations Business Partner, for Apex Hotels, an Edinburgh based, family owned hotel group. Adam leaders the Shared Services team that deliver the companies Reward and Recognition strategy, Employee Relations and Data Analysis/People Systems Management.
Adam is currently a Chartered Member of the CIPD and has been since 2020.
Expertise areas include: Employee Relations, Change Management, TUPE, Employee Engagement and Project Management
Peter Heath, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
Peter has spent over thirty years working within fire and rescue services both in Scotland and in his current role with extensive experience of leading, implementing and delivering on organisational change and improvement. As a strategic leader and HR practitioner Peter was the Head of HR and OD following a merger of 8 fire and rescue services into a single organisation were he led a key programme to delivery. He has developed deep experience of working within highly unionised and political environments driving change and focused on values and culture.
Since graduating with a Master’s degree in HRM he has continued as a member of the PAG to share and support the transfer of knowledge to the workplace and vice versa. Peter believes turning theory into working practice and ensuring that practice informs new theories and thinking are essential for good HRM.
Peter's areas that can offer experience or support include: Implementing change in complex environments; Employee engagement and motivation; Grievance, discipline and working with unions; Strategic leadership.
Sarah Horne, Executive Director and HR Transformation for the EMEA region at Oracle
Sarah is an HR practitioner and HR transformation specialist who works with organisations across Europe and the Nordics, the UK, Middle East and Africa, to enable their transformation goals through the use of Oracle Cloud HCM technology; and also to realise their people analytics ambitions. Sarah is experienced in developing and implementing HR strategies and technologies to drive organisational effectiveness; and to enable the strategic change agendas of large global and matrixed organisations - including mergers, divestments and acquisitions.
Matt Johns MBE, Managing Director for Fieri
Matt Johns has worked extensively in learning and development, in particular the design of leadership programmes at various levels and across industries. Many of these programmes have concentrated on early talent, elite sport and high potential candidates.
He has a particular interest in developing leadership behaviours and how technology such as VR can help with this. Matt is also a commissioned Army Officer.
Now a Reservist, he has led teams on several operational tours. Matt lives with his family in East Lothian. Matt is very pleased to be able to support the PAG HRM where possible.
Matt's areas of expertise: Training Design, Leadership Development, Assessment and Selection, Military Issues.
Alex Killick, Co-Founder and Director of Leading Kind Ltd
Alex has held several executive board level HR roles in the NHS, Scottish Government and Higher Education and is also an experienced non-executive director. Alex set up Leading Kind in 2020, to support organisations lead complex change to make work fairer, workplaces kinder and more inclusive and outcomes better. Read more about Leading Kind. Prior to this, Alex was Director of People at Glasgow Caledonian University for 8 years and led an award-winning People Services team. Recent roles have included Interim Director of People at the University of the West of Scotland, and interim Director of People at the University of Dundee.
Alex is Chair of DWRM, a social enterprise that supports ex-offenders into higher education and employment, and is Vice Chair of Edinburgh College. Alex is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, has a Masters in HRM, a Prof M, and holds a Certificate in Company Direction. Alex is passionate about bridging the gap between theory and practice and sees the PAG a key disruptor to the status quo.
Alex’s areas of interest and expertise are in employee voice, employee experience and wellbeing, and reward management.
Margaret-Ann Love, Head of Human Resources at The City of Edinburgh Council
Margaret-Ann is Head of Human Resources for the City of Edinburgh Council, the second largest local authority in Scotland, employing around 18,000 people. A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Margaret-Ann has been an HR practitioner in the public sector for 30 years and a member of CIPD for 28 years.
Margaret-Ann leads a team of 40 HR professionals from a range of disciplines including high risk case management, ER and Policy, HR Relationship, Learning and Organisational Development. Margaret-Ann is passionate about people development and about creating an inclusive, rewarding and fair environment at work where people can flourish. She is also Vice Chair of the South East Scotland Branch.
Loretta Windsor, Mackenzie Director at Greentree Wellbeing Consultancy
Loretta is a specialist in Wellbeing particularly focusing on Mental Health wellbeing at Work. With a Masters in HRM and twenty years of experience working with organisations from charities, public sector and the private sector. Loretta works as an external consultant within the HR structure, with HR Directors and Business owners to engage and focus organisations on wellbeing and employee voice.
Loretta creates internal wellness campaigns and strategies to break stigmas and encourage positive workplace cultures. Loretta is delighted to be a member of PAG HRM as she is keen to stay connected to the education provision of future HR professionals.
Loretta enjoys painting and singing but can also often be found walking in the woodlands with her family and golden lab.
Loretta's areas of expertise include: wellbeing at work, menopause and work, resilience to workplace stress, performance and mental health.
Hazel M Mackenzie, Individual, Team and Organisational Development, Leadership Specialist Consultant
Susan McLaren, Business Development Director for AdviserPlus
Susan has worked across a number of business sectors including, technology, energy and the public sector. Keen to pursue a career in HR Susan has focused both her education and work experience across the wide spectrum of roles that a career in HR provides.
Susan has led teams in a number of HR disciplines including L&D, Talent Management, Business Partnering, Employee Relations and Organisational Development and Design. As a consequence of her experience and research Susan’s specialism is HR Transformation.
Passionate about the HR profession, Susan is delighted to be a member of the PAG HRM as she is keen to contribute in any way she can to the education of future HR leaders. For relaxation Susan can be found socialising with friends, or taking time out to enjoy yoga with a bit of meditation thrown in especially at the end of a busy week.
Louise McSorley, Senior Consultant for People Change, Scottish Water
Corinne Morrison-Gillies, Head of HR for St George’s School, Edinburgh
Corinne is an experienced Senior HR Professional, who combines commerciality with a genuine compassion for people and tries to ensure that her values are at the heart of all she does . A graduate of Edinburgh Napier (1995 and 1996 ) Corinne’s initial degree ignited a passion for HR and she completed her MSc in HRM and Grad CIPD in 1996, subsequently becoming a chartered member a few years later. Corinne has 20 + years HR experience, gained across both private and nor for profit sectors- with her most recent experience being 11 years in Health and Social Care which includes residential education, criminal justice, children and families, counselling, adult care, older peoples services and corporate services. Corinne is passionate about lifelong learning (completed a Paralegal qualification in Employment Law at Strathclyde University) and supporting students through her long term relationship with Edinburgh Napier.
As the single Mum of an eight year old daughter, and working full time, Corinne doesn’t have much ‘spare’ time but the little that she does is spent supporting others – through for example her role as an Elder with the Church of Scotland. Corinne loves reading and enjoying the beautiful countryside Scotland has to offer with her daughter as well as being a big Disney fan – having already taken her daughter on 2 trips to the US!
Corinne's areas of expertise include: HR in Education / Health and Social Care ; Employee Relations ; Recruitment in Challenging sectors.
Dale Simpson, General Manager, Malmaison Hotel, Dundee
Ewan Walker, Senior HR Advisor for Audit Scotland
Jason Mannix, Director of HR for The Brighton Pier Group plc and Director of Mannix HR
Jason Mannix (Dpl, MA, Chartered FCIPD, LLB (Hons)) has been working in Human Resources for over 30 years with a passion for employment law, inclusion, equality and diversity and for supporting young people into work.
Jason began his journey into people management following the completion of his law degree in the 90’s where he specialised in employment, company and contract law.
Many years later he completed a further degree in Personnel and Development and through this grew a fascination for the concept of employee voice and this tied in with his philosophy that employees are the most important asset of every company and that organisations should never forget that no matter what the process or the actions being taken, from induction to disciplinary, training to redundancy, there is still a human being at the heart of it.
This led to further personal development with the completion of a qualification in counselling.
Jason works primarily as Director of HR for The Brighton Pier Group plc and also runs his own HR consultancy, Mannix HR.
He is just finishing a documentary with Latest TV in Brighton about the experiences of Trans and Non Binary employees in the workplace and is helping to champion a new recruitment site, C- Me that is aimed at supporting young people into work and he will soon be embarking on a teaching qualification as he loves teaching others and has been a guest lecturer at both Brighton University and Kings College, London.
His motto is ‘Everyone has a story’.
Ejiro Ogunbanjo, Chief Human Resources Officer, The Alternative Bank
Ejiro is a commercially astute HR executive and advisor with over 15 years of experience leading HR and consulting teams across sectors to deliver measurable
impact—including enhanced employee engagement, top talent retention, revenue growth, and award-winning people systems. She has led HR teams to earn multiple
accolades, including three Hofstede Culture Awards for Diversity and Inclusion and the NECA Employer Excellence Award for Banking and Financial Services. As Chief Human Resources Officer at a bank and a trusted advisor to founders and CEOs, she brings deep expertise at the intersection of business strategy, technology, product, and people.
A Chartered Banker (ACIB), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (FCIPM), Certified Professional Coach, and Professional Scrum Master (PSM I), Ejiro holds degrees in Human Resources and Managerial Psychology, with additional certifications in Business Analysis and Product Leadership. A distinguished alumnus of the Lagos Business School, currently serving as Vice President for the SMP 92 Lagos Business School Alumni Association, Ejiro has been named among Africa’s Top 100 Career Women and Nigeria’s Most Value-Adding Female Professionals. She contributes to the advancement of the profession through mentoring, product advisory, and board roles—including as a Mentor with Women in Tech Nigeria and a board member of a tech talent academy focused on Africa. Outside of work, she leads women’s and teen-focused outreach initiatives under a faith-based platform and is active as a speaker, writer, and advisor on technology, design thinking, operations, and people strategy.
Rab Lindsay, Associate Director, St Andrews Management Centre
A seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the Public Sector, predominantly in management roles, I bring extensive expertise in leadership, organisational development, and professional training. I hold an MBA and am an Associate member of the CIPD as well as a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI). Currently working with a private training provider, I specialise in Leadership Development, delivering accredited qualifications including ILM, CMI, and SVQs. My work spans both UK-based and international organisations, supporting leaders at all levels to develop the skills and confidence needed to thrive. I am also qualified Assessor and Verifier, committed to maintaining excellence in training and assessment.