The Policy Scotland Governance Board provides strategic advice to the Policy Scotland leadership team as well as guidance, support and challenge on operational matters.
The Board normally meets three times a year. Members represent a diverse range of expertise and experience of policymaking and social sciences research.
Sir John Elvidge KCB, FRSE, FRSA
Sir John is Chair of the Policy Scotland Governance Board.
Sir John was Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government from 2003 to 2010. His current roles include:
- Chair of the Carnegie UK Trust
- Associate of the Institute for Government
- Chair of the Board of Trustees for the David Hume Institute
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Member of Scotland Committee of the Institute of Directors
- Trustee of the Edinburgh International Festival
LinkedIn profile for Sir John Elvidge
Professor Carol Tannahill, OBE
Professor Carol Tannahill is Director of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) and is the Scottish Government Chief Social Policy Adviser.
Her other roles include:
- Advisory Board member for IPPR Scotland
- Trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
- Advisory Board member for What Works Scotland.
She was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to public health.
GCPH profile for Professor Carol Tannahill
Professor Sara Carter, OBE, FRSE
Professor Sara Carter, OBE, FRSE, is Vice Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow.
she was previously the Associate Principal (Learning & Teaching) at the University of Strathclyde and Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strathclyde Business School.
She is a member of the:
- Council of Economic Advisers to the First Minister of Scotland
- Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board
- Women in Enterprise Action Group
She is also a Non-Executive Director of Women’s Enterprise Scotland.
Professor Sally Wyke
Professor Sally Wyke is Deputy Director of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing (IHW) at the University of Glasgow and Interdisciplinary Research Professor at IHW.
She is Dean of Research for the College of Social Sciences, an Associate with the School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, and an Academic Ambassador for the Addressing Inequalities Research Beacon at the University of Glasgow.
Her other roles include:
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Distinguished International Affiliate of the American Society for Health Psychology
- Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners
University of Glasgow profile for Professor Sally Wyke
Dr Rolf Alter
Dr Rolf Alter is an economist and a Senior Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
He spent over 25 years at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. In 2006, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the OECD Secretary-General, and in 2009 he became Director of Public Governance, and focused on supporting governments to improve their public sector performance for inclusive growth and economic competitiveness.
He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Risks Report of the World Economic Forum. In 2016 he was awarded the O.P. Dwivedi Award by the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) for his outstanding contribution to public administration and policy.
He joined the Policy Scotland Governance Board in April 2019.
Heather Cousins
Heather Cousins is a Deputy Secretary at Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland, where she leads the Skills and Education Group
She has held other posts in the Department for the Economy with responsibility for higher education policy and funding and European Social Fund programmes. Her earlier roles were Director of Housing and then Deputy Secretary of the Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland.
Other roles include:
- Court member and chair of the Audit Committee at the University of Glasgow
- Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association
She joined the Policy Scotland Governance Board in summer 2019.