Board of Directors
As an Executive NDPB, Zero Waste Scotland is the public body providing expertise to lead the development of Scotland’s Circular Economy.
Zero Waste Scotland supports the Scottish Ministers to develop and deliver their objectives and priorities for the circular economy in line with relevant policies and strategies developed under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, as well as the National Performance Framework and Programme for Government.
Zero Waste Scotland’s core aims and objectives are set out below and in the company’s Articles of Association and the organisation must take account of these priorities in its Corporate Plan.
Zero Waste Scotland will
- Provide expert leadership in the identification and development of innovative solutions that help Scotland reduce its demand for virgin material consumption;
- Provide advocacy and support to citizens, communities, businesses, and the wider public landscape to undertake more circular and sustainable behaviours;
- Advise the Scottish Ministers on circular economy strategy, policy, and targets;
- Support collaboration across Scottish Government and the wider Scottish public sector to develop, adopt and embed circular economy principles, policies and targets across all strategy areas and programmes; and
Undertake collaboration with industry and work across boundaries, including working with enterprise bodies where appropriate, to create the right conditions to deliver Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.
Members of the Board of Zero Waste Scotland, including the Chair, are non-executives appointed by the Scottish Ministers in line with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments in Scotland. The Chair and Board Members are accountable to the Scottish Ministers and also to the Scottish Parliament and may be required to give evidence to Parliamentary Committees.
The Board has overall responsibility for the delivery of the functions of Zero Waste Scotland, as set above, in accordance with the aims, policies and priorities of the Scottish Ministers.
The Board has corporate responsibility, and under the leadership of the Chair, will:
- set strategic plans to deliver the functions of Zero Waste Scotland, focusing on how the work of Zero Waste Scotland can most effectively contribute to achievement of the outcomes in the National Performance Framework, the Programme for Government and Scotland’s Economic Strategy in collaboration with the SG and other public bodies;
- regularly scrutinise current and projected performance against the aims, objectives and targets set out in plans and take decisions on remedial action where required;
- ensure that effective governance is established and maintained, including ensuring that decision-taking is open and transparent and, with support from the Accountable Officer and the Audit and Risk Committee, ensure that key risks are identified and managed;
- approve the annual report and accounts and ensure these are provided to the Scottish Ministers to be laid before the Scottish Parliament;
- promote the efficient, economic and effective use of resources consistent with the principles of Best Value, and regularly scrutinise financial performance and compliance with financial guidance issued by the SG;
- promote the wellbeing, learning and development of staff, provide support and challenge to the Chief Executive on staffing matters and ensure that Zero Waste Scotland meets the Responsibilities for management of Zero Waste Scotland staff described in the section below.
Role of the Board Chair
The Zero Waste Scotland Chair has additional responsibilities over and above Members of the Board, particularly in relation to strategic leadership and the conduct of Board business.
These include the following;
- lead the Board, ensuring that all Board members have suitable induction to understand the role and their responsibilities, that the skills and experience of all Board Members are used effectively and that the Board undertakes regular self-assessment of its performance;
- ensure that the performance of each Board member is reviewed at least once per year and that the Board and/or individual Board members undertake development activity when required to ensure the effectiveness of the Board;
- ensure that the Board reviews its effectiveness annually;
- ensure that a Code of Conduct (aligned to the Model Code of Conduct for Board Members) is in place, that corporate actions are taken to implement it as required and that Members of the Board understand their responsibilities, using the guidance provided by the Standards Commission;
- work with the Portfolio Accountable Officer or their delegate(s) and the Public Appointments Team in the SG on succession planning for the Board, action necessary to fill vacancies as they arise, skills requirements and promoting diversity by encouraging applications from less represented groups, including younger people, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities.
Code of conduct
For members of the Board of Zero Waste Scotland.
Dominic Fry
Chair
Dominic has over three decades of experience spanning public service, energy, social mobility, and retail. His deep understanding of consumers from his time as Director of Communications for Sainsbury’s, Scottish Power, and Marks & Spencer is sure to be a huge asset to Zero Waste Scotland.
He has Chaired The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) since 2019 - a key Scottish environmental public body, dedicated to countering the twin existential threats of biodiversity loss and the climate emergency.
Dominic’s vast experience of sustainability and business innovation mirrors Zero Waste Scotland’s mission to create an economic system that puts people and planet first.
Helen Wollaston
Non-executive director
Helen has 35 years’ experience in the public and third sectors.
She joined the Board of Zero Waste Scotland in 2017, when she was CEO of WISE, a community interest company enterprise promoting gender balance in science, technology and engineering across the UK. Previous executive roles include founding director of Equal to the Occasion consultancy; Director of Campaigns at the Equal Opportunities Commission and Regional Manager for the National Lottery Charities Board in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Helen’s non-executive experience includes Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of YWCA England and Wales (now the Young Women’s Trust).
In 2022 she joined the board of Phoenix Futures, a charity and housing association which supports people to recover from alcohol and drug addiction.
Born in London and raised in Manchester, Helen now lives on a smallholding in South West Scotland, where she grows fruit and vegetables organically and manages the land to improve biodiversity.
Gerard O Sullivan
Non-executive director
Gerard O Sullivan joined our board in 2017 bringing diverse international career experiences in private, public and charity sectors to the board. Gerard is a member of our Audit and Risk Committee and is also Deputy Chair of Zero Waste Scotland.
Previously a Commercial Director and Head of the Energy and Carbon Management team with a UK FTSE 100 business, Gerard has recently completed studies with Oxford Said Business School in the areas of Circular Economy, Sustainability and Environment.
A degree-qualified Electrical and Electronics Engineer, Gerard also holds an MBA from London Business School as well as Diploma qualifications from the UK Energy Institute, London and the FT London Non-Executive Director program.
Passionate about the power of people to transform and reshape our world through education and coaching, Gerard is an active mentor of executives at all levels of business.
As well as being a board member with a Scotland-based charity, Gerard is Treasurer and Board member for a UK-wide not-for-profit member association business based in London.
Janet Swadling (OBE)
Non-executive director
Janet is a Non-Executive Board Member for Zero Waste Scotland and is Chair of the People & Remuneration Committee.
Out with Zero Waste Scotland, Janet is a Non-Executive Director for the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) and until recently was their Chief Executive. Janet is well-known in the field of agricultural education, skills and development, having held a variety of senior posts in the sector for nearly 30 years. In December 2022, Janet was awarded an OBE in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours list, for services to farming & education.
Janet’s Non-Executive portfolio also includes holding the role of Independent Director on the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), Chair of the HGCA pension scheme and a member of the United Learning Audit and Risk Committee.
Janet is a qualified Governance Professional / Chartered Secretary and has an MBA from Heriot Watt. Her particular interests are in executive coaching, governance, strategy, and risk management.
Catherine Corbett
Catherine brings over three decades of senior financial leadership experience spanning large, medium and small businesses in professional services firms, law and advertising. Her strong track record has included her most recent Executive role as Chief Financial Officer for Deloitte Ireland and previously Head of Finance at EY (formerly Ernst and Young).
Catherine is also an experienced Non-Executive Director with over 9 years serving on the Board of The National Children’s Hospital Foundation in various roles ranging from member of the Financial and Investment Committees to Chair of the Board. She has also recently joined the Board of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Seigo Robinson
Seigo has a background in strategy consulting, with particular focus on the circular economy (CE), advising governments, multi-national firms, and start-ups on CE strategy and operations.
A passionate environmentalist with a wealth of experience as a Circular Economy Consultant, Seigo is sure to translate his expertise and solid knowledge of global circular economy best practice, gained through his PhD studies, into strategic interventions that enact change.
Formerly Head of the Centre for Remanufacturing & Reuse, he also brings board experience from public and private sectors, and was part of the technical committee for BS8001, the world’s first CE standard. As a Churchill Fellow, he investigated social enterprises using CE approaches from around the world.
He holds a MEng in Chemical Engineering and an EMBA, and is working toward a PhD in Circular Economy Business Models.
Amitoj Singh
Amitoj Singh boasts over 17 years of experience in the energy industry, gained both in the UK and New Zealand.
Amitoj holds an MBA, majoring in Project Management and has expert knowledge in programme governance, monitoring performance, and mitigating risk. Amitoj will clearly, also, be an invaluable addition to the board.Amitoj is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). He also sits on the IET Council and is a Professional Registration Advisor.
With significant experience in project portfolio management, he has presented at 35 conferences on electrical asset management associated topics.
He is also an inclusion and diversity ambassador, and a member of the leadership board at Association for Black and Ethnic Engineers UK - Scotland. He is a Board member - Trustee at StreetFit Scotland.
Amitoj has an electrical engineering degree, diploma in asset management, and is completing a MBA in Project Management.
Iain Gulland
Iain Gulland is Zero Waste Scotland’s founding Chief Executive and was the Programme Director of the predecessor programme, WRAP Scotland.
Previously Iain worked with initiating recycling systems in the public, private and third sectors and led the Community Recycling Network, Scotland until 2008.
Iain has recently been appointed President of the Association of Cities and Regions for Resource Management (ACR+) and is a member of several Scottish Government Programme Boards including those covering low carbon and manufacturing.
Iain was named the ‘most influential person in the UK waste and resource efficiency sector’ by Resource Magazine (2014) and was granted fellowship of the Chartered Institution of Waste Management in 2016.
Role of the Chief Executive
The Chief Executive has accountability to the Board for the overall organisation, management and staffing of Zero Waste Scotland. He must devise and implement appropriate management structures and processes and ensure the organisation has the necessary people resource for it to achieve its mission.
The specific duties of the Chief Executive will be set out in a job description, and annual objectives will be agreed with the Chair and used in appraisal of the Chief Executive’s performance.
In addition to any other specific duties, the Chief Executive will:
- advise the Board on the discharge of its responsibilities – as set out in this Framework Document, in relevant legislation and in any other relevant instructions and guidance issued by or on behalf of the Scottish Ministers;
- implement or oversee implementation of the decisions of the Board;
- work with the Board on preparation of the Corporate Plan, including liaising with the Senior Sponsor and/or Sponsor Team on key points which need to be addressed and the timetable for preparation and review, and work with the Board to ensure that business plans are put in place to meet the Corporate Plan aims, objectives and performance measures;
- lead and manage the staff of Zero Waste Scotland, ensuring their wellbeing, learning and development are prioritised, and ensuring that the Responsibilities for management of Zero Waste Scotland staff set out in the section below are addressed;
- manage the budget for Zero Waste Scotland in line with Scottish Government Finance guidance, policies and procedures, including the Scottish Public Finance Manual, and advise the Board on financial implications of all Board decisions, ensuring that appropriate financial appraisal and evaluation techniques are followed (see the Appraisal and Evaluation section of the SPFM);
- agree with the Board and the Portfolio AO or Senior Sponsor what information is required to enable the Board and the SG to scrutinise the performance of Zero Waste Scotland and progress against overall strategic and business plan aims and objectives, and ensure that the agreed information is provided and that it is both accurate and timely;
- the Chief Executive’s Executive Team will manage the day-to-day relationship with the Senior Sponsor and/or Sponsor Team, with other SG officials who have an interest in the work of Zero Waste Scotland and with other key stakeholders, including staff of other public bodies.
- In advising the Board, the Chief Executive will ensure that the key governance issues highlighted in the section on Governance and Risk below are addressed.
