The Board of Trustees' responsibilities are to oversee the management of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and to provide strategic guidance to Senior Management.
Trustees are appointed (and can be reappointed) for four yearly terms by Scottish Ministers. The Board is accountable to Scottish Ministers through the Chair. There are eight members of the Board of Trustees.
has had a successful career as an Executive and Trustee spans retail, energy, the public sector, social mobility and the arts. He has over 30 years of experience in senior, strategic communications roles working with the Boards of large, complex and high profile organisations. Most recently as Director of Communications & Investor Relations for Marks & Spencer, Dominic’s responsibilities included the communication of M&S’ ethical and environmental Plan A during a decade on the M&S Management Board. Dominic combines strategic thinking with the conviction to get things done. He has proven influencing skills across issues, media, and reputation management, as well as a wide network of influential contacts in the UK and internationally. Dominic has strong commercial experience and has been involved with successful fundraising campaigns for several charities as a Trustee.
has a degree in Botany from the University of Glasgow and a doctorate from Imperial College, London. Since completing them, he has worked in the private sector where he owns and runs a management consultancy specialising in financial services. Dr Hamilton has a wide range of experience covering plant science, strategy, project management, and partnership ventures. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Rock Trust, a Scottish homelessness charity headquartered in Edinburgh. Dr Hamilton is a member of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Investment Committee.
has degrees in ecology and zoology and was Chief Executive of Scottish Natural Heritage from 2002 until 2017, having worked for the organisation since 1992. He has extensive experience of biodiversity, conservation and environmental education, including at international level. From 2017 to 2019 Dr Jardine was National Adviser on Environmental Policy working with the Scottish Government.
holds the Chair in Food Security at Exeter University. Sarah studied at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (BSc, ARCS, DIC and PhD (Plant Pathology)) where she was awarded the Huxley Medal for her outstanding record of achievement. Sarah was a post-doctoral fellow at St Andrews University and a Reader and Professor at Oxford University where she held a Leverhulme Trust Royal Society Senior Research and a NESTA Fellowship. Sarah was the first woman President of The British Society of Plant Pathology (2011), and was recently appointed to The International Advisory Board at SLU University, Uppsala, and as Advisor to the Scottish Government on Plant Health (RESAS 2018). Sarah was a curator of the Oxford Botanic Garden for 20 years and is a Fellow of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In 2019 Sarah was listed amongst the most highly cited researchers into plant pathology worldwide and has authored or co-authored over 170 publications including 12 high profile papers in Science, Nature and Nature Journals. Sarah lectures on plant disease - with particular emphasis on fungal infestations - all over the world and is a regular contributor on the topic across a wide range of international and national media. Sarah has great empathy for RBGE’s mission and ethos and will make a significant contribution to the team as we continue to counter the twin threats of biodiversity loss and the climate emergency.
Liz is a strategic business development business consultant working with a diverse range of clients across the private, public and not for profit sectors. Prior to setting up her own business, Liz's career spanned over 20 years working in senior management roles in the UK airports sector for BAA airports and Global Infrastructure Partners both in the UK and internationally. Liz has been a non-executive director of a number of organisations including Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, Winchester Business Improvement District and Action Hampshire. Now based in Scotland, Liz is also a Non-Executive Director of James Hutton Limited. Liz believes strongly in the importance of connectivity, collaboration and partnership and will provide the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh with a wealth of experience on maximising the value of assets and infrastructure at a time of change.
Professor Cara Aitchison retired as President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University in January 2024 following a 36-year career in higher education. A geography graduate of Edinburgh University, she is Professor Emerita of Geography and Cultural Economy focusing on tourism and rural sustainability. She was previously Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth Marjon University, Head of Moray House School of Education and Professor of Social and Environmental Justice at the University of Edinburgh, Professor in Human Geography and Director of the Centre for Leisure, Tourism and Society at the University of the West of England in Bristol, Chair of the UK Research Excellence Framework Sub-Panel for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism, and has held Council positions with the Academy of Social Sciences, UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Universities, and CBI Wales. Professor Aitchison is also a member of the Board of Visit Scotland.
is Chief Scientist at Scottish Water and is responsible for their Scientific and Research and Innovation Services. Prior to that she was Professor of Water Technology and Director of Environmental Technology at Cranfield University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Chemistry and is on the Boards of UK Water Industry Research and Scottish Water Horizons. Professor Cartmell is a chemist with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from Imperial College, London.
is the Chair of Scottish Leather Group, which creates sustainable leather for the world’s most respected companies. She has had a long career in food and drink supporting organisations to innovate and increase customer engagement, most recently as Chair of Eden Mill, the spirits company partnering with the University of St Andrews to create a new sustainable Distillery at St Andrews. Previous Board roles include, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Planet Organic, the UK’s largest fully certified organic supermarket, Genius Gluten Free and Heineken UK. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and previously served on its Strategy Board for Scotland, and has previous Trustee experience at Scottish Ensemble, spanning fundraising, creative learning work, and community engagement. She has a lifelong interest in sustainability, biodiversity and the world of plants.
is passionate about, and committed to, making Scotland a better place for everyone. This is the rationale for her: civil service career, application to Boardroom Apprentice, and motivation at work (where she is responsible for ensuring equality and human rights considerations are central to government decisions). Gill's background is in social research and she completed a PhD and post doc covering issues such as sustainability, tourism and climate change. Seeking to be closer to decision-makers, she moved into the UK civil service in 2012 working in Whitehall and later the Scottish Government in areas including health, climate change, tax, human rights and equalities. Day to day Gill can be found balancing her job (a jobshare with another incredible mum), juggling her two children, attempting to maintain her fitness and sanity at the gym and planning her family’s next home swap adventure.
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