Meet Our Board

I am a multi disciplinary and multi agency leader with over 40 years experience in a range of sectors including front line nursing, nursing education, Scottish Government and most recently with the Royal College of Nursing. My experience centers on health and social care policy, strategic development and implementation, governance within a membership environment and research and development. My leadership style is to lead by values, enable and empower people to grow and build synergies across teams, sectors and ideas. With more than 25 years in mentoring and coaching both direct reports and senior executives across a local, national and international landscape I am keen to bring my practical, pragmatic skills and experience to those working in leadership and executive roles across any sector. I have a tenacity for seeking a solution to a complex problem, developing strategy and turning this into action and creative thought into a movement that everyone can get behind along with a dose of good humour and realism to boot.

Emma has over 15 year’s experience at senior level in Human Resources, with significant experience acting as a strategic partner, helping organisations enhance their performance and achieve their strategic goals. Having faced the prospect of losing her youngest daughter Lorna in 2014, Emma embraced the opportunity to become a SiMBA Trustee in 2018 as a way of supporting others who were sadly less fortunate. Emma is inspired by the many ways SiMBA provides comfort to bereaved families and is honoured to be using her skills to help SiMBA develop and expand the essential services and support that make such a difference.

Heather is highly experienced in leading strategic business improvement and change programmes in the public sector, with a strong focus on continuous improvement, performance management, and benefits realisation. Heather's first daughter Aeryn was stillborn at 37 weeks in 2016 and has experienced first-hand the positive difference SiMBA can make to individuals and families.

Stephanie lives with her husband, Peter, her two daughters Sophie and Olivia and Brodie their Labrador. Their second child, Ruben, was born prematurely at 25 weeks and sadly was only with us for a few hours. Stephanie has had first hand experience of the support SiMBA can offer and was honoured to be asked to be a Trustee. She has a strong background in planning, performance and management and hopes to be able to make a difference to the wonderful work that SIMBA does.

Bryan has worked in the third sector for the past decade and first became aware of the noble work done by SiMBA when he and his wife experienced the loss of their son Milo at 41 weeks in March 2019. On the day he was born, they were given a SiMBA memory box which extended them the opportunity to make more memories with Milo in the SiMBA funded bereavement suite. SiMBA provided the family with memories and keepsakes which they hold dear to this day and for a long time to come. Bryan is delighted to take this opportunity to give back to the charity by joining the Board of Trustees and vows to continue his fundraising to help the charity where possible. A Resource Planning Manager for one of the world’s biggest charitable organisations, Bryan brings to the board, skills and specialist knowledge of the systems, processes, and frameworks of the charity sector.

Doug is married with two children and has had a broad and varied career in Learning & Development, primarily across the sporting sector where he supports the development of coaches in performance sport. His family first became aware of SiMBA's work when they lost their son, Aaron, at 14.5 weeks gestation in 2016. Expecting to leave the hospital with nothing, they were instead given the amazing gift of a SiMBA memory box which is still a most treasured item. Knowing first hand the value of SiMBA's work, Doug is delighted to serve on the board of the charity, sharing his professional experiences to support SiMBA's incredible work.