Our Trustees

Our Trustees are responsible for the management and governance of building and operating the Dunard Centre. They bring great expertise in a wide range of fields, including the arts, business, construction, education and the management of cultural organisations.

Ronnie Bowie FRSE

CHAIR

A prominent actuary, Ronnie Bowie spent most of his career at Hymans Robertson, including a fifteen year stint as Senior Partner between 2002 and 2017. As well as leading the strategic growth programme which established the firm as the UK’s leading actuarial consultancy, he also spearheaded the merger of the UK’s two actuarial bodies,
creating the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries; subsequently becoming its first President. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he also serves as the Chair of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow, and is involved in the current work to bring the Eden Project to Dundee.

Ronnie Bowie, FRSE | CHAIR

John Gilhooly

Irish-born John Gilhooly became Director of London’s Wigmore Hall in 2005, making him, then at 32, the youngest leader of any of the world’s great concert halls. As Director of Wigmore Hall, he programmes the world’s largest chamber music and vocal series. Whilst reading History and Politics at University College Dublin, John also studied singing under Veronica Dunne at the DIT Conservatoire of Music and the Leinster School of Music. From 2010-2024, he was Chairman of the Royal Philharmonic Society, one of the oldest musical societies in the world, and the organisation which presents classical music’s most prestigious honours and awards. He is Chairman of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize and sits on numerous competition panels worldwide. John has been honoured by heads of state and academic institutions. In 2022 he was awarded a CBE, in 2013 an OBE, and in 2015 was made a Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland.

John Gilhooly

Roddy Hart

Roddy Hart is an Emmy-award winning songwriter, composer and broadcaster from Glasgow. He has released a number of acclaimed albums, including his solo debut Bookmarks (featuring Kris Kristofferson) and Swithering with his band The Lonesome Fire. He is curator and musical director of the hugely popular Roaming Roots Revue for Celtic Connections — a transatlantic concert which has featured some of the best emerging talent from across the globe.

Since 2017 he has also worked in collaboration with Tommy Reilly, writing music, lyrics and score for a number of film, TV and theatre projects. Highlights include Anna And The Apocalypse (MGM/Orion), Our Ladies (Sony), Orphans (National Theatre Of Scotland), Dinosaur (BBC3/Hulu), and Steven Spielberg’s Animaniacs — for which the pair won a Daytime Emmy for Best Original Song.

Hart is also an accomplished radio and TV broadcaster, having presented The Roddy Hart Show since 2013 and The Quay Sessions since 2016 for BBC Radio Scotland.

Roddy Hart

Yvette Hopkins

As a former Military Commander, Commercial Executive, and Non-Executive Chairwoman and Board Director, Yvette Hopkins has extensive experience in leading teams and large complex organisations in multiple high-stakes environments, domains and sectors.

Yvette serves on and leads multiple boards across sectors including space (Craft Prospect), women’s enterprise (Women’s Enterprise Scotland), sustainable construction (Quick Block), and charities (Shetland Charitable Trust). As recent Chair of Court (elect) at Glasgow Caledonian University, Yvette humbly continues her lifelong pursuit of leadership excellence.
In 2023 Yvette completed a nine-month global expedition on women and leadership with the Women Emerging Non-Profit organisation and the Rockefeller Foundation to encourage, inspire, and support women in, and into, the art and science of leading.

Yvette’s degrees are in Political Science (BA), Strategy, (MS) and National Security (MA). She has been awarded numerous awards including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star Medal. She has also earned Parachutist, Air assault, and Combat Action badges.

Yvette leads a not-so-quiet life in the Shetland Islands.

Yvette Hopkins

Colin Liddell, WS

Colin Liddell was educated at Balliol College Oxford and Edinburgh University, is a retired solicitor, and was the first solicitor in Scotland to be accredited as a specialist in Charity Law. He has been Chair and/or Trustee of a number of charities, including being former Chair of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, former Convenor of Scottish Grantmakers, former Trustee of Foundation Scotland, and current Trustee of Dunard Fund, the Royal High School Preservation Trust, and Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust. He is Patron of Pitlochry Highland Games and previously the Games commentator for 35 years. He is also Patron of the Pitlochry & Moulin History Society, author of ‘Pitlochry – A History’ and co-author of ‘A Practical Guide to Charity Law in Scotland’.

Colin Liddell, WS

Donald MacDonald, CBE

Donald MacDonald CBE has 45 years’ experience in corporate finance and investing in and founding a wide range of businesses. Both he and his wife Louise have been dedicated supporters of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra – Donald serving on both boards and having been Chair (now Life President) of the Orchestra for over 25 years. Donald and Louise were joint founders of The East Neuk Festival in 2005 and also recipients of the Prince of Wales Medal for Arts Philanthropy in 2009.

Donald MacDonald, CBE

Shonaig Macpherson, CBE FRSE

Shonaig Macpherson’s executive career was spent in one of the UK’s largest law firms where she advised clients whose core assets were intellectual property and was on retirement Senior Partner.

Over the last 20 years she has worked across the private, public and third sectors as Chair, Trustee and Non-Executive Director. An advocate for the transformative power of culture, Shonaig has significant experience in the heritage, arts and culture sector, where she has focused on delivering strategic change including as Chair of The National Trust for Scotland and The Royal Lyceum Theatre, as Vice Chair of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and as a trustee of Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Dunedin Consort.

She currently chairs Euan’s Guide, the Edinburgh International Culture Summit Foundation and The Birks Cinema Trust. Shonaig was awarded a CBE in 2005 in service to Scotland.

Shonaig Macpherson, CBE FRSE

Professor Dorothy Miell, OBE

Professor Dorothy Miell is Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at The University of Edinburgh where she has responsibility for the support of Education, Research, External Relations and Estate developments for more than 20,000 students and 4,000 staff. Dorothy is by background a Social Psychologist, working on relationships and communication and especially how these are involved in the process of collaborative working across disciplines. She specialises in how different groups work together on creative projects such as composing and performing music. Dorothy became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2015. She is a member of the Board of Governors of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and convenor of their Fair Access Committee, is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Scottish Opera and served as President of the British Psychological Society where she remains a Fellow. She was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to higher education and psychology.

Professor Dorothy Miell, OBE

Louise Mitchell

Louise Mitchell was appointed in 2011 as Chief Executive of the Bristol Music Trust, an independent charitable trust set up that year to drive forward music in Bristol and to help secure a sustainable future for Bristol Beacon. Previously, Louise was the first Director of Glasgow UNESCO City of Music, a position taken up after being at the head of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for 13 years where she spearheaded the regeneration of two of Glasgow’s most revered venues: the City Halls and the Old Fruitmarket. Louise is Chair of National Children’s Orchestras, a Trustee of the British Paraorchestra, A South West Regional Council Member for Arts Council England; and also a past Board Member of International Society for Performing Arts and the Association of British Orchestras. In 2017 Louise was awarded the Patrick Hayes Award by the International Society for Performing Arts, recognising exceptional transformative leadership in the performing arts.

Louise Mitchell

James Naughtie, FRSE

James Naughtie, special correspondent and books editor for BBC news, has presented arts programmes for radio and television for many years, including the Proms and opera for BBC Radio 3. He is the author of The Making of Music, based on a 60-part history of classical music for Radio 4, and a columnist for BBC Music Magazine. He was a presenter of Today on Radio 4 for 21 years, is Chancellor of the University of Stirling, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

James Naughtie, FRSE

Katherine Peskett

Katherine Peskett has extensive experience in public policy and leadership development. She is a Director in the Scottish Government, currently leading its response to the UK and Scottish Covid-19 Inquiries, having previously worked as Director for Lifelong Learning and Skills (2021-24)  with policy responsibility for Scotland’s universities, colleges and skills system. She works as part of a job-share. 

Before joining the Scottish Government in 2015, Katherine’s early career was spent in Whitehall and Brussels, with three years working for Tony Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative. Katherine is also a qualified Executive Coach.  She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring, a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA(Hons) in History from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. 

She lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three young daughters, and sings with Edinburgh’s Calton Consort. 

Katherine Peskett

Gavin Reid

Professor Michael Thorne CBE has always combined his academic life with music: playing, teaching and conducting. He has led a number of successful university, college, school and economic-development inspired new building projects and is a former Vice Principal of Edinburgh Napier University and Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University. Mike has served on the boards of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra and a number of theatres, on the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the Scottish University for Industry. As a board member of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and chair of its Planning Committee Mike has experience of working with property developers and local authorities. He is a member of the board of the Royal High School Preservation Trust in Edinburgh.

Professor Michael Thorne, CBE

Our Trustees

OUR KEY FUNDERS