Board Members

Dr Ken Thomson, OBE FIoD DL

Ken is Chair of the College Development Network (CDN) and prior to retirement was a member of the Colleges Scotland Principals Group (CPG) with lead responsibility for Digital Ambition and School College Partnerships. He was a member of the Scottish Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Board and an independent member of the Hayward Review into Qualifications and Assessment which was published in Spring 2023.

In addition to his role at CDN, he is a Board member of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Chairs the SQA Qualifications Committee, a member of the SQA/QS Transition Board and is a member of the Audit Committee. In May 2025, Ken became a Board member of the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). Ken has been a Board member of HES and on the Board of Trustees for Jisc, both roles held from 2014 to January 2021. Ken is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and was awarded Regional IoD Director of the Year in 2020 and in 2021 received a special IoD honorary award for Leadership in Learning. He continues to work with IoD Scotland as the National Ambassador for Education and Skills.

Julia Belgutay

Julia Belgutay is Head of Comms, Media, Marketing and Research, at the Association of Colleges. Prior to joining AoC in 2021, Julia was a journalist for over 20 years, starting off in general news and specialising in further education and skills for the last decade at the Tes and Tes Scotland. In her time, she won a number of education journalism awards for her investigations around the work of colleges and training providers.

Born and raised in Germany, Julia came to Scotland to attend St Andrews University in 2003, before gaining a Masters in Journalism Studies at the Scottish Centre for Journalism Studies in 2008 and then moving into a junior reporter role at the Sunday Times, Scotland.

Louise Burnett

Louise Burnett is the Director of Business Performance at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and a trustee on the Board of the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland. A Fellow of the Institute of Leadership, she recently became a Chartered Member of the CIPD through her work at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Louise has a strong background in Finance, HR, and Governance. She graduated from the University of Stirling and began her career at Forth Valley College, where she spent 14 years working in Finance and Student Funding.

In her current role, Louise oversees several key areas, including Finance, HR, IT, Cyber Security, and Estates. She is passionate about supporting people, whether by fostering a positive work environment or focusing on learning and development. In addition to her professional commitments, Louise is Lead Volunteer for Clackmannanshire District Scouts, in this role she provides leadership and guidance to adult volunteers to deliver quality scouting experiences for young people.

Susan Elston

Susan Elston, an MBA graduate, was born in Middlesbrough and located to Aberdeen in 1999 for a career in oil and gas operations, reaching the position of Senior Vice President responsible for Operations in the North Sea and Global HSE Lead for Offshore and Marine.

An experienced board member she is currently Chair of the Regional Board of NESCol, a Board Trustee of Robert Gordon University (RGU), with prior board roles including the Board of Oil & Gas UK (now OEUK), Chair of Foyer Aberdeen, Scottish Business in the Community (SBC) and Trustee of Hardship Committee of Oil & Gas UK Chaplaincy.

Susan is a recipient of the Institute of Directors Scottish Female Director of the Year Award and Grampian Director of the Year, and has received numerous awards for safety, including the British Safety Council Sword of Honour and consecutive RoSPA Sector Awards.

Jen Henderson

Jen Henderson is an innovative and engaging leader with extensive experience in strategic leadership and management within post-16 education and skills development. She excels in developing and implementing new strategies, building talented teams, and forging partnerships to enhance services, improve outcomes, and grow revenues.

Currently, she is the Head of Talent Partnerships (B2B) at Heriot-Watt University, where she directs industry partnerships for Graduate Apprenticeships and work-based learning. Previously, she managed the Developing the Young Workforce Programme at Forth Valley College, creating over 600 business-education partnerships, positively influencing curriculum delivery and contributing to Scottish Government policy direction.

Jen’s earlier roles include Sport & Physical Activity Manager at Fife Council and Sports Development Manager at West Lothian Council, where she led the development of sports and physical activity programmes, tackling challenges such as health inequalities and improving community well-being.

Marie Hendry

Hi, I’m Marie and I have the honour and privilege of being the Chief Executive of CDN.

I’m passionate about the life-changing power of education as an enabler of social mobility and the ability of lifelong learning and skills development to support people, communities and the economy.  Having originally trained as a lawyer, my career path has taken me through financial services to social housing, support of the homeless and financial inclusion and into the Higher and Further education sector where I’ve worked at a senior level for nearly 15 years. It’s a real privilege to now work with the team at CDN and with colleagues across the sector to support the improvement and enhancement of colleges, the development of their people and boards and to work in partnership with likeminded organisations to bring best-practice to life.

I’m a member of a number of Boards across Education and International Development. Outside of work, I’m always up for a bit of karaoke and I occasionally write for a live music blogging site. I also take the opportunity to do my best Maid Marian impression by being part of an Archery club (and yes, my bow is pink!)

Stella McManus

Stella McManus is Principal and Chief Executive of South Lanarkshire College. She has worked in the further education sectors across Scotland and England for over 18 years.

Stella is passionate about lifelong learning and the transformational change that education can have on the lives of people at any age and from any background. Stella joined South Lanarkshire College as Depute Principal, before being appointed to Principal and Chief Executive in April 2023.

Stella began her further education career in 2005, having previously lived and worked in Italy teaching English language. She is a fully qualified teacher and language specialist with a broad set of classroom practitioner and management skills gained from over 18 years’ experience in a range of educational settings.

Her academic background is in the field of linguistics, having completed a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics at King’s College, London.

Colin McMurray

Colin McMurray FIMarEST is Vice Principal of Business and Innovation at Forth Valley College, where he leads commercial growth, apprenticeships, and strategic innovation. His career began with BP Shipping as a Deck Cadet, progressing to Chief Officer and Fleet Training Officer with Fast Ferries before moving ashore. As Managing Director of Clyde Marine Training from 2008, he expanded operations and later steered The Clyde Group through its successful acquisition by Northern Marine Group. He went on to lead Stream Marine Training as Group Managing Director, delivering transformation and growth during the pandemic. Colin has held senior governance roles, including Board Member and Audit Chair at City of Glasgow College during its creation and £224m campus project, and Vice Chair of Hamilton College. A Commissioner for the UK Maritime Skills Commission, he also contributes to Transport Scotland’s Net Zero Skills agenda. He is a Fellow of IMarEST, Younger Brother of Trinity House, and an experienced Non-Executive Director across education, industry, and innovation.

Jason Miles-Campbell

Jason Miles-Campbell, Jisc’s Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland, works to ensure Jisc’s support for colleges and universities meets national needs, and reflects the particular national contexts in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. He has 10 years of experience engaging with Scotland’s colleges around digital infrastructure and services (such as the superfast Janet Network), sector-wide digital licensing savings, and the provision of expert and trusted advice on digital, data and technology.

With a background in law, Jason’s passion for digitally enhanced education began as a lecturer in law, and the enthusiastic adoption of technology whilst rising to be law division leader at Abertay University. That interest led him to become service manager at Jisc Legal, assisting colleges and universities across the UK to understand and overcome legal barriers to making the most of digital. Re-organisation of Jisc in 2015 allowed him the opportunity to step up as Jisc’s lead in Scotland and Northern Ireland, progressing through head and deputy director roles to his present post as director.

Nicola Mulholland

Nicola Mulholland is a senior education leader with a distinguished career in further and higher education. Currently serving as Dean for the Undergraduate School and Academic Partnerships at New College Lanarkshire, Nicola brings extensive experience in strategic leadership, curriculum innovation, and partnership development across the education sector.

Nicola has been instrumental in establishing Scotland’s first college-based Undergraduate School, developing over a dozen degree programmes in collaboration with the University of the West of Scotland. This initiative significantly expanded access to higher education and contributed over £1 million in new income for the college. Her leadership has also shaped national and regional skills agendas, especially through the development of Foundation Apprenticeships and school-college pathways aligned with labour market needs.

With a background in English education and qualifications in Educational Leadership, Nicola has held a variety of senior roles, including Head of Faculty and Curriculum Leader, and has contributed to national forums including QAA Scotland’s STEP programme and Education Scotland working groups. A passionate advocate for inclusive, student-centred education, she continues to influence policy and practice through her work with external agencies, industry partners, and educational institutions across Scotland.

Sam Stirling

I’m Sam Stirling, Digital Services Manager at Dundee and Angus College. I lead the strategic development and delivery of our digital infrastructure, services, and innovation across the institution. With over 20 years of experience in eLearning, digital transformation, and user-focused service design, I’m passionate about building technology ecosystems that support excellence in learning, teaching, and administration. My focus is on driving innovation while ensuring our systems are secure, scalable, and aligned with the needs of our college community.

I hold a Geography degree from the University of Edinburgh and a TQFE from the University of Dundee. I’m proud to be a Chartered Manager, a designation I partly achieved through CDN’s Management and Leadership programme, and a qualified Project Manager. Outside of work, I’m married and a proud “soccer mum” to two football-loving children. When I’m not immersed in digital strategy or cheering from the sidelines, you’ll find me indulging my love for Italy and all things Italian.