Fiona McQueen

Fiona was appointed as Chair of Ayrshire College effective 1 November 2022 following a search and nominations process by the Scottish Government Public Appointments Team.  Fiona has been a non-executive board member of the College since 2018 and has held the role of Vice-Chair of the Board of Management and Chair of the Learning, Teaching and Quality Committee and the Performance Review and Remuneration Committee.   

Fiona's career spans three decades of executive public sector leadership, primarily across the health system and latterly within the Civil Service. She was appointed as an Executive Nurse Director in 1993 and has held a variety of roles, including the Chief Nursing Officer for the Scottish Government. Fiona was awarded a CBE for services to the NHS in June 2021. 

Angela is the Principal & Chief Executive of Ayrshire College with over 26 years of experience in the further and higher education sector in Scotland and England. Angela started her career in the Leisure & Tourism Sector after studying an HND at the then College of Commerce of Glasgow. Angela went on to achieve a BA Hons Degree in Post Compulsory Education from Southampton University, Post Graduate Leadership Certificate from the University of Warwick and an MBA from the Open University.  With a passion for providing life changing opportunities through education and equipping people with the skills and knowledge to be global citizens, Angela is committed to creating a fairer and more inclusive society.   Angela has held a number of senior leadership roles which have included responsibility for curriculum delivery and quality improvement. In her current and previous roles, Angela has led a number of large and small scale innovation projects, which have enabled the transformation of the organisations she has led and worked with, including employers and communities. in previous roles Angela has been instrumental in developing and leading economic and growth deal projects in skills and innovation. Angela is currently a board member of Interface, College Development Network and college principal representative for Climate Emergency and Innovation. 

Originally from Girvan, Steven qualified with an Honours Degree in Accounting and Finance at Glasgow University before embarking on a global career with the Weir Group PLC.  Steven is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the University of Strathclyde and was recently appointed as a non-executive director for NHS Golden Jubilee.

Steven is a strong believer in the provision of educational opportunities as a means of tackling regional economic depression and social deprivation.  He believes in the need to work in tandem with employers and other stakeholders in identifying employment opportunities and curriculum developments designed to match the needs of the employers.  Steven is strongly supportive of the provision of modern apprenticeships and the role they can play in developing the economy of Ayrshire.

Mike is currently Director of Maintenance at Chevron Aircraft Maintenance Ltd based at Prestwick Airport and brings much sought after aviation and aerospace engineering knowledge and skills to the Board of Management. Aircraft engineering and airframe maintenance engineering has seen continued growth in South Ayrshire in recent years and has a significant presence at Prestwick Airport.

Despite the temporary global challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry is again undergoing a major period of growth.  Recognising the current challenges caused by the global skills shortage, Mike is committed to the training and development of the young workforce and apprenticeship programmes in Ayrshire, whether it be for the aviation/aerospace industry or for other employers seeking a skilled workforce. Mike recently became Vice Chair of Developing Young Workforce (DYW) Ayrshire, demonstrating this commitment to the training and developing of the local young workforce.

Norman is the Chair and CEO of Leonardo UK and in this position he is responsible for the growth and development of the business across the Electronics, Helicopters and Cyber domains. Norman was previously Managing Director of Leonardo Electronics Division, a post he assumed on the formation of the division in February 2019 and during which he led an international team based in the UK, Italy and the USA.

Norman is co-chair of the Defence Suppliers Forum alongside DE&S and is a member of the Defence Growth Partnership Steering Committee and former Chairman of SBAC (now ADS) Scotland. He is also the Co-Chair of the Committee looking at encouraging Young People into Engineering, under the Sponsorship of The Prince's Trust.

Tim Chan was elected to the position of Student Vice President at Ayrshire College by the student body during the 2023 elections.

As a recently graduated HND Music Student at Ayr College, Tim has experienced and learned from the most creative courses of Ayrshire College.  As Vice Student President, he wishes to amplify student ambition, bringing forth opportunities for students to display their abilities, to improve and compete against each other in creative, physical and communal bouts. This allows students to hone themselves not just educationally, but allow for collaboration, creating a true community and a healthy ecosystem. 

Since the start of 2023, Tim has taught piano and learned how students of different ages and temperance react to catered teaching. It was evident here that the student’s drive was the largest contributing factor to their overall enjoyment and learning pace.  

Linda Corbett was elected to the position of Student President at Ayrshire College by the student body during the 2023 elections.

Linda’s career background has largely been around advice and support for people including having been a store manager for Holland and Barrett where she offered advice to customers. Linda was then a specialist adviser and project worker with Citizens Advice where she engaged with local consumers offering advice and support for energy and fuel issues, whilst also delivering a wide variety of fuel poverty related projects. In addition, Linda’s role involved evidencing larger issues facing consumers and liaising with external key stakeholders such as power suppliers, local authorities, and government departments, to improve outcomes for consumers.

More recently, Linda completed her level 5 Introduction to Film & Broadcasting at Ayrshire College during AY2022/23 as a mature student. During this time, she was a class ambassador, the first ever student presenter for the Colleges’ own radio station, Essential Radio, and was part of the student editorial team for the award winning Rockpool Podcasts.

As Linda has experience and passion for representation and advocacy, she will assist the Board with understanding the student experience, ensuring that the student voice is heard and understood, and that student needs are taken into consideration as part of College policy development and decision making.

In addition, Linda is looking forward to working with the College to ensure that the student experience is enriched and supportive. She is also keen to see students have opportunities to engage with the College beyond their day-to-day course activities, which is in recognition of the positive impact that the College experience can have on students including for their social life, self-development, and mental wellbeing.

Position: Non-Executive Board Member

Faroque is senior police officer within Police Scotland and brings a wealth of experience. He served 8 years as a constable, including secondments to the British Transport Police in London after the 7/7 bombings, and as a Police Advisor to the Immigration Service at the Home Office. He was attached to the Specialist Crime Division rising to the rank of Detective Superintendent, Head of Border Policing Command. He was seconded to the National Crime Agency working within police forces across the country, academia and industry to address the digital skills gap within UK law enforcement. He later became Chief Superintendent, taking on the role of Divisional Commander leading Ayrshire Police Division from 2020.

In 2023 Faroque was promoted to Temporary Assistant Chief Constable for Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing.

He is a devoted advocate for community engagement and inclusivity. 

 Lisa has been a member of staff at Ayrshire College, within Estates and Sustainability, since 2004 and brings a strong knowledge of College service and support functions to the Board. Lisa has gained qualifications in Construction Management and Facilities Management and has recently been selected for the Aspire Leaders Programme.   Through this programme and through her role on the Board, Lisa is looking forward to extending her experience and knowledge. 

Lisa has a keen interest in the economic and social well-being requirements of Ayrshire and is committed to the values of the College, the future direction of the College and looks forward to her journey as a Member of the Board of Management.

Janette has been a Lecturer of Social Science with Ayrshire College since 2004 and was promoted to Curriculum Manager in 2021. She has active interests in digital technology and is currently working with her curriculum teams to utilise this for engaging learning and teaching and pedagogy. Janette is involved in developing curriculum change to meet the needs of social and economic demand and change and is working with her team to offer an environmental sustainability course in future. Janette continues to enjoy the knowledge, development and experience gained from being a Board member.

 With an honours degree in Health and Social Care and as a registered nurse, Sharon returned to formal education during her career and studied dental nursing.  Later in her career, she studied full time to complete a Masters in Business Administration in 2018.  Sharon was a trainer for the NHS Education for Scotland Practice Manager course and she supported the Modern Apprenticeship programme.

Following the sale as Co-owner, Managing and Operations Director with Three Towns and Kilwinning Dental Care, Sharon established 'Tomorrow Services Ltd’ providing training, mentoring, inspection and consultancy services. 

Sharon believes her experiences, skills and knowledge working with small to medium enterprises will prove valuable as a Board Member.  Sharon is fully committed to supporting the College and has always promoted continuing education, training and development to support career aspirations.

Gillian is a solicitor, having specialised in commercial litigation upon qualifying in 2009.  Throughout her time in private practice, Gillian has acted for a number of educational institutions and public sector bodies and is currently a Director at Anderson Strathern.

As Clerk to the Board of Management of Glasgow Clyde College from 2016 until 2019, Gillian gained an in-depth knowledge of the college sector and the importance of good governance. Gillian recognises the importance of open, transparent and accountable decision-making and is an advocate of the professional standards which require to be upheld at board level.

Committed to improving the opportunities for those within deprived areas, Gillian is especially interested in the Ayrshire community and understands the vital role that Colleges play in creating opportunities within a local community for both students and employers.

Gordon started his career in the construction industry aged 16, training as a joiner and gaining an HNC in Construction Management at the then Ayr Technical College.  Gordon worked for 15 years in the private sector, progressing to Projects and Contracts Manager. On returning to education, he completed a BSc in Construction Management before moving onto Estate Management with the NHS.

Gordon joined The Prince’s Foundation in 2015 and is currently Executive Director where he oversees all operational aspects of the organisation’s activities including.  Based at Dumfries House in Cumnock, Gordon is a strong advocate for providing and promoting education, support and employment opportunities for young people and local communities through the work of The Princes Foundation.

Graduating with a Degree in English Literature and Economic and Social History, and also achieving a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership, Alison began her early teaching career as an English Teacher in Glasgow and has been a member of the General Teaching Council since 1999. Since then, Alison was Head Teacher at Dumfries High School and laterally of Irvine Royal Academy in North Ayrshire. Whilst in post at Irvine, Alison became familiar with the work of Ayrshire College as a result of the College’s partnership with North Ayrshire Council (NAC).

Alison believes this innovative partnership between the College and NAC has significantly benefited many young people and she has been inspired by the College’s vision and strategic objectives.  Alison’s strong desire to make a difference and ensure the best outcomes for children and young people led her to her present job as Head of Service for Children, Families and Justice Services at NAC.

An Ayrshire native, Matthew is an Incorporated Engineer with the Institute of Engineering and Technology and a Chartered Manager. Following his graduation from the University of Strathclyde with a joint Honours Degree in Computer Science and Accountancy, Matthew joined Glasgow Prestwick Airport where he held several roles culminating in appointment as Head of Department for Engineering and Capital Projects. 

Matthew is currently Head of Aerodrome Operations at Glasgow Airport leading Airside Operations, Airport Engineering and Rescue and Fire Fighting Service. 

The opportunity to bring his technical knowledge and experience to the Board to understand and shape the best ways in which technology can be used operationally in a learning environment and in improving the student experience is his current focus.