Management Board
Professor Russel Griggs OBE
Professor Russel Griggs OBE started his business life in marketing in the pharmaceutical industry, and has gone on to hold senior roles across a variety of different sectors, including textiles, design, business development, banking and investment.
Russel is chair of several organisations and committees, including the Institute of Occupational Medicine, Dumfries and Galloway College, the audit committee of VisitScotland, and the Scottish Government’s independent regulatory review group in Scotland.
In 2011, he was appointed as the independent external reviewer to the five clearing banks in the UK.
Born and educated in Edinburgh, Russel has a degree from Heriot Watt University.
He is honorary professor of the University of Glasgow and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university in 2002 for services to the industry and to the university.
Russel has also been associate professor of Boston University, and a member of the board of the Business School at Georgia Southern University.
In 2008, he was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for services to Scottish industry.
Robin Caldow
Robin Caldow began his working life with Ove Arup & Partners before moving on to work on land reclamation projects in the Lothians.
This led to a career in the coal industry throughout the UK, before becoming an independent consultant advising private and public sector clients on a range of environmental and minerals issues.
He has worked on a number of major infrastructure projects, as well as the design and implementation of numerous restoration and aftercare projects on mine sites across the UK.
Robin has a degree in Civil Engineering from Aberdeen University, and a Masters in Rock Mechanics from Glasgow University, where he also gained a Diploma in Environmental Law.
Ian Howat
Ian Howat grew up on his family’s farm. After finishing school he set up an agricultural contracting business and was active in the Young Farmers’ movement – and when the opportunity to become involved in restoring opencast mines presented itself, he seized it.
Ian has worked across a number of sites in both Scotland and England, during which time he cemented his position as an expert on mine restoration with a reputation as someone who always gets the job done.
With more than four decades of experience, Ian specialised in finding creative solutions to difficult problems. This often involved designing and building specialised equipment to carry out specific tasks. He even once hired and adapted a hovercraft in order to complete one particularly difficult project.
Ian retired in 2013, at the age of 69, and continues to play an active role in his community. He runs a small farm and plant hire business and serves on his local community council, and is also a member of the board of the New Cumnock Wind Farm Trust.
Alan Doak
Alan Doak has worked in the planning, estates and development arm of the minerals sector for over 23 years. He started his career with the British Coal Opencast Executive dealing with such matters as opencast site restoration and ensuring operational compliance with planning and lease obligations.
Following five years with British Coal he then spent the next twelve years working for a variety of companies in the minerals industry with responsibility for planning, estates and environmental matters affecting the companies’ mineral interests in Scotland.
In 2007 Alan moved into consultancy joining JWH Ross & Co Ltd where he assumed responsibility for mineral planning and all mineral estate management projects for the company’s clients including for a number of land and mineral owners.
In 2012 Alan established AED Planning & Development Ltd which continues to offer its services to its land and mineral owning clients.Alan is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, a Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying.
Stuart Mckay
Stuart is Head of Fossil Fuels and Carbon-Capture-Storage in the Scottish Government.
Coming from a background of Project and Operational Management in Air- Rail and Road Freight Transport Logistics, Stuart has a Master Degree in Business Administration and spent several years working as a lecturer in Project Management, Business Policy and Operations Management.
Stuart joined the Scottish Government in 2005 to manage major rail projects. He then moved into Energy Consents where he was Branch Manager and handled major Energy applications above 50 MW capacity. Stuart then spent time as Private Secretary to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth before returning to the Scottish Government Energy Directorate as Head of Fossil Fuels and Carbon-Capture-Storage. Stuart was project manager for the Energy Skills Scotland initiative launched by the First Minister in 2013.
Fossil Fuels and CCS policy is part of the wider Oil and Gas Unit within the Scottish Government which covers the conventional Oil and Gas offshore and onshore industry and unconventional gas policy (Coal Bed Methane/ Shale Gas).
Nick Wilson
Nick Wilson began working in the mining industry in 1967 at Cardowan Colliery.
Bringing significant understanding and experience of the mining industry in Scotland, Nick became an Official of the Scottish National Union of Mineworkers in 1989 and is now National President.
Nick is also a Trustee of the Industry Wide Mineworkers Pension Scheme, Trustee of the Mining Museum of Scotland, Chair of the Scottish Coal Industry Social Welfare Fund, Vice chair of Coalfield Regeneration Trust and Chair of the Scottish Mining Convalescent Trust.