Meet the team

Born and brought up in Aberdeen, Russell came home to head up the Chamber of Commerce in 2016 after a period of more than 20 years living and working in the ‘other’ North-east…. of England. During this time, he worked on a number of key development and regeneration projects that supported the reinvention of that region’s economy.

Immediately before returning, Russell was managing partner of a global marketing agency network based in Newcastle. Prior to this he had a spell as regional managing director for Reach plc’s North-east of England newspaper and digital division after founding and growing media, research and communications agency, Press Ahead, over a ten-year period.

Chambers of Commerce sit at the heart of local business communities across the UK and beyond. Offering unrivalled expertise, networks and connections and bringing thousands of companies of every size and sector together to thrive and grow. And AGCC is the largest Chamber in Scotland and one of the most active and influential in the land.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber is known for doing and not just talking. The ‘go-to’ place when positive action is needed, acting as the voice of business, ensuring good stuff happens, delivering results and making a positive difference for the business community of our city region.

Russell also represents AGCC and its 1,200+ member companies on various Boards and development forums including Opportunity North-east, the NE Investment Zone Steering Group and the Regional Economic Partnership to help realise the aims of the Chamber and his personal passion for making North-east Scotland an even better place to live, work, study, visit, invest and do business. Creating a place we can be proud of for future generations. Achieving collectively what we could not individually.

Julie joined the Chamber in September 2015. She has held several personal/executive assistant roles at director level, predominantly in the oil and gas sector.

Julie’s role is to support the chief executive in delivering the Chamber’s objectives, facilitating meetings with key stakeholders and members to help make things happen; provides research and project support as well as ensuring the chief executive’s office is run smoothly. Additionally, Julie facilitates and records board meetings, assists the Chamber president as well as being the organisation’s HR focal point.

Sue joined the Chamber in August 2016.

She has a wealth of experience gained from a cross section of businesses in both the public and private sector. With this knowledge Sue oversees all things finance, as well as export documentation and projects, and manages our back office systems and processes. In her spare time she delivers our finance training courses, which she has done for over a decade.

Sue is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and holds an MBA from Durham University.

After working in health and fitness and office administration, Becci completed her accountancy training whilst working in the third sector. Following this she worked in practice looking after a range of clients of all sizes from a variety of sectors.

Becci now heads up the business services team who provide back-office support and ensure the smooth running of various Chamber activities, including finance, memberships, training and events.

Becci's also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Laura joined the Chamber in September 2017. Prior to this she spent 10 years in various financial roles within oil and gas and subsea engineering and has a strong track record in order to cash.

In her role as senior business services executive, Laura deals with all aspects of invoicing, AP, credit control and assists in the reconciliation of month end.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Jacqui’s career was in office/facilities management and HR management within a variety of business sectors.

In her role at the Chamber as Business Services Executive, Jacqui deals with membership data and processes as well as supporting the HR admin.

Outside her role here, Jacqui enjoys floral design, F1 and holidays in the sun.

Tracy joined the Chamber in April 2023 with 20 years of experience in retail and customer service behind her. Her main duty is finance but she also helps out her team members within the workforce.

Outside of work, she likes nothing more than making memories with her friends, family and mostly her dog.

Nicola joined the Chamber in May 2024 and has over 15 years of finance experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining the Chamber she spent three years as a barista at Trellis Coffee Shop.

Outside of work, she likes to spend time paddleboarding at the beach with her daughter and dog.

Jason joined the Chamber in 2023 and is a key contact to support Chamber members in their growth and maximising their membership.

A multi-award-winning marketer and specialist in e-commerce, Jason has over 14 years of experience working in the travel and F&B industries for local and national companies.

He is a proud advocate of Aberdeen City and Shire and is passionate about supporting the area and its businesses.

As a Relationship Manager, he works with a portfolio of member companies to understand their specific needs and advise on solutions to drive performance.

Pauline graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1999 with a BA (Hons) in Business and Information Management.

She has business experience spanning several industries and sectors in the North-east and Glasgow.

Pauline worked as a sales executive for Yellow Pages and latterly as a sales manager at Yell before joining the Chamber in July 2021. Pauline joined as a ChamberCustoms executive and moved to the role of relationship manager in October 2021.

Scott joined the Chamber in January 2020 as a membership network manager and is the key contact for the Chamber’s property, transport, culture, creative, tourism, retail and food and drink members. He works to ensure members maximise their membership.

Having studied BA publishing media in Edinburgh and spending a two-year period teaching English in Thailand, his experience spans several years working within the service industry before moving into B2B at Aberdeen Journals in 2009. More recently, Scott has account managed a number of clients operating in the oil and gas industry.

Suzanne started her career in retail management before moving across to the media world selling multi-media campaigns across all sectors for over 30 years. She has worked in the energy sector and also on the Press & Journal and Evening Expresses Business Club, supporting SME companies across all sectors.

Suzanne was one of the driving forces that helped to launch and grow Energy Voice and worked on many projects and campaigns to support our region.

After leaving Aberdeen Journals during lockdown, Suzanne joined OGV Energy to help build their energy community and support businesses.

Suzanne joined the Chamber in July 2021 as a Relationship Manager.

* Currently on maternity leave *

Katie joined AGCC in September 2019. After studying Events Management, Katie worked in Hospitality for over 10 years, before moving into Sales roles in various industries.

She enjoys travelling and spending time with her family & friends.

As part of her role as Relationship Manager, Katie works to encourage her members make the most of their membership.

Lesley has many years of experience in financial services having worked in the banking industry for almost 30 years followed by business development roles in accounting, innovation, and legal sectors.

Lesley loves helping people and is delighted to have taken up the role of Relationship manager to allow her to do this.

Outside of work, her main passion is her family and travel and has been to many far-flung places across the world.

She is looking forward to helping our members in any way she can.

Katie joined the Chamber in September 2023 as a Business Services Executive after graduating with an MA (Hons) degree in Politics and International Relations. She transitioned to the Commercial Team as a Relationship Executive in July 2024.

Outside of the office, Katie enjoys attending the gym and yoga classes.

Kirsty began her career as a Recruiter in the Energy Sector and later transitioned into a Relationship Manager role at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Her primary focus is on supporting our member organisations to raise their brand awareness.

Outside work, Kirsty enjoys spending time outdoors and reading.

Starting her sales career in retail, Dianne quickly realised that this was her calling. Quickly progressing to a Regional Trainer and Account Manager for companies such as Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior.

Using her honed skills, Dianne has for the last 30 years worked as a Business Development Manager, working with and leading teams developing regional and international business opportunities across all industry sectors.

A keen supporter of many charities, Dianne was instrumental in the partnership between NSPCC and ADT Fire & Security. Joining the Chamber allows Dianne to continue her passion for developing strong customer relationships, where customers feel valued, part of a partnership and on the journey together for future economic growth.

Outside of work Dianne and her family enjoy travel, boogie boarding and cat sitting!

Ryan joined AGCC in 2021 after seven years supporting the UK expansion of a leading Scottish law firm.

He is responsible for promoting the Chamber’s full suite of activities and developing new ways to communicate these to its 1,000+ members and the wider regional business community. He also leads on the vital policy, lobbying and campaign work the Chamber does on behalf of members.

Ryan is a co-founder and director of Sovereign Grooming, the luxury barbering brand with city centre salons in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Prior to his move into business, he enjoyed a successful, decade-long media career, holding the positions of chief reporter and latterly business editor at The Press & Journal. He was named Young Journalist of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards in 2009 and Business Journalist of the Year in 2014.

He has also been a director and board member at Aberdeen Inspired since 2018 and was elected as the organisation’s vice-chairman in the summer of 2021.

Andrew is a graphic designer with a Higher National Diploma in Visual Communication. He has extensive experience in all areas of graphic design including branding, merchandising, print production, digital design and online marketing strategy.

Before joining the Chamber in March 2019, Andrew ran a successful print and design company working with a number of businesses and start-ups from across the country.

Cody joined the Chamber in August 2021 having graduated from Robert Gordon University in July 2020 with BA (Hons) in Management with Marketing.

Prior to the Chamber, Cody worked at Shell as an external relations assistant.

Anna graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2009 with a BSc in Sports and Exercise Science before spending nine years at Aberdeen Sports Village in various roles including coaching, operations, administration and sports development.

Anna joined the Chamber in April 2021 as part of the new business services team and has worked her way up to becoming senior events executive in July 2022.

Rebecca joined the Chamber in March 2024 after graduating from Robert Gordon university in 2023, with a BA (Hons) degree in Journalism.

Throughout university, Rebecca worked with many local businesses writing content for their print and digital platforms and began building her editorial experience. Prior to joining the Chamber, Rebecca completed a marketing internship at AIS Survivex.

Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys walking her dog, travelling and spending time with her family and friends.

Amy joined the Chamber in April 2024 whilst finalising the final year of her Digital Marketing BA (hons) degree at RGU.

Amy has over a decade of experience within the finance industry but made the decision to return to education in 2020 to carve out a creative career.

Throughout her degree, she worked alongside multiple local businesses managing their social media platforms, creating content and engaging copy to promote their services online.

Heather graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2009 with an MA(Hons) in Economics.

She then spent five years working in the third sector organising a range of fundraising events including biathlons, white water rafting, abseils and driving challenges. Following that, Heather moved into politics and for the last seven years has worked for a high-profile local MSP, running the office for the last five, dealing with policy and handling the casework.

Danny joined the Chamber in October 2024 after close to a decade at the Evening Express and Press and Journal, predominantly as a court reporter. Prior to that, while studying for a journalism degree at RGU, he gained experience in numerous forms of reporting with Youth Football Scotland and Realtime Sportscast.

He brings a wealth of journalistic experience to the team as well as strong writing skills and is a fierce advocate for grammatical accuracy.

Outside of the office, Danny runs a Dons supporters club and enjoys financially supporting local licenced premises.

Fergus works with the Chamber as a Policy Adviser to ensure the region’s business voices are heard at the highest levels of government.

In recent years, the Chamber has spoken up loudly on behalf of business, pointing out the damaging impact on many companies of public health policies.

As we emerge from the pandemic period, it’s vital that we return to a position where we can help to design good policy rather than calling out bad. Fergus will provide a crucial bridge for that work

Between 2015 and 2020, Fergus was the SNP’s Head of Communications and Research during an intense political period covering five elections and the Brexit referendum.

He was brought up in Old Aberdeen and went on to study law at the University of Glasgow and University College London.

Lorraine previously worked in the finance sector covering various roles over a 20 year period.

Lorraine joined the Chamber in 2007 and is the international trade documentation manager. Her role at the Chamber is to make the export documentation process as straightforward as possible for exporters.

Erica joins the Chamber after 12 years at Baker Hughes. Erica began her career at Baker Hughes as a contractor IT buyer, following this she transferred to the role of logistics specialist before leaving the firm in 2023.

Norma is an international documentation executive responsible for certifying various documents for the international business department.

After 20 years working at BT in customer service Norma joined the Chamber in 2011, bringing her extensive knowledge and experience with her.

Vicky joined the Chamber in October 2020 as part of the growing ChamberCustoms team.

Prior to this she held a variety of roles within the oil and gas industry with Baker Hughes before moving into customer service at BT.

Sarah transferred from Aberdeen Football Club to the Chamber in January 2024, taking on the Research and Insights Manager role.

Previously a chartered marketeer, Sarah has over 16 years’ experience in both private and third-sector organisations across marketing, communications and commercial roles.

Passionate about making a difference and fostering win-win collaborations, Sarah is looking forward to investing in the growth and success of Aberdeen and surrounding areas.

As Research and Insights Manager, Sarah is keen to support local businesses to leverage the power of data for their own organisations and communities; whether that’s to grow sales, refine communications, monitor operations, work towards sustainable practices…

Self-proclaimed geek and coffee addict, outside of work Sarah is kept busy with two girls, three cats and a dog at home!

Samira is an accomplished and results-focused business and market analyst with over 10-years proven experience in data collection, situation analysis and desk research. She holds a Bachelor of Economics, Business Economics from the University of Tehran and achieved her Master of Science in International Business and Trade in June 2011 from Gothenburg Business School of Sweden. In August 2013, she attended the Asia-Pacific Leadership Program Fellowship at East-West Centre of Hawaii where she has learned advanced and interdisciplinary analysis of emergent regional issues in Asia with experiential leadership training.

Samira was involved in several research projects since 2004 when she was student as well as being appointed as business analyst and marketing and brand manager at Solico Group back in Iran. She moved to Scotland in 2016 and has spent the last five years working on various business and marketing contracts.

Former chair of Scottish Enterprise and chief executive officer of Wood plc, Bob completed the $1bn sale of PSN to Wood in April 2011. He was also responsible for the creation of PSN by manufacturing a $280m management buyout from Halliburton in 2006. He has a Master of Engineering degree from Herriot-Watt University and is a chartered engineer.

Previously chairman of the Offshore Contracting Association (OCA) and co-chair of the cross-industry trade body OGUK, Bob is also a former chairman of the Entrepreneurial Exchange and he was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 and 2008; as well as being named Scottish Businessman of the Year 2007 and Grampian Industrialist of the Year in 2008.

In 2011 Bob was voted Scottish Male Business Leader of the Year at the Scottish Leadership Awards. In addition to other activities he currently spends four days a week, unpaid, providing mentoring and support to help entrepreneurs, charities, social enterprises and businesses to grow.

Jill has over 35 years' experience as director of SME's as well as experience as provost of Aberdeenshire Council with its half a billion pound budget. She believes that her many connections through her public and corporate activities will be an enormous asset to the Chamber board.

Derren joined commercial property asvisers CBRE in July 2009 and was appointed managing director of the Aberdeen office in 2021.

Educated at the University of Aberdeen, Derren originally joined FG Burnett as a graduate then spent seven years working in Glasgow with Culverwell before returning to Aberdeen to take up his current position.

Derren is also a director of Aberdeen Inspired and is looking forward to exploring initiatives to promote the positive aspects of the area to help encourage future investment.

A biotechnologist with two decades of expeirence in the field of anti-infectives research and drug development, Deborah studied immunology at University College London before working in internationally acclaimed laboratories in San Diego and Ghent.

Moving to Aberdeen in 2004, she founded NovaBiotics and has grown the business into a leading global biotechnology company.

Deborah is editor at the European Biopharmaceutical Review and International Pharmaceutical Technology, a member of the Scottish Life Science Industry Leadership Group and sits on the Advisory Board of the Scottish Life Sciences Association as well as a member of the Life Sciences Board of ONE and a proud trustee of Crohn's in Childhoods Research Association.

Leah is Director of Marketing and Communications for Aberdeen Performing Arts, an award-winning independent charity and one of the largest arts organisations in Scotland, responsible for His Majesty’s Theatre, the Music Hall and the Lemon Tree, city-centre festivals and an extensive community engagement programme.

Leah is Vice Chair of VisitAberdeenshire and Non-executive Director of Arts & Business Scotland, and has worked in strategic roles across sectors in policy, brand management, marketing and communications for national brands and campaigns including Scottish and local government, Zero Waste Scotland, Recycle for Scotland, Resource Efficient Scotland and Love Food Hate Waste. She is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, Ontario College of Art & Design and University of Stirling.

Leah is an advocate for the Chamber and the North-east and all it has to offer.

Steven graduated from RGU in 2001 and trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in Aberdeen, qualifying in 2004. With a passion for enterprise and entrepreneurship, Steven has led start ups in Property, Recruitment and Finance as well as having key roles in long established international companies.

A dedicated champion of small business as well as the North East of Scotland as a place to live, work and do business, Steven has been a long term member of the Chamber and is delighted to support the development of the region through membership of the policy chamber.