We are delighted to welcome five new members to MND Scotland’s Board of Trustees.

Dave Buglass, Graham Binnie, Liz McRobb, Debbie Atkins and Myles Fitt join the charity during a period of growth and bring key skills to the Board. The group adds expertise in legal, marketing and communications, stakeholder engagement and fundraising.

Trustees help govern the charity and play an important role in setting the strategic direction, whilst providing support, guidance and constructive feedback to the Chief Executive and other Trustees.

Trustees also act as ambassadors for MND Scotland and help ensure that everyone knows about motor neurone disease (MND) and how MND Scotland can help.

See our full list of Trustees here.

Meet our new Trustees

Dave Buglass
Director, Global Learning Services, PwC

Dave has spent all his career in global corporate learning and development, building and leading successful teams. He has was also a Director for two years at Berwick Rangers FC where he helped a new board restructure and turn around their financial fortunes at the start of the pandemic.

“I’m slightly different to most of the Board Trustees in that I don’t have a MND connection within my family so my interest in the role was driven by my interest to give back to a great cause and charity using the skills and experience I have gained in my career.

“I’m keen to help MND Scotland make the next step in their journey of growth”.

Graham Binnie
Head of Mortgage Journeys & Lending Operations, RBS International

Graham has 15 years’ experience in financial services working across a range of disciplines. Most recently he worked for FreeAgent, a NatWest Group-owned accounting software business designed for small businesses. Prior to that Graham worked within Partnerships and Propositions for NatWest Business Banking.

Graham has strong commercial acumen coupled with a passion for working with both internal and external partners.

“I’ve experienced first-hand the impact MND can have on peoples’ lives. As a family, we’ve recently lost someone special to what is a terrifying and often poorly understood illness. My grandfather was fortunate to have lived a long and prosperous life, but I know that often isn’t the case for others.

“MND Scotland played a terrific role in supporting both my grandad and our family more widely to come to terms with, and subsequently deal with, his diagnosis. I’m also inspired by the research work that MND Scotland both participates in and funds.

“Now is the right time for me personally to support MND Scotland on the next steps in the journey to raise even more awareness of MND.”

Liz McRobb
Partner, Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP

Liz has 30 years’ experience as a commercial lawyer in the energy and natural resources sectors helping clients develop clean energy projects. Liz has also for some years worked in the third sector as a trustee and is keen to work with MND Scotland to learn more about the challenges facing sufferers of MND. Liz brings legal and commercial skills to the board of trustees and has a strong interest in helping to ensure that more research is carried out so that there is much greater hope available to people receiving an MND diagnosis.

“I have been lucky not to experience MND first-hand but, with a son pursuing a career as a defensive footballer, I am very interested to understand and support those dealing with the effects of MND in the sports sector.”

Debbie Atkins
Founder, Cairnwood Consulting – Building Engagement, Coaching & delivering Transformational Change

Debbie is an experienced marketing, business development, and engagement influencer and brings significant experience having successfully delivered strategic and operational marketing, communications, and brand management for a range of leading organisations over the last 20+ years, in both her executive career and in a supportive capacity in her roles on various Boards.

“Joining MND Scotland’s Board of Trustees is a tremendous honour. MND is a cause close to my heart. I lost my mother to MND in 2008. I cared for her at home virtually to the end and witnessed her physical change from an active, full of life, Gran, in her mid-70s as she battled against this cruel disease. The one thing she never lost, not even at the end, was her resilient spirit, her sense of hope, and her wonderful sense of fun.

“I am committed to doing what I can to use my skills and experience to help deliver MND Scotland’s vision: a world without MND and I look forward to supporting Rachel Maitland and her team as we embark together on a journey to make this vision a reality.”

“I am committed to doing what I can to use my skills and experience to help deliver MND Scotland’s vision: a world without MND.”

Myles Fitt
Strategic Lead for Financial Health, Citizens Advice Scotland

Myles has 25 years’ experience as a public affairs professional working in the third sector much of which involved leading the campaigning and influencing activity for various health charities to help shape better outcomes for people with health conditions. Myles is keen to bring this experience to help people and families affected by motor neurone disease and to contribute to maximising MND Scotland’s influencing with all stakeholders.

“I don’t have first-hand experience of MND although I am highly aware of its high profile as a medical condition but also that so much more needs to be done to tackle the severe challenges it poses to those affected and their families. I am delighted to be appointed to the Board of this brilliant charity and to play a part in helping MND Scotland move forward.”