The Council of the Cockburn Association

The Cockburn Council is elected by the membership of the Association at the Annual General Meeting.  The Council is the governing board of the Cockburn Association (The Edinburgh Civic Trust).

PRESIDENT

Sir Sandy Crombie

Sir Sandy Crombie became President of the Cockburn Association in October 2009.

After joining Standard Life as a trainee actuary, Sir Sandy was appointed Chief Executive of Standard Life Investments when it was launched in 1998 and appointed group Chief Executive in 2004.

Sir Sandy retired from Standard Life in 2009 and is now an independent Director at the Royal Bank of Scotland. He has recently been appointed as the first Chairman of Creative Scotland, the new Scottish government arts body. Sir Sandy is also Chairman of the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He received a knighthood for services to insurance in the 2009 New Year Honours.

CHAIRMAN

The Hon Lord Brodie (Philip Hope Brodie)

Lord Brodie was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court in 2002. Since 2006 he has been the Chairman of the Judicial Studies Committee for Scotland. This is the body responsible for the education and training of the Scottish Judiciary.

Lord Brodie is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh (LL.B) and the University of Virginia (LL.M). He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1976 and was Standing Junior Counsel to the Ministry of Defence and to the Health and Safety at Work Executive from 1983 to 1987.

From 1985 to 1996 Lord Brodie served as part-time member of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1987 and was called to the English Bar (Lincoln's Inn) in 1991.

He served as part-time Chairman of Industrial Tribunals from 1987 to 1991 and part-time Chairman of Medical Appeal Tribunals from 1991 to 1996. He served as Advocate Depute from 1997 to 1999. In 2002, Lord Brodie was appointed a part-time Chairman of Employment Tribunals.

WRD Cantley FRICS MAPM

Bill Cantley is also the Convener of the Transport and Planning Committee and a long-standing Cockburn Council member. He is a retired Chartered Surveyor and holds an Industrial Professorship at Heriot-Watt University. Bill is the author of Cockburn Occasional Paper no.1, ‘Rail Links to Edinburgh Airport’. In 2008 Bill was appointed to the SEStran (South East of Scotland Transport Partnership) Board.  

TREASURER

Val Urquhart. A Scottish Chartered Accountant with over 15 years experience in the Financial Services sector working for a major Investment Bank both in the UK and overseas. Valerie has project and financial management skills relevant to the needs of the Association and welcomes the opportunity to apply these skills in the charitable sector.

Jens Bergmark

A chartered architect, originally from Sweden, Jens trained at the University of Lund and at Edinburgh College of Art.  Since then, he worked for many years with  some of Edinburgh's best known architectural firms before setting up his own practice in 2008. Jens is a part-time tutor in Architecture at Edinburgh University and he has also served on the Councils of the Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA) and of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS). Jens is currently a member of the Cockburn Association Cases Committee.

Duncan Campbell

A graduate of Edinburgh University (BSc Forestry Hon) and Newcastle upon Tyne University (Dip. Landscape Architecture) Duncan has a notable curriculum vitae: Forestry Commission Forest Manager, 1960-73; Landscape Architect., 1973-80; Head of Design and Recreation, 1980-85; Head of Environment, 1985-88; Director, Countryside Commission for Scotland, 1988-92; Director of Communications, Scottish Natural Heritage, 1992-95; Director, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust Ltd, 1997-2007; Colinton Community Conservation Trust Ltd. since 2000; Mavisbank Trust Ltd. Since 2002; Chair Colinton Amenity Assoc., 2002 – 2005; Member of Council, Scottish Council for National Parks, 1997-2007. Duncan received the Scottish Civic Trust’s ‘Civic Champion’ Award for 2013. He is a long serving member of the Association and Convenor of the Strategic Planning & Environment Committee.

John Fleming

John was born in Edinburgh in 1946, and largely educated there. A degree in Chemistry from the University of St Andrews led to a life in the international chemical industry, taking him ever further from Edinburgh, over the border to England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and eventually Houston, Texas. Living and working in and visiting so many other countries and their cities stimulated an interest in public transport, which led to his joining the Transport & Planning Committee in 2009.

Jon R Grounsell

Jon is Convener of the Cases Committee. He trained in architecture at the University of Manchester (BA Hons) and Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow (Dip Arch) and was registered with ARB in 1981. Since then he has worked in Edinburgh continuously, for both the public and private sectors, and currently runs a development company and architecture practice based in the Dean Village. Jon founded the Campaign for an International Opera Theatre of Scotland, which led indirectly to the creation of the Festival Theatre, and he remains a trustee. He recently qualified from Heriot Watt University as a Master in Urban and Regional Planning. Jon is also a member of the Cases Committee.

Andrew MacLeod

Andrew MacLeod was educated and spent most of his working life in Edinburgh. He is a graduate in politics, philosophy and economics. His early career was as a professional economist in the civil service. He then occupied a range of senior civil service policy and managerial positions. His work experience included employment and skills policy; welfare to work; regional and business development; fisheries protection and enforcement; and healthcare quality and regulation. In his final civil service role he was closely involved in developing the healthcare quality strategy for NHS Scotland, and helped to establish the Sheila McLean review group on no-fault compensation for clinical incidents. He retains a strong interest in quality issues, and patient engagement in the NHS. Andrew is a member of the Management & Finance Committee.

Lawrence Marshall

Lawrence is a life member of the Association and works as a Conductor at Edinburgh Waverley. He served as a Labour Councillor for Portobello Ward for many years and on the City Council Planning Committee for 13 years. Lawrence was Chair of FETA from 2004 - 2006 and established the Capital Rail Action Group in 1989. Lawrence also serves on the Transport and Planning Committee.

Kate Moulin

Kate studied at the University of Warwick, worked in the paper industry and then in local government and went on to settle in East Lothian with her husband and family. Kate worked in local government in Edinburgh for 27 years in a variety of roles including IT project management, business management and parliamentary liaison. Kate served on Dunpender Community Council in East Lothian, and is currently a director of Greener Dunbar, a community interest company that promotes energy efficiency and a sustainable way of living. She has also been a Children's Panel member in Edinburgh. Kate is Convenor of the Events Committee.

Richard Rodger

Brian Smellie

Brian Studied Electrical Engineering and Management Studies and spent earlier career in engineering consultancy and the construction industry. Appointed Managing Director of James Gray & Son Ltd in 1984 and led the buyout of the Company in 1988 and continued in this capacity until his retirement in 2010. Former appointments include National President of the British Hardware Federation and Chairman of their Scottish Council, Director of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, served on the Scottish Committee of British Retail Consortium and the Scottish Joint Industry Board and is a past Chairman of the George Street Association in Edinburgh.

Rosemary Woodroffe

Rosemary read Classics at Girton College, Cambridge and is a solicitor and a member of the Society of Writers to HM Signet. She is Chairman of the Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy. A Burgess of the City of Edinburgh, she is past Deacon of the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers & Dyers of Edinburgh and company secretary of The Virtual Hamilton Palace Trust.