Our people

Chief Executive | Henry Simmons

Henry joined Alzheimer Scotland as Chief Executive in August 2008 and has over thirty years’ experience in the health and social care sector. Henry is dedicated to the field of dementia, seeking to improve the rights and opportunities for people living with dementia and their carers in Scotland and beyond. He has been closely involved in the development of new approaches in practice, education, research and policy, as well as leading a national charity that provides direct support to people throughout Scotland and aims to make sure nobody faces dementia on their own. Henry has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from both Queen Margaret University and Glasgow Caledonian University.

Deputy Chief Executive | Jim Pearson

• Responsible for Quality and Practice Learning & Development
• National Support Services
• Overall Operational oversight
• Post Diagnostic Support oversight

Director of Operations | Maureen Taggart

• Responsible for National Post Diagnostic Support
• Operations – Commissioning & partnerships, contract negotiations & monitoring oversight

Director of Fundraising & Operations | Kirsty Stewart

• Responsible for Fundraising & Engagement
• Operations in Dumfries & Galloway, Inverclyde, Argyll & Bute, West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire

Director of Communications & Operations | Marri Welsh

• Responsible for Comms & Campaigns
• Brain Health
• Operations in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire, Ayrshire North, Falkirk, Alloa, Fife, Edinburgh & Lothians, Perth & Borders

Director of Brain Health & Development | Gillian Councill

• Brain Health
• Developments in the National Centre, Lauriston, Green Health & service modelling
• Operations in Western Isles, Shetland, North, West & South Highland, Aberdeen & shires, Moray, Outdoor Resource Centres

Director of Policy & Research | Alison McKean

• Responsible for research & research commissions
• Active Voice
• Policy & Public Affairs
• Scottish Dementia Research Consortium
• Partnerships with the Centre for Policy & Practice, Brain Tissue Bank & Join Dementia Research

Director of People, Wellbeing & Facilities | Kenny Nicholson

• Human Resources
• Organisation Learning & Development
• Property
• Health & Safety
• Sustainability
• IT & Digital

Director of Finance & Operations | Liz Roxburgh

• Finance
• Payroll
• Operations – Commissioning & partnerships, contract negotiations & monitoring oversight

Company Secretary | Julie Drummond

• Governance

Joint Convener | Keith Chapman

Keith is a retired GP and has supported the work of Alzheimer Scotland for over 20 years, including awareness raising, fundraising and assisting at his local Dementia Café. He also has close family experience of dementia. His father lived with Alzheimer dementia for over 15 years, continuing to enjoy life up until his death. His mother developed rapidly deteriorating vascular dementia which caused her significant distress and contributed to her death within 2 years of diagnosis.

Keith continues to be involved with health and social care following his retirement through his work on his local Health and Social Care Integration Joint Board where he has been appointed as User member.

Joint Convener | Mary-Frances Morris

Mary-Frances spent a number of years at Oxford University Department of Psychiatry, researching anxiety in mainly elderly populations and teaching psychology to undergraduate students of psychology and of medicine. She later studied law at Oxford University (New College). She is a practising Barrister, having been called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2004.

She divided her time between London and Scotland for over a decade to allow her to play a very active part in caring for her parents . Her father suffered from vascular dementia for around 7 years before his death in 2012, almost immediately after which her mother developed the same condition and lived with it for 5 years until her death in 2017, having spent the final 2 years or so of her life living at Mary-Frances‘ family home in London. While this was a personal tragedy, it gave her a great deal of experience of dealing with dementia and everything that goes along with it at very close quarters and has informed her passion for helping the currently ill and their carers as well as looking to the future of dementia care and prevention/cure.

Mary-Frances is the Chair of the Human Rights and Public Policy Advisory Group which helps steer the campaigning arm of the organisation..

Honorary Secretary | Lorraine Mann

Now retired, Lorraine had a varied career which included teaching, campaigning, research and, most recently, policy and planning in relation to health improvement and adult social care. She holds a Masters degree in Health Improvement.

Having lived and worked in a rural area for the past forty years, Lorraine has a particular interest in the interactions between rurality and service provision, including the provision of health and care services in remote and rural areas.

Lorraine has wide experience of Corporate Governance having been a non-executive Director of NHS Highland in the 1990s and a Member of several Boards of Directors/Trustees over the many years, including several in the voluntary and business sectors and has also has worked as an Alzheimer Scotland volunteer, providing Mentoring support to management staff.

Treasurer | Richard Whitefield

Richard is a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in international financial services, having held senior roles in some of the world’s leading financial institutions. His expertise spans risk management, operational control, compliance, finance and governance. Originally from Edinburgh, Richard has lived and worked in multiple countries, through both long-term relocations and short-term assignments.

He has been a Trustee of Alzheimer Scotland since 2025 and also serves as a director of another Scottish charity. Richard brings valuable personal insight into both dementia and autism. Outside of his commitments, he leads an active lifestyle and enjoys golf, going to the gym, skiing, cooking, and theatre.

Joanna Boddy

Joanna is a retired Social Worker with over 40 years’ experience in local authority adult services, working primarily in mental health, adult protection and services for older people. She has a particular interest in human rights and equality issues. She was a carer for her mum who had Dementia and is an active member of National Dementia Carers Action Network (NDCAN) and the representative of this group on the Board. She campaigns to raise awareness, improve practice and services, and for carers to be seen as equal partners in care. She represented NDCAN on the Fair Dementia Care Commission and has also been involved in training for Dementia Champions and Ambassadors. Joanna is also a panel member in the Childrens Hearing system.

Tom Carroll

Tom is a Chartered Insurer who has spent nearly four decades in the international financial services environment. Held senior positions with major global financial entities focusing on specific disciplines such as commercial development, offshore reinsurance structures, risk management frameworks and underwriting processes. Also a non-executive director with Royal Bank of Canada (Reinsurance Europe).

Hailing from Tipperary in Ireland, Tom supported a number of Alzheimer’s causes in the Emerald Isle for many years before relocating to Edinburgh over 20 years ago. Tom has close family experience of dementia and has been a Trustee with Alzheimer Scotland since 2017. Hobbies include keeping active, golf, rugby and horse racing.

Aileen Rose

Aileen is an experienced lawyer and governance professional with significant corporate governance, risk and compliance expertise gained from over 30 years in private practice and in-house at financial institutions.

Aileen’s involvement with Alzheimer Scotland stems from lived experience supporting family members and friends diagnosed with different types of dementia, including Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Pauline Howie CBE

Pauline worked in the NHS and Scottish Government for over 30 years, 27 of them at Board level as either Finance Director or Chief Executive and retired as Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service in June 2023. She has close family experience of early onset Alzheimer’s over the last 30 years and her family have been supporters and helped by Alzheimer Scotland over that time.

Pauline is passionate about high quality services and has worked collaboratively to transform service delivery, improve outcomes and peoples’ experience, adopting innovative practice and technology and investing in workforce and cultural development.

Stuart Dougall

Stuart lives with his wife in West Lothian and was medically retired after spending 36 years working with the Prison Service and Police. He was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s in January 2022 at the age of 58.

Through attending the local Alzheimer Scotland resource centre Stuart joined the Scottish Dementia Working Group (SDWG) in November 2022. This has given him back a focus and a purpose which he feels was lost when he retired. He approaches his involvement with the same dedication as a job, whether it’s preparing for or attending meetings, or offering insights to health professionals.

He is involved in a wide variety of work with the SDWG, including research activities, developing dementia related supports, and communication projects. He has also taken part in many studies and research opportunities in relation to dementia.

Whilst recognising that no two people with dementia are the same, Stuart insists that although his life has certainly changed following his diagnosis, it is definitely not over. He presently lives well with dementia, enjoying activities such as going to the gym and carrying out DIY. He demonstrates that having a dementia diagnosis doesn’t necessarily preclude the ability to go on adventurous holidays. His strong faith immensely helps him.

Stuart is not one for shying away from conversations about dementia, and feels it is important to change perceptions and reduce the associated stigma.

Siobhan Rooney

Siobhan was the main carer for her mum, Isabella, who had vascular dementia for almost a decade. This experience left her determined to support the work of Alzheimer Scotland, giving hope and help to those with dementia and their families. She became a Trustee in 2024.

Siobhan is an engineering graduate and chartered accountant. She is an experienced senior leader of assurance, operations and transformation, with over 30 years delivery experience across both professional practise and financial services.

Pat McCormack

Pat has over 50 years local government experience having commenced as an Administrative Trainee with Lanark County Council in July 1973. His service covered a variety of roles with Lanark County Council, Strathclyde Regional Council and South Lanarkshire Council/South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

Pat’s professional background was initially human resources and he qualified as a member of the Institute of Personnel Management (IPM) in 1986. Pat continues to hold the status of Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has an Executive master’s degree in business administration (MBA), Diploma in Public Administration and a Diploma in Corporate Governance (CIPFA).

Pat held a number of management roles within Social Work before taking up the role of Service Manager (performance and support) which combined several corporate responsibilities including risk management, corporate governance, FOI and complaints, estates and facilities, IT, procurement and commissioning, welfare rights service and administrative support roles across the service. Pat retired in 2023.

Pat served with the Royal Navy as a reservist for almost 30 years retiring from this service in 2007 as a Lieutenant Commander.