• Welcome
• About the College
  • College redevelopment
  • The Board of Management
  • Student enrolments
  • College review 2009
  • Annual accounts
  • Strategic development plan
• Living in the region
• The role
  • Job description
  • Person specification
  • Terms and conditions
• How to apply

The Board of Management

Alan Findlay, Chaiman and Chair Staffing Committee

Alan, an Orcadian, retired early after working for 30 years in local government. He qualified initially as a teacher of physical education before attaining a Certificate in Community Education. He has worked in both Primary and Secondary schools, a Further Education College and various local government Community Education services. After retiring he was elected on to Aberdeenshire Council and chaired its Education and Recreation Committee. He was also a member of the McCrone Implementation Group on teachers’ pay and conditions.

Ian Moir, Chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee

Ian is the owner and Managing Director of Business Development Advice, a consultancy based in Ellon. He has also been Managing Director of various companies in the glass and engineering industries as well as being Chief Executive of local business development companies. Currently, he specialises in delivering European Union grant advice to companies in the food processing industry. Ian lives in Gardenstown and is also a director of Peterhead Bay Authority.

Gordon Morrice

Gordon was Director of Human Resources for NHS Grampian until his retirement in 2006, where he had worked since 1995. Gordon has been in HR in different industries in the UK and the USA. He was born in Keith and educated at Fraserburgh Academy, Aberdeen and Strathclyde Universities.

Ian Barbour (Lecturing Staff Representative)

Ian has been employed by Banff & Buchan College since March 1982 initially as a Lecturer and currently as a Curriculum Leader in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. Before joining the College Ian worked as a fully qualified Electrical Engineer having a wide range of experience in domestic, commercial, industrial, marine and oil & gas related installation and maintenance work. Ian is also a qualified coach and in his spare time is involved in coaching children to play football and golf. He also enjoys playing golf, football and keeping fit.

Susan Lawrance (Support Staff Representative)

Susan left school in 1980 and completed a SCOTVEC secretarial course at Aberdeen College of Commerce. Following this, she worked for a number of oil companies in Aberdeen. Susan continued to update her qualifications through open learning and part time studies at Banff and Buchan College. In 2002 Susan completed an HNC in Administration and Information Management. As a mother with two children, Susan now juggles her time between home life and work. In her spare time she enjoys golf, skiing and holidays with her husband and family.

Lynne Macfarlan

Lynne was educated at Larbert High school and later graduated MA Hons from Edinburgh University. She qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Young in Edinburgh. She relocated to the North East in 1989 working for Coopers & Lybrand and then the University of Aberdeen in both the External Funding and Finance departments. In 1996 Lynne joined Score (Europe) Limited part of Score Group plc worldwide group of engineering companies where she is currently Financial Director of the European companies. Hobbies such as tennis, gardening and reading are indulged in whenever possible.

Marc Ellington

Marc has a broad spectrum of professional experience in developing communications, marketing and public relations strategies as well as structuring branding and corporate reputation management. He has increasingly been involved in developing and supporting a number of major arts, cultural and tourism initiatives in the UK and abroad. Marc is the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire and lives at Towie Barclay Castle. He is heavily involved in developing initiatives for maintaining traditional construction skills at the Scottish Traditional Skills Training Centre at Fyvie. His main hobby is sailing.

John Cousins. Chair of Audit Committee

John became a Board Member in August 2005. He is an Electrical Engineer and holds a post-graduate diploma in Accounting and Finance. His career spanned 37 years in the electricity supply industry working in coal, oil, gas and nuclear power plants, and was a power station manager for 11 years. He left the industry in 1999 and incorporated Interim Energy Management Limited, providing advice and information to a wide range of clients in UK and the USA. He is a regular contributor to several energy industry magazines and tutors on industry training courses. John lives in Peterhead and is married to Sandra. They have four grown up children and five grandchildren.

David Cook (Management Representative)

David joined the College as a Lecturer in 1992 and is currently the Sector Manager for Technology. His initial career as an Engineer began with British Steel in Scunthorpe working with hydraulic systems. Following a spell of teaching in secondary schools, both rural and inner city comprehensives, David worked in the oil industry with Santa Fe.

Michael Park

Mike was born in Stonehaven where he still lives with his wife Janet. He was a fisherman for 28 years, skipper and owner of his own vessels and company for 24 of those. Mike is presently employed by the Scottish White Fish Producer Association as their Executive Chairman but holds many other sector related positions including, amongst others, a seat on the board of Sea Fish (SFIA) and Chair of Box Pool Solutions Ltd. Mike has three grown up children and one grandchild and is currently studying European Affairs through the Open University.

John W Smith

John was born in Peterhead and is now living in Ellon with his wife Debra and son Kyle. He has been employed by Shell since 1983 taking up positions both onshore and offshore. His electrical background has been superseded by production operations experience through career development and further progression into supervisory positions such as offshore installation manager. His current position is that of Production Co-ordinator based at Shell Gas Plant at St. Fergus. He recently graduated with a post graduate MBA degree from Strathclyde University. He enjoys winter sports such as ski-ing.

Wilfred Weir

Wilfred is Head of Education for Banff & Buchan and Buchan and a member of the Directorate Management Team of Aberdeenshire Council Education, Learning & Leisure Service. Prior to this he managed schools in central Aberdeenshire and earlier in his career taught English in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire schools. He is a member of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland.