About me

I recently stepped down as a Member of the Scottish Parliament and am also a former Member of the UK Westminster Parliament. 

My key interests as a parliamentarian were around business, ecoonomics and finance. In the Scottish Parliament I was the Vice-Convenor of the Economy & Fair Work Committee and a very active member of the Finance & Public Administration. In the UK Parliament I sat on the powerful Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Committee (BEIS) in Westminster. 

In 2024 I won Holyrood magazine's 'Backbencher of the Year' and in 2023 'Political Hero of the Year'. 

In 2016, I made a ground-breaking speech about being raped, aged 14, in the UK Parliament which triggered a resolute stance in standing up for women; particularly those in business. 

Prior to being a parliamentarian, I have had a long career as a business woman, board member, consultant, investor, mentor, advisor and conference speaker.

My many years in corporate companies saw me lead large scale transformation programmes across IT and business.

I was a Founding Director of the research and consultancy firm Momentous Change Ltd. We specialised in research and consultancy for strategic projects. 

I am a Board member for Revive Campaign Ltd; a Not for Profit organisation created to support the Westminster Houses of Parliament All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Explosive Threats.

I am an Ambassador for the Transparency Task Force.

As a keynote conference speaker, I draw upon the above substantial experience across many facets of life. I am also an experienced conference chair.

 I am passionate about classical music having started my career as a professional pianist and musical director.