Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees' responsibilities are to oversee the management of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and to provide strategic guidance to Senior Management.

Trustees are appointed (and can be reappointed) for four yearly terms by Scottish Ministers. The Board is accountable to Scottish Ministers through the Chairman. There are nine members of the Board of Trustees.
Useful links
- RBGE Science Advisory Committee
- Corporate policies

Board of Trustees

SIR MUIR RUSSELL KCB FRSE (Chairman): is a former Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Office and the Scottish Executive, and was the Principal of the University of Glasgow until his retirement in 2009. He was Chairing Member of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland from 2008 to 2016. He is also Chairman of the Dunedin Concert Trust, a Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors of the Glasgow School of Art, a Member of the Board of the Moredun Research Institute and a non-executive Director of the National House Building Council (NHBC). Sir Muir graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1970 with a First in Natural Philosophy (Physics) and took up a career in the civil service, assigned to the Scottish Office. He was appointed Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Office in 1998, following open competition, and was the first Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Executive following the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Sir Muir was awarded the KCB in 2001, and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2000. He has honorary degrees from the Universities of Strathclyde, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Sir Muir is married to Eileen Mackay CB FRSE (Lady Russell). They have been Patrons of the Garden since June 2002. Sir Muir is the Chair of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Remuneration Committee.
Mr Raoul Curtis-Machin: brings a broad and very successful track record in developing tourist attractions in the heritage sector. At the National Trust he improved and developed more than 50 attractions and helped develop and deliver the National Commercial Strategy 2011-2013. As the Landscape Historian for Historic Environment Scotland, he helped protect many of Scotland’s finest landscapes. Mr Curtis-Machin represented the UK Government as Commissioner-General at the Antalya Expo 2016. He has a certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors, a Public Affairs Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and a Postgrad Diploma in Journalism from Strathclyde University.
Professor Beverley Glover: grew up in Perth, reading Plant and Environmental Biology at the University of St Andrews before a PhD in Plant Development Genetics at the John Innes Centre in Norwich. She established her research group at the University of Cambridge in 1999, where she is also a Fellow of Queens' College. Beverley is Director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and Professor of Plant Systematics and Evolution, a role which combines active research in flower evolution with strategic leadership of the garden. Prof Glover is a member of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Science Advisory Committee.
Dr David Hamilton: has a degree in Botany from the University of Glasgow and a doctorate from Imperial College, London. Since completing them, he has worked in the private sector where he owns and runs a management consultancy specialising in financial services. Dr Hamilton has a wide range of experience covering plant science, strategy, project management, and partnership ventures. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Rock Trust, a Scottish homelessness charity headquartered in Edinburgh. Dr Hamilton is a member of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Investment Committee.
Dr Ian Jardine: has degrees in ecology and zoology and was Chief Executive of Scottish Natural Heritage from 2002 until 2017, having worked for the organisation since 1992. He has extensive experience of biodiversity, conservation and environmental education, including at international level. From 2017 to 2019 Dr Jardine was National Adviser on Environmental Policy working with the Scottish Government.
Professor Thomas Meagher: moved to Scotland in 1999 as Professor of Plant Biology at the University of St Andrews. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Ecology and Evolution at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. He studied Botany at the University of South Florida, Florida, and gained a PhD in Botany and Genetics at Duke University, North Carolina. His research interests include plant evolutionary biology, conservation biology and biodiversity, and public understanding of science. Professor Meagher has served on the Defra Science Advisory Council (2004-2009), the Natural Environment Research Council (2007-2013) and the UK Plant Health and Biosecurity Taskforce (2012-2013). Prof Meagher is the Chair of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Science Advisory Committee.
Ms Diana Murray: has worked in the cultural and historic environment sector for over 40 years and was the Chief Executive of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and also joint CEO of Historic Scotland (HS) until October 2015. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and an Honorary Fellow of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh; a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a fellow of the Scottish Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Institute of Directors. She was for many years a non-executive director of the National Trust for Scotland and is currently the Chair of Arts and Business Scotland, as well as serving as a trustee of a number of other Scottish charities. Ms Murray is the Chair of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Arts Advisory Group, a member of the Remuneration Committee and is the Whistleblowing Trustee.
Mr Chris Wallace: joined the RBGE in July 2016 having enjoyed a distinguished career in communications and PR. He was Director of Communications at Scottish Water for nine years until 2016 during which time the profile and reputation of the organisation was transformed into one of the most highly regarded utilities in the UK. He was also Managing Director of a leading advertising and PR agency responsible for some of Scotland’s most effective and enduring campaigns. Chris is the Chair of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Audit Committee.
Professor Ian Wall FRSE: became a Trustee in January 2015. He invented the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the first ever in the world, and was one of the founders of the International Centre for Mathematical Science, serving on both Boards. He is Chair of the Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Committee (STEMEC) advising the Scottish Government on all aspects of STEM education and serves on the Boards of a number of charities including the Court of Heriot Watt University and the Scottish Poetry Library. Professor Wall is currently Visiting Professor of Architecture at Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, Aberdeen and vice–chair of The Scottish Council for Development and Industry. Prior to retirement, he was CEO of the EDI Group, a property development and investment company responsible for a wide range of commercial and residential projects across the central belt. Finally, He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. Prof Wall is the Chair of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's Investment Committee, a member of the Audit Committee and the Trustees' representative on the North East Corner Project.