Our Team

Denise joined the Institute in November 2020 and oversees its finances, IT, daily operations, and administration. She began her career in hospitality before transitioning to finance in 2010. Denise served as Financial Controller and was a senior management team member at Destiny Scotland Group for seven years after earning her BA in Business with Accounts from the Open University. She collaborates closely with the Executive Team on compliance, strategy implementation, and optimising the Institute’s operational capabilities.

Jo joined the Institute in July 2023 and oversees the delivery of our membership engagement activities, including recruitment and retention, our CPD events, education activities and our technical policy work. Jo has more than 20 years’ experience working with membership bodies, most recently for Bioscientifica, an organisation which strengthens biomedical communities to advance science and health. She graduated from Lancaster University in French Studies and Linguistics and has been lucky enough to live in France, which gave her the opportunity to develop skills in relationship building at all levels.

Mark joined the team in November 2019, bringing extensive marketing experience gained from roles in the IT, Events, and Medical Recruitment sectors. Educated to Masters degree level, he is responsible for setting the strategic marketing and communications agenda for the Institute. He particularly enjoys brand management and the successful execution of digital marketing strategies.

Caroline joined the Institute in November 2024. She is a Chartered Forester with 30 years of forestry and wood supply chain experience. Caroline started her career at the Working Woodlands Project supporting the southwest woodland supply chain. Since then she has been the England Manager for the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor) and latterly Executive Director of Evolving Forests. She is a Trustee of the Royal Forestry Society and Woodland Heritage. In her spare time she is a keen gardener with an interest in the future resilience of food production.

Gail joined the Institute in January 2025 as Professional Practice Manager. She has vast experience of the membership sector, is a Chartered Waste & Resource Manager and has a passion for the environment. Gail’s specialism is to support candidates to attain professional membership with a focus on Technical, Professional and Fellow grades. Gail also has vast experience of leading and supporting volunteer committees and networks and is an advocate of lifelong learning, professional standards and continuing professional development.

Vanessa joined the Institute in February 2025 as Business Development Manager. She is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and project management, bringing a unique international perspective having lived in Germany, Hong Kong, and now Scotland. Before joining, Vanessa led the evaluation of transport pilot projects and developed rural transport strategies at Aberdeenshire Council. Her background also includes policy development, research, and fundraising roles at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and Aberdeen Cyrenians. Vanessa holds a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen.

Dawn joined the team in February 2020 as our Member Services Administrator. She had previously worked in the Early Years Sector as a Nursery Administrator for 12 years and in the optical industry as an Optical Receptionist for almost 10 years. Dawn studied Administration & Information Technology in Edinburgh and has more than 20 years’ experience in customer-focused, administrative roles.

After studying Zoology at the University of Bristol, Rob spent several years carrying out research at a multinational agrochemical company before returning to academia undertaking a PhD in Microbial Ecology at the University of Reading. His role includes being the main contact between higher education institutes and ICF and is the ICF’s Member Network liaison. Rob represents the Institute within several fora including the Forestry Skills Forum in England and on the Trailblazer group developing higher level apprenticeships for the sector.

Craig joined the Institute in October 2022 and is responsible for the smooth running of membership processes and procedures and promoting the benefits of chartered status. Prior to this, Craig was part of the Scotland Malawi Partnership, where he worked to coordinate, support and represent the many people and organisations based in Scotland with links to Malawi.  He also spent six years with the Chartered Banker Institute, where he managed a range of membership processes and supported members with their studies, CPD and all other aspects of their membership.

Alice is responsible for designing content and collateral for the Institute’s website, social channels and events. She also deals with member and external communications and helps to produce the TREES quarterly magazine. Before joining the Institute, Alice worked for an international development charity in Edinburgh. She has a Fashion, Marketing & Branding degree from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Joanna joined the Institute in February 2025 and is responsible for coordinating and delivering Institute national events, regional events and bespoke partnership events. She has previous experience managing in-person and online events for the scientific publishing sector, as well as experience managing a range of projects. She has an interest in sustainability and has a masters degree in Sustainable Development.

Kirstin joined the team in June 2025 as our Finance Officer, bringing 16 years’ experience gained from a variety of finance roles across both the charity and corporate sectors. Based in Aberdeen and Edinburgh throughout her career, she has built a broad and versatile skill set. Kirstin is currently working towards her CIMA qualification and collaborates closely with Denise, our Chief Operating Officer, to help ensure the smooth and effective running of the organisation’s finance function.