Laura Hamilton
ASPA Convener.
Managing Partner, Charlotte Street Partners
convener@aspa.scot
Laura is managing partner of the Edinburgh-based strategic communications agency, Charlotte Street Partners. She provides advice to some of the company’s longest standing clients, which span a range of sectors, from financial services to energy, and media to retail. Laura has helped develop and lead public affairs projects and campaigns across the UK, varying from FTSE 100 to small third-sector organisations. Prior to joining Charlotte Street Partners, Laura worked in the financial services sector, undertaking a range of different public affairs roles with Scottish Widows, Lloyds Banking Group, and TSB.
Peter Duncan
Conference Convener & Founder Director of Message Matters
Peter is founder-director of the strategic communications agency, Message Matters, providing support to a diverse range of clients, mostly in Scotland but also across the UK & Ireland. A former MP, he knows the lobbying industry inside out, and has supported ASPA through its recent work to uphold the highest ethical standards. He has done that through the adoption of a new code of conduct for all members as well as working with the Scottish Parliament's Lobbying Registrar to inform and implement recent industry regulations.
John Macgill
ASPA Treasurer & Director, Ettrickburn
treasurer@aspa.scot
John joined the BBC as a trainee journalist in 1985 and worked in broadcast news for 16 years before moving to become editor of Holyrood magazine and later the magazine for the European Parliament. Since moving into consultancy, first with a larger agency and running with his own companies, he has increasingly specialised in public affairs and media relations for the health, social care and life sciences sectors. John runs the healthandcare.scot news website and has previously served a term as chair of ASPA.
Susannah Lane
ASPA Secretary & Head of Public Affairs, Universities Scotland</strong
secretary@aspa.scot
Susannah has more than twenty years’ experience in advocacy and communications in Scotland, specialising in higher education. Her career has focused on advising membership organisations in the public and third sectors. Currently the Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Universities Scotland, Susannah works on behalf of university Principals, leading the higher education sector’s strategic influence and is closely involved in policy development. The breath of contribution made by universities offers the opportunity to engage on a wide range of policy issues from access, research and development and internationalisation.
Peter Smyth
Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Director at Aspect
Peter has two decades of experience working in public affairs, political intelligence and media relations, advising chief executives and senior leadership teams to bring innovative solutions to complex strategic situations. Formerly Director of Public Affairs at independent communications company Indigo, Peter has shaped a range of high-profile public affairs, community engagement and media relations campaigns in multiple sectors from global technology and international life sciences to commercial real estate, higher education, conservation and the natural economy. He has previously worked as public affairs and policy lead for the Federation of Master Builders in Scotland and prior to that at Newsdirect. He is a trustee of children’s hospice charity CHAS, a graduate of the University of St Andrews and holds an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics.
Scott Wright
Scottish Affairs & Devolved Policy Lead, Pinsent Masons
Scott has almost a decade of experience in public affairs and strategic communications. Heading up the Scottish Affairs and Devolved Nations offering at Pinsent Masons LLP, Scott advises clients on their engagement with political institutions in Scotland and across the devolved nations, helping them to build influence and ensure their interests are represented in policy development. With a keen interest in parliamentary process, Scott has developed significant expertise in preparing clients for appearances before Parliamentary Committees. Before joining Pinsent Masons, Scott worked for an MSP having graduated with an MA in Politics from the University of Edinburgh. He has been a Member of the ASPA Committee since December 2022.
Sheghley Ogilvie
Policy & Public Affairs Officer, SCVO
Sheghley has 10 years of policy and public affairs experience in the voluntary sector and an in-depth knowledge of the sector’s contribution to society and the economy in Scotland. Currently a Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Sheghley leads on Fair Work, Fair Funding, funding transparency, and the impact of rising costs on voluntary organisations, their staff and volunteers, and the communities they work with. Sheghley is also responsible for SCVO’s engagement with the Scottish Budget process and the UK Budget and has extensive experience of working with civil society to progress policy priorities. She previously worked at BHF Scotland.
Michael Adamson
Senior Manager Public Affairs, Weber Shandwick
Michael joined Weber Shandwick, a global strategic communications and consultancy business, in May 2022 and currently works as a senior manager in their Public Affairs team. His work to date has covered a number of key areas including retail, manufacturing, and health policy. Previously he worked as a campaigns and communications officer (2016-22) for Daniel Johnson MSP. He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh with an MSc on the Second World War in Europe.
Paul Murphie
Senior Account Manager, The Big Partnership
Paul joined The Big Partnership in January 2024, having previously worked in the public affairs team at Pagoda Public Relations. He is an experienced political operator and has brought his policy knowledge, political awareness and trusted counsel to manage campaigns across the UK for large multinationals, members' associations and third sector groups. He is well versed in supporting planning applications in renewable energy development and has directed political and stakeholder engagement across a variety of sectors including renewable energy, healthcare, education, and retail. Prior to working in consultancy, Paul was the Deputy Head of Monitoring at Newsdirect, where he developed a formidable knowledge of the key players at both local and central government.
Keith Robson
Senior Public Affairs Manager, The Open University in Scotland
Keith joined The Open University in Scotland in December 2020 having previously worked at the MS Society. He has over twenty five years’ experience working in education, health, housing and older peoples’ sectors. Keith has also served as a member of the former Scottish Funding Council and as a local government councillor. A Chartered Member of the CIPR Keith is intrigued by how we measure and evaluate our public affairs practise. Away from work Keith is Chair of his son’s secondary school parent council.
Fergus McGowan
Fergus is bp’s government affairs advisor, responsible for engaging with governments regarding operations in the North Sea as well as other projects in Scotland. Previously, Fergus was at Charlotte Street Partners working with clients across all industries in Scotland, and before that working in the Scottish Parliament for Kate Forbes MSP.
Alastair Sim
Alastair Sim has worked in and around government in Scotland for over 35 years. As a senior civil servant he led policy development, stakeholder relations and Parliamentary relations across a broad range of subjects including nature protection, justice, health and aspects of work on the devolution settlement. He then led Universities Scotland from 2009 to 2024, managing collective policy, political and media impacts for all of Scotland’s universities. Alastair now works freelance, and has done stakeholder relationship, policy development and reputation management projects for a range of clients including a major university, a leading nature conservation landowner and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s policy think-tank Our Scottish Future. He also works as a tour guide, writes and performs in professional stage shows, and has had two novels published.
Rob Fraser
Rob joined Linco in August 2025 having previously worked in the Connect Group’s London office for three years. He is an experienced public affairs consultant who has worked with private and third sector organisations to develop successful engagement strategies and deliver PRCA award-winning campaigns. He has worked with a range of clients across sectors including health, education and energy, and has led Scottish engagement programmes from Westminster. He previously sat on the PRCA NextGen Committee supporting early-career public affairs professionals.