Governing Council

Alan Hartley has had a long relationship with the Merchant Company and its Schools. He was a foundationer at another Merchant Company School, Chairman of Governors at that School, Master of the Merchant Company and now Chair of the Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board. A Chartered Accountant by profession, he spent over 30 years working with KPMG, and 20 years as a tax partner. Since retiring from KPMG he has taken on several director/trustee roles including Mactaggart & Mickel Group Ltd, a Scottish house building and property group, and Mercy Corps, the international aid agency. He was, until recently, the Chair of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools. Alan has an interesting background having been a professional speedway rider and holds both UK and US pilot licences.

David Girdwood has a long association with ESMS, having joined Stewart's Melville College in 1987 as Head of Chemistry. He later became Head of Upper School and, in the summer term of 2022, served as Interim Principal of ESMS. David has been a member of the Governing Council for many years. He read chemistry at St Andrews University and went on to do his teacher training at Jordanhill (now Strathclyde). This was followed by an MEd at Stirling. In 2002 David was appointed as Rector of St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm, serving for 15 years until his retirement in 2017. David is a Deputy Lieutenant of Renfrewshire and is Chair of Governors at St Columba’s. He has also served as a governor of The Glasgow Academy and of Lomond School. David has been married to his wife Lisa for 37 years. They have two daughters, who both attended ESMS Junior School and a much loved working cocker, Rhu, who is a Retirement Dog. David’s interests include rugby and walking.

David Bradley-Bird is the co-founder and Director of Multiply, an award-winning Marketing Agency with offices in Edinburgh and London. As an experienced marketeer he works with many blue-chip companies specialising in digital communication and delivery of learning strategies. Educated at Millfield School in Somerset, he grew up in Hertfordshire before moving to Edinburgh in 1997 to further his career. He is member of the Merchant Company along with several industry related bodies. David is an SFA qualified football coach and coaches 2005 year group at Curries Star Football Club. He is married with two teenage children and keeps active through running, gym and participating in running events and triathlons.

Susan Murray LLB, Dip LP, LLM (Edin) is a Senior Litigation Solicitor working In House with the Central Legal Office of NHS Scotland.  She is accredited as a specialist in medical negligence by the Law Society of Scotland and is a Member of the Society’s Accreditation Panel for Medical Negligence. Susan has over 30 years experience in specialising in high value medical negligence litigation and public inquiries involving the NHS. She is an elected Council Member and a Board Member of the Law Society of Scotland, also serving or having served on a number of Law Society Committees, including Equality & Diversity (Convener) and Audit. Susan is a second generation former pupil of The Mary Erskine School and her 3 children were educated in ESMS. Her interests include travel, skiing, gardening and spending as much time as possible with her children and pre-school grandchildren.

Paul Fletcher is Chief Architect for Email, and a Distinguished Engineer, at Symantec.  Prior to that he was technology founder and Chief Architect at MessageLabs.  He has thirty-five years’ experience in the software industry, twenty of them in Cyber Security, with other roles including proprietor of an IT consultancy, and Software Engineer at Hewlett Packard.  His children Ross and Skye are former pupils of ESMS.  When not huddled over a computer screen he can usually be found cycling or supporting his family in their various endeavours.

Malcolm Rust MA (Hons) LLB Dip LP NP is a partner and Head of the Private Client and Charities teams at Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP. He started his legal career with S&W in 1992, and acts for charities, trusts and individual clients. He is an accredited specialist in charity law by the Law Society of Scotland. Malcolm is a member of The Royal Merchant Company, Assistant of the Court and sits on the Audit & Risk Committee. He is married to Gill. Malcolm went to school at Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen, and thereafter went to St Andrews, Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities, undertaking a History degree before turning his sights on Law. He currently has one child at ESMS (two have already left). Malcolm enjoys the hills, running, cooking and music. Next to Gill, the love of his life is Dougall, their Cockapoo. 

Maidie Cahill has worked as an HR professional in a variety of organisations including Land Rover, Unilever and NEC Semiconductors, before Joining The SQA as Director of Corporate Services.  Maidie has used her HR/governance experience serving as a board member with Edinburgh College, Edinburgh World Heritage, Art in Healthcare and Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy. Since retiring Maidie has joined the Royal Company of Merchants and is currently an Assistant on the Master’s Court. She is also a Burgess of the City of Edinburgh and a member of the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers. Maidie is the only High Constable of Edinburgh to own her own police box in Drummond Place.

Professor Linda Bauld holds the Bruce and John Usher Chair in Public Health in the Usher Institute, College of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and serves as Chief Social Policy Adviser to the Scottish Government. Her research focuses on two main areas: the evaluation of complex public health interventions, and how research can inform public health policy. She has also been involved in communicable disease research on Covid-19 and chaired Scottish Government advisory groups on Covid-19 and children and young people (schools and HE/FE) from September 2021. Professor Bauld is a Trustee of Diabetes UK and the Institute for Alcohol Studies. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Faculty of Public Health, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Academy of Social Sciences. She was awarded an OBE in June 2021 for her services to public health. Both her children attended ESMS.

Liz Flockhart was educated at George Heriots and studied at St Andrews University (Modern History MA). She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1998, then moved to Martin Currie as a Fund Manager for 10 years. A further 10 years at abrdn plc as Global Head of Investment Oversight followed. Liz has two children, both former pupils of ESMS. She has been actively involved with the School throughout her time as a parent, taking part in initiatives such as the launch of the Parents' School Ball, acting as Treasurer of the Stew Mel Lions Rugby and supporting our students with career guidance and work placement support.

Alistair Stewart is an investment professional with in excess of 20 years’ of experience investing in and managing private equity investments. He completed his law degree at Aberdeen University before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, spending five years with KPMG.  He then spent 18 years in institutional private equity and five years as CEO of a UK-based e-commerce business. He is actively engaged with the wider ESMS network through his involvement with the Stewart’s Melville and North Edinburgh Vikings Rugby clubs. He has one daughter at The Mary Erskine School and a son who recently left Stewart's Melville College.  

Michael Wells is Legal Director of Dispute Resolution and Claims at Thorntons Law LLP in Edinburgh. He is a former pupil of Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College and currently a Member of the Royal Company of Merchants, and a former Assistant of the Court. He is also a Youth Coach at Spartans WFC. He plays most racquet sports, having played tennis for the School, and hockey for Edinburgh University, DSMC FPs and ESMS Vets.