The sportscotland board provides strategic guidance to all areas of our work. This section lists our board members and provides a brief overview of their background.
Chair: Mel Young
Mel Young is the president and co-founder of the Homeless World Cup, an organisation established to use sport as a mechanism to create change. He is a globally recognised social entrepreneur who co-founded The Big Issue in Scotland in 1993, the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) in 1995 and Social Entrepreneurs Network Scotland (Senscot) in 1999.
Mel Young Register of Interests (PDF)
Andrew Bain
Andrew is passionate about the positive impact sport and physical activity brings to communities. A highly experienced leader within the sport and leisure sector with over thirty years senior management experience covering private, public and trust sectors.
Andrew is keen golfer and enjoys recreational cycling and running as a means of keeping fit and healthy.
Andrew Bain Register of Interests (PDF)
Maureen Campbell OBE
Maureen has been involved in sport for many years as an athlete, coach and team manager. She is a former chair of Scottish Swimming and a board member of British Swimming. She was awarded an OBE for services to swimming in 2019. Maureen is vice chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland. She was formerly chief executive of Falkirk Community Trust. Maureen brings to the Board her knowledge and experience of operating in the Scottish sporting pathway to develop outstanding athletes and coaches at all.
Maureen Campbell Register of Interests (PDF).
Christopher Grant
Christopher Grant works in the communications industry as a director of fibre build - construction management office (CMO) at Openreach. He has previously held a number of senior roles including head of diversity and inclusion for BT Group and brings extensive HR and operational experience. He is currently on the Openreach Scotland Board and has previously held board positions within the National Equality Standard (NES) which sets clear equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) criteria against which organisations are independently assessed. Having been a representative on the Scottish Government’s Children's Panel, he passionately believes that sport connects people and is a powerful tool for creating a more socially active and inclusive Scotland.
Christopher Grant Register of Interests (PDF)
Scott Lindsay
Scott is a qualified accountant, business consultant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). Since the early 2000s he has held senior positions in Scottish football including chief executive of Hibernian FC and director of finance and IT at the Scottish Football Association (SFA). Scott has extensive financial management experience and has served on numerous audit and risk committees. In 2018 he led Project Bright, which enabled the SFA to determine the future of Hampden Park and the Scottish national teams. During his time at Hibernian he founded the Hibernian Community Foundation. A keen badminton player, golfer and spectator, Scott has a lifelong passion for sport and a deep understanding of the relationship between sport and business.
Scott Lindsay Register of Interests (PDF).
David McDonald
David McDonald served as a Councillor in Glasgow for 15 years, holding a variety of senior posts, including as the Chairperson of Glasgow Life. During this time, David was involved in developing Glasgow’s Strategic Framework for sport and physical activity, focused on driving up levels of participation as well as the successful delivery of major sporting events, including the inaugural 2018 European Championships, the UEFA Euro 2020 Championships and other national and international sporting events. David also led Glasgow’s bid to be named the European Capital of Sport for 2023, championing the vision of the role that sport can play in improving physical and mental health while increasing our sense of connection and community. David brings 20 years’ experience as a politician, a charity trustee, a volunteer, a community educator and working in and with marginalised communities, to the Sports Scotland Board, assisting it to deliver its vision of an active Scotland where everyone benefits from sport. David now works as the Scottish Partnership and Policy Coordinator for a charity who work across the UK and Ireland to champion community and volunteer-led creative activity, and work to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative.
David McDonald Register of Interests (PDF)
Tejesh Mistry
Tejesh Mistry is an experienced Senior Leader within the Third Sector who brings a wealth of knowledge from leading national physical activity and sport related behaviour change programmes to tackle inequality. As Director of External Affairs at Venture Trust, he has been able to harness his beliefs in the healing power of the outdoors and is inspired by the stories and journeys of transformation effected by many of the people he supports. Tejesh is a great advocate for volunteering and community participation developing his experience through international youth work before utilising his skills to support other organisations as a mentor for young people, Board Trustee, community helper and fundraiser. Tejesh is proud to be part of the inaugural Impetus Leadership Academy designed to support emerging ethnic minority leaders to help shape and lead within the youth sector.
Tejesh Mistry Register of Interests (PDF)
Hala Ousta
Hala Ousta is the Senior Diversity & Accessibility Manager at FIFA. Hala is responsible for leading FIFA’s work on diversity and accessibility ensuring the inclusion and active participation of disabled people and people of limited mobility at all levels, with a particular focus on their flagship tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup. This includes the development and implementation of the Sustainability strategies ensuring adequate and accessible infrastructure, services and communications. Prior to joining FIFA, Hala led the Scottish FA’s diversity and inclusion efforts to become one of the first national sporting bodies to secure the Advanced Level Equality Standard for Sport and led the establishment of its Equality & Diversity Advisory Board.
Hala is currently a Board Director of Scotland’s national agency for sport, sportscotland, while formerly serving as a Director and Advisor on various boards and committees such as the global network of Women in Football, the British Council, the Sport Minister’s Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board and the Scottish Commission for Children & Young People (SCCYP). In addition, Hala is recognised as a Global Professional Fellow of the University of Edinburgh, UK Sport Industry NextGen Leader and has recently featured as one of YWCA Scotland’s 30 under 30 in 2019. Hala graduated from the University of Glasgow with a Master’s in Public Policy (with emphasis on Equality & Human Rights). She also received a Post Graduate Diploma in Equality & Discrimination from the University of Strathclyde, while achieving a Merit in her studies of Football Management joint programme with University of Lausanne and UEFA.
Hala Ousta Register of Interests (PDF)
Susie Sandilands
Susie Sandilands is Head of Digital Production for BBC Scotland and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Her current role involves leading diverse and creative teams working on content such as the award-winning BBC The Social, Bitesize Scotland, Authors Live and BBC Scotland’s digital arts and music strands Loop and TUNE, to name a few.
Susie has over 20 years’ experience in the broadcasting and media sector, with previous roles in the BBC as Commissioning Executive for BBC Ideas, Senior Content Producer of shortform video for digital platforms, and Social Media Management. Susie also sits on the sportscotland Trust Company Board in a voluntary capacity. She is a 2nd Dan black belt in Taekwondo and a former instructor in the sport, who now enjoys interval and weight training, and she is a firm believer in the power of sport and physical activity to improve wellbeing.
Susie Sandilands Register of Interests (PDF)
Steven Sweeney
Steven is the Chief Executive of VASLan, the Third Sector Interface for South Lanarkshire.
He previously led Aberdeen FC & their Partner Charity to being named by UEFA as the Best Professional Club in the Community in Europe. Leading with a strong emphasis on participation in physical activity and sport, education, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and community development.
Steven’s background is in Teaching and Coaching, he has a BSc in Sports Studies and a Postgraduate PGDE in Education. Steven is also the Convenor at Children in Scotland, supporting all children to have an equal chance to flourish.
Steven Sweeney Register of Interests (PDF)
Katy U'ren
Katy U’ren is depute head teacher at Knightswood Secondary School in Glasgow. While head of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing and at Drumchapel High School in Glasgow, where she also taught PE, she had the opportunity to lead a team of staff and volunteers through the development of sport within the school and community setting which resulted in transformational change including increased participation levels in sport. Katy has vast experience of sport development through consultation and working with Active Schools and community partners. As a UNICEF Ambassador at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, she was able to develop her global understanding of sport when teaching children to swim in Bangladesh.
Katy U'ren Register of Interests (PDF)
Allan Watt
Allan Watt has worked in leadership roles in public, private and third sectors based in Scotland, London and Asia Pacific. He is currently Senior Advisor to the Global Ethical Finance Initiative. When leading a global brand and communications team he was responsible for a number of major global sports sponsorships, whilst ensuring that they delivered community participation and grass roots activity. From his time as CEO of a leading youth charity, Allan has first-hand experience of the power of sport to empower young people and change their lives through participation and teamwork. Allan is still an active rower, with experience of competing at national and international events and has been a club committee member overseeing major fundraising and building projects. His four boys all play different sports from weightlifting and judo to parkour; Allan has volunteered as a mini rugby coach, but he now spends most weeknights and weekends standing on the touchline watching youth football and admiring the commitment of the volunteer coaches and parents who make it all possible.
Allan Watt Register of Interests (PDF)