Julie McDowell
Joined Board: June 2019
Experience: Julie has worked at senior level in responsible and sustainable investment for the last twenty years. Previously she practised law in both the private and public sector in New York and Washington, DC. She is an experienced non-executive Director and Chair. Julie served as a non-executive director of NHS Lothian, where she chaired the Audit & Risk Committee, was the Vice Chair of the Integrated Joint Board for health and social care in West Lothian and a board member of the Integrated Joint Board for health and social care in Midlothian.
Board Role: Chair (March 2021)
Alan Boyter
Joined Board: October 2021
Experience: Alan Boyter is a senior HR/OD Director with 38 years’ experience in the Public Sector mainly the NHS.
Alan is a previous winner of the CIPD HR Director of the Year and since 2016 has managed Dignity HR Solutions Ltd. In addition, Alan is an Honorary Professor in the School of Management, Business and Social Science at the University of Dundee, a Trustee Board member and Vice Chair of Dundee Contemporary Arts, a member of the People Committee of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, and a Board member of the Cairndow Childcare Centre and Fyne Den.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of People Committee
Billie Croan
Joined Board: March 2022
Experience: Billie has accumulated a great deal of financial experience through a long-standing and successful career in the Sterling money market industry. From money broking to asset management, he has built large and diverse client bases for two leading money market funds. Billie has co-founded Munix Ltd, a digital platform aimed at helping Treasurers access free financial information and pricing.
Board Role: Board Member/ Member of MBTC
Committee Role: Member of Finance and Audit Committee
Louise Dunlop
Joined Board: April 2018
Experience: Louise is a Senior HR professional with over 30 years experience in various sectors. Over her career Louise has held senior positions in Royal Bank of Scotland, National Australia Bank, Roche Pharmaceuticals and Digital Equipment Ltd. Her most recent role was as Interim HR Director for Police Scotland. Louise’s roles have focused heavily on leading major business transformation and enabling culture change in large organisations.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of Finance and Audit Committee and Chair of People Committee
Martin Hensman
Joined Board: April 2018
Experience: Martin has worked in Development and Construction for over twenty years and leads the development team at Hub South East. The bulk of his experience is gained from the delivery of large, complex, public private housing led regeneration initiatives, and Health and Education PPP infrastructure projects.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of Performance and Risk Committee
David Melvin
Joined Board: March 2017
Experience: David, who is now retired, from the role as Managing Director of Cordia LLP which is a multi service provider of care at home and facilities management to Glasgow City Council and other public bodies. He now carries out a role as a Business Mentor on behalf of The Chamber of Commerce and Scottish Enterprise and has extensive experience at a senior level of managing large diverse workforces in both the public and private sector.
Board Role: Board Member/ Member of MBTC
Committee Role: Member of Performance and Risk Committee , Member of People Committee
David Tares
Joined Board: October 2019
Experience: David is a tenant of Blackwood and has worked for Capability Scotland as a Disability Equality Trainer for over a decade. He was also a Volunteer Inspector for the Care Inspectorate for a 10-year period. David has previously presented workshops for TPAS on tenant participation engagement, and also helped develop an online compact for TPAS Wales in engaging tenants with complex needs.
David has ongoing involvement with the Scottish Government surrounding the reshaping of the social care sector, with a particular interest in procurement and commissioning, he is continuing to do work in a similar field for the Carnegie Trust which resulted from being involved in their Kindness Innovation network.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of Performance and Risk Committee and Member of People Committee
Callum Chomczuk
Joined Board: January 2023
Experience: Callum is the national director of CIH Scotland and has been in his current post since September 2018. Before joining CIH he worked in public affairs for the consultancy Pagoda PR and before that as a policy officer for third sector organisations and as a researcher in the Scottish Parliament.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Chair of Performance and Risk Committee and Member of Finance and Audit Committee
Tom Dodd
Joined Board – January 2023Tom has a diverse background spanning the public and private sectors, where he has successfully managed improvement programs and service integration in adults and children’s care services, health, housing, and environmental services. He holds a strategic role in a healthcare technology provider leading a multidisciplinary team to develop and deliver digital-first healthcare and wellbeing tools and services. His previous board experience includes recent service as Company Secretary at Abbeyfield Scotland.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of Performance and Risk Committee
Andy Steel
Joined Board – August 2023Andy has over 40 years’ experience in Finance, Business and Property. He started his career in Investment Management with Ivory and Sime where he worked in fund management, oil and gas investments and ultimately ran its venture capital operations. From there he moved into Corporate Finance with Deloitte, where he specialised in technology and property. In 2003 he set up his own corporate finance and property consultancy and has over the years negotiated and completed land transactions in both the public and private sector.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of Finance and Audit Committee
Craig MacDonald
Joined Board: September 2025
Craig has worked at Standard Life Investments and, following its merger, at Aberdeen, serving on a small number of public and not-for-profit Boards, while also completing a Master’s degree at the University of St Andrews. At Aberdeen Investments, he was the Global Head of Fixed Income, responsible for the £135bn global Fixed Income investment business, and successfully led the merger of the Fixed Income departments.
Craig has a strong interest in the public and not-for-profit sectors, having started his career at the Audit Commission (the regulator for English local government and local authorities). He was Head of the team responsible for Housing Associations, Local Government, and other public sector bodies at Standard & Poor’s Rating Agency. At Aberdeen Investments, he oversaw significant investments in UK Housing Associations and local authorities.
Craig has wide Board experience, including serving on the Sustainability for Housing Board, several internal Aberdeen governance Boards, and chairing many key internal committees.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Member of Performance and Risk Committee
Ian Pinches
Joined Board : September 2025
Ian is a qualified accountant and has worked across the regulated public sector in a Non-Executive capacity for almost 2 decades (Housing, NHS - both Provider & Commissioner - and the Emergency Services) and brings a depth of relevant experience to his role at Blackwood. Before taking semi-retirement, Ian worked in Housing and served as Deputy Chief Executive & Finance Director at a London based provider of Housing, Care & Support services and he subsequently started and ran a multi-award-winning small business in the Hospitality sector for a decade.
Board Role: Board Member
Committee Role: Chair of Finance and Audit Committee