About Jim
Jim became Principal and Chief Executive of Fife College on April 17, 2023. Before this role, he spent seven years as Chief Executive of the College Development Network (CDN), where he championed the value of college education across Scotland and supported personal development and performance improvement within the sector. Prior to CDN, Jim was Head of Practice & Development at the Carnegie UK Trust in Fife, where he led a nationwide programme focused on young entrepreneurship, community economic development, and research into colleges and skills.
Jim’s non-executive roles, both past and present, include serving as Director of the UK Energy Saving Trust and Chair of the EST Foundation, which helps young people take action on the climate emergency. He has also been a Trustee of the SCQF Partnership, a Skills Ambassador with the Institute of Directors, and has contributed to consultative boards for the Scottish Government, DEFRA, and the European Commission.
In addition to his professional roles, Jim is an economic history researcher, studying and publishing on the history of 20th-century migration, affluence, and community cohesion in industrial communities. He is married to Sarah, an expert in dementia care innovation, and they have two children.