Before his election to the Scottish Parliament, he was previously the Depute Leader of Aberdeen City Council and served as a local councillor for more than eleven years. As a councillor, he chaired the Finance and Resources Committee and the North East of Scotland's Regional Transport Partnership, NESTRANS.

Kevin has served in the Scottish Parliament as the member for Aberdeen Central since 2011. He was the Convener of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee in the last Parliament and sat on the Welfare Reform and Justice Sub-Committee on Policing.

He was previously the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning.

Allan joined Eildon Housing Association Board in September 2015. He is also a Director of Eildon Enterprise Ltd.

Before his retirement, he was Director of Planning at Homes for Scotland, the voice of the Scottish home building industry.

He has a Diploma in Town Planning and a B.Sc (Hons.) Degree in Town and Country Planning. He was a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute from 1976 until 2014. He is Chair of the Trekking and Riding Society of Scotland and a Director of Horsescotland. Most recently he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

In his spare time, he enjoy commentating at Horse Trials, watching rugby and playing golf.

Stefano is a commercial and pragmatic development planner with a strong customer focus. Stefano has nearly 30 years of UK professional experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams within a planning, environmental, design and engineering consultancy.

He has extensive experience in providing development planning and project management services in the environment, infrastructure, energy, commercial, industrial, housing and mixed-use sectors. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute (FRTPI) with experience in statutory planning (including approvals & consents and expert witness), sustainability, regeneration, master planning & urban design, consultation & engagement strategies and tools & development economics. He is a seasoned practitioner in stakeholder engagement and the development of communication strategies, as well as the use of appraisal and assessment tools.

Stefano has successfully advised, negotiated, and delivered complex land development and infrastructure projects of ranging sizes. He has worked in both the private and public sectors, particularly pertaining to the principles and practice of the economics of urban regeneration, land development, sustainability, urban design, complex environmental assessment, and project management.

Dr John Boyle leads the Rettie & Co Research Team, providing a cutting-edge research and consultancy function. His work informs clients on sales, lettings, investment and development opportunities. He also analyses the current status of property markets and assesses how they are likely to change. Over the last 17 years, he has worked for all of the major house builders in Scotland, the Scottish Government, many local authorities and investors. He led the Scottish Government’s study into the 5-year Review of the Home Report. He sits on Homes for Scotland’s Policy Advisory Group and is a member of the Society of Property Researchers and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Diarmaid is the Associate Director for  Place, Housing & Economic Investment at the Scottish Futures Trust.

He was previously Head of Urbanism with Architecture and Design Scotland. An urbanist, with a multi disciplinary background, he has worked on projects involving the shaping and implementation of change for clients in Ireland, the UK and Europe, for the public, private and tertiary sectors. He has almost 20 years' experience of helping clients make well informed decisions about complex, connected urban policy and investment challenges. He is an educator, communicator and collaborator who writes and speaks on creative approaches to making better places.

Petra Biberbach is Chief Executive of award-winning national charity, PAS. With a career spanning public, private and third sector, Petra brings a wealth of expertise to the post in the fields of planning, sustainable development, renewable energy, community engagement and research.

Petra is currently the Vice Chair of LINK Group and chairs the Property Development Group. Petra served as a member on the Independent Review of the Scottish Planning System and recently completed two terms as a board member of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority and was Convenor of the Planning Committee. In 1998 she founded and became the first chair of the Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) which campaigned successfully for the reopening of the Borders Railway.

She enjoys golf, choir, cycling, gardening and still singing along to Leonard Cohen!

Petra Biberbach
petra@pas.org.uk
0131 659 9771

Fiona is leading on the delivery of an ambitious capital investment strategy for Scotland’s fastest growing local authority. This includes Scotland's largest passivhaus housing programme and a major expansion in Midlothian's learning estate to support existing and expanding communities.

Fiona has been working to realise the potential of land across Scotland for almost 20 years. As a chartered town planner, Fiona focuses on developing practical, collaborative solutions to unlock or accelerate housing sites to create new and better places for communities to thrive in and more and better homes for people to live in.