The Scottish Government has announced the appointment of the chair and members of the inaugural Qualifications Scotland Board. The new board will provide oversight and strategic direction to Scotland’s new awarding and accreditation body, Qualifications Scotland.
Joining the Qualifications Scotland Board will be:
- Gerry O’Neill, Head Teacher at St Ninian’s High School in East Renfrewshire
- Jason Fitzgerald, Depute Head Teacher at Westhill Academy in Aberdeenshire
- Sarah Higgins-Rollo, Vice Principal, Learning and Student Experience at Forth Valley College
- Kirsty Berchtenbreiter, Director of People and Wellbeing at the University of the West of Scotland
- Ewan Carmichael, Policy and External Relations Manager at Quarriers, one of Scotland’s largest health and social care charities. As a recent learner Ewan will represent the interests of learners
- Ian Hughes, Engagement Director for Scotland at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)
The new board members bring a wealth of experience to their new roles, and will join previous SQA Board members Seán Hagney, Dr Ken Thomson, Ronnie Erskine, Simon Hewitt, Caroline McFarlane, John Morton and Michelle Wailes who have transferred to the new organisation and will serve the remainder of their board appointment under Qualifications Scotland.
Qualifications Scotland – Governance Structure
Qualifications Scotland will have a robust governance structure embedded in the Education (Scotland) Act 2025. In addition to the new board, this includes:
- New Interest Committees dedicated to learners and teachers and practitioners.
- An Accreditation Committee independently appointed and governed, and separate from the main awarding functions.
- A Strategic Advisory Council to advise on functions across education, skills, and the economic system.
Qualifications Scotland Board member biographies
Details of new board members are available on the Scottish Government’s Public Appointments website.
