Team

The RSE is proud to have a dynamic and experienced team committed to driving the organisation’s mission forward to explore, discover and share knowledge.

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Senior leadership team

  • Professor Sarah Skerratt

    Chief Executive

    sskerratt@theRSE.org.uk

    Sarah is Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland’s National Academy, and Professor of Rural Society and Policy. She joined the RSE in 2020 and became Chief Executive in 2022. Working collaboratively with the President, Office-Bearers, Council, Fellows and colleagues across the RSE, she supports the delivery of its strategy and the use of the collective expertise to create public benefit across Scotland and internationally.

    For more than 30 years, Sarah has researched rural community resilience, disempowerment, poverty and mental health. She has helped shape rural and national policy through robust evidence (particularly the lived experience of communities) and has worked with governments, parliaments, universities, businesses, charities, communities and development agencies in Scotland and internationally. During a two-year secondment to Audit Scotland, she established its Islands Forum. From 2018 to 2026, she served as Scientific Director of the Scottish Consortium for Rural Research.

    Sarah is Chair of The Open University in Scotland and a member of The Open University Council. She is also a Board member of the ScottishPower Foundation and Gorebridge Community Development Trust. Her previous charity Board appointments include Scotland’s Rural College, Rural Housing Scotland and Scotland’s Regeneration Forum.

    Across her work, Sarah champions inclusive leadership, collaboration, place-based development and the use of knowledge and evidence to deliver lasting public benefit.

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    Karen Goodman

    Head of Corporate Services

    kgoodman@therse.org.uk

    With over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across universities and schools, Karen specialises in helping organisations achieve their goals from behind the scenes. Her career has spanned fundraising, governance, strategy, compliance, risk, facilities, and organisational development, giving her a broad range of skills and perspectives to support the continued success of RSE.

    Karen enjoys building trusted relationships and finding practical solutions to complex challenges. Whether developing strategy, strengthening governance or leading teams, she is committed to creating the conditions that enable colleagues – and the Society – to thrive.

  • Andrew Grant

    Director of Development

    agrant@theRSE.org.uk

    Andrew is the Director of Development at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, joining in 2025 to lead the Society’s fundraising strategy to support its mission. He brings over 15 years of experience across education, charity and cultural organisations, including senior positions at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and George Watson’s College – Scotland’s largest independent school – where he oversaw fundraising, stakeholder engagement and the management of archives and historic collections. Andrew began his career in the Royal Household, working in Edinburgh and London.

    He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. Andrew brings expertise in philanthropy, stakeholder engagement, relationship management, and strategic income growth to the RSE.

  • Iagan MacNeil

    Head of Communications

    imacneil@theRSE.org.uk

    Iagan joined the RSE in September 2022 as Head of Communications having previously worked for a variety of organisations mainly in the public or not-for-profit sectors. His department oversees the Fellowship team, as well as, RSE’s marketing, social media, media relations, and internal communications. A former journalist, his experience has mainly been in media relations and public affairs for organisations such as Smart Energy GB, Historic Scotland, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, VisitScotland, and Digital UK.

    He is a fluent Gaelic speaker from the Hebrides and a Trustee with the Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust which supports youth music education across Scotland. Iagan has also presented some general interest walking series for BBC Alba.

  • Karen Sim

    Head of Innovation and Impact

    ksim@theRSE.org.uk

    Karen Sim is the Head of Innovation and Impact at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. A familiar face to the RSE, having been at the RSE for 11 years, previously managing the public engagement team and the broad programme of activity. Her progression during her time has given her a 360 view of the organisation combined with her dedication. During her time at the RSE she has organised international workshops, led a series of thematic debates during the Scottish independence referendum, streamlined the hybrid approach to the public engagement programme during the Covid-19 pandemic, and provided essential support for the Post Covid Futures Commission.

    Previously, she worked for a charity that empowered people through a programme of educational and vocational activities. It was while at FABB Scotland that she discovered her passion for working in an educational charity, working with like-minded colleagues to achieve a shared mission.

    When she’s not at work, you can often find her running around after her two children, enjoying some fresh air walking the dog or going for a run.

  • Sam Telford

    Head of Programmes

    stelford@theRSE.org.uk

    Sam Telford is Head of Programmes at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, where he leads the development and delivery of the organisation’s cross-cutting programme activity, spanning public engagement, policy advice, research awards, and international collaboration. In this role, he has supported the expansion of the RSE’s programme activity, including the development of new initiatives and the growth of its research awards programme, with a focus on strengthening impact and connectivity across programmes. He works closely with Fellows, partners, funders, and colleagues to ensure the RSE’s programmes are strategically aligned, impactful, and responsive to Scotland’s key challenges and opportunities across education, economy and enterprise, and research.

    Sam previously served as Communications Manager at the RSE, where he led on organisational communications and was editor of ReSourcE, the Society’s magazine. This experience continues to inform his approach to programme delivery and development, with a strong emphasis on engagement, collaboration, and public value.

    Alongside his role at the RSE, Sam is also an electronic music producer and DJ, producing deep house music with a growing catalogue of releases and performing across the UK, Europe, and beyond.

Meet the teams

Our archives tell the stories of Fellows and the Institution from the 18th century to the present. The archive team manages the RSE’s historical records, library, and archive and ensures the organisation has a good system for information and records management that fully complies with all relevant statutory requirements and regulations.

Council

The RSE Council consists of Fellows who are appointed annually by their peers through a competitive election process. It is responsible for setting the Society’s overall governance, policy and strategy.

Meet the Council

Committees and standing groups

  • Standing committees

    The RSE hosts several committees and standing groups that bring together a range of expert and practitioner perspectives to inform and influence…

    Read more

Vacancies

Discover jobs at the Royal Society of Edinburgh and join the collaborative, committed, and forward-thinking team.

If you have any questions about any open role or any difficulty accessing the online application form, please contact vacancies@theRSE.org.uk.

There are no current vacancies at the RSE.