Meet The Team

SAMH Trustee Board

Chris Creegan

Chair

Joined the SAMH Board as a trustee in 2013 and has been Chair since 2015. Read more

Chris has been involved in a host of equality and social justice initiatives and campaigns for 40 years. Chris provides consultancy support to a range of third and public sector organisations. He was Chief Executive of the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) from 2013-2019, and previously Director of Corporate Affairs and Deputy Director of Qualitative Research at NatCen Social Research, Britain’s leading independent social research institute. Chris is a non-executive member of the Executive Advisory Body at Social Security Scotland. He lives with his husband and their Border Terrier, Craigie, in Edinburgh, runs for Edinburgh Athletic Club.

Shona Littlejohn

Vice-Chair

Shona Littlejohn currently works for the Open University in Scotland where she is the mental health lead; prior to that she was Vice-Principal at Robert Gordon University where her portfolio included student experience including the wellbeing and counselling service. Read more

Shona has also worked as a volunteer and latterly volunteer and client co-ordinator for a social enterprise working with those experiencing long-term and enduring learning disabilities and mental health issues; and is a former board member of North East Scotland College. Shona lives in Edinburgh and loves walking – city streets, hills and country paths and beaches. Her interest in mental health is both professional and personal.

Catriona Headley

Trustee

Catriona is an Associate at Digby Brown LLP and specialises in personal injury litigation. Read more

She was a Scottish Labour Parliamentary Candidate in Edinburgh Western for the Holyrood elections in 2016 and a Justice and Policing spokesperson from August 2015. She was previously President of the Scottish Young Lawyers' Association (2010-12) and Assistant Honorary Secretary of the Glasgow University Union while completing her LLB Degree.

Stephen Martin

Trustee

Stephen leads the Scottish Government’s Reactive Newsdesk. Read more

Stephen has over 20 years’ experience in journalism. He was Baghdad correspondent for the Sunday Mirror during the Iraq War in 2003 and covered the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks from New York in 2001. Formerly group head of content for the Daily Record and deputy editor of the Sunday Post, Stephen now leads the Scottish Government’s Reactive Newsdesk. An obsessive marathon runner and fairweather cyclist, Stephen lives in Lanarkshire with his wife and their four children.

Graeme McAlister

Trustee

Graeme has over 17 years of senior experience in the voluntary, health and mental health sectors in Scotland, primarily in member or user-led/service-based organisations, and has served as a Trustee of a mental health charity. Read more

He has led, developed or contributed to campaigns which have influenced legislation, policy, thinking and practice in a number of areas. In addition to specialising in advocating evidence-based policy, stakeholder engagement and working within health, he has lived experience of mental health, of recovering from serious ill health and promoting recovery in others. Graeme is currently Chief Executive of the Scottish Childminding Association.

Elizabeth Humphreys

Trustee

Elizabeth Humphreys has over 30 years of leadership experience in the public and third sectors in the areas of justice; marine management; culture; and health and social care. Read more

She has extensive board-level strategic, policy and governance experience, with particular expertise in assurance and risk management; championing equality and diversity; leading change, and business resilience. She is currently a non-executive director and the Whistleblowing Champion for the Scottish Ambulance Service and Public Health Scotland and is a Member of the Audit and Accountability Committee of the Police Investigations and Review Commission. She is also Vice-Chair of Independent Living Fund Scotland. In the voluntary sector, in addition to her role with SAMH, she is Chair of Drake Music Scotland.

Stuart MacQuarrie

Trustee

From an early age Stuart has been in the voluntary sector right through from standing with collection cans on wet days to senior roles in management and governance. Stuart is a former Chair of BBC Children in Need in Scotland and his working life includes fundraising and public affairs. Read more

He has been Chaplain to the University of Glasgow since 2001 and changed the primary focus from religious observance to that of pastoral support. He is also involved in football and rugby as a Chaplain. He is particularly concerned to make Scotland a suicide free place by working for the mental and spiritual wellbeing of individuals and our shared life as a community.

Alexandra Wright

Trustee

Alexandra is a Research Fellow within the University of Edinburgh’s Global Health Policy Unit, where she is also completing a PhD on alcohol policy in Scotland. Read more

Prior to moving to Scotland, Alex was a project manager in the World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Geneva. Alex has extensive research experience in the areas of mental health, homelessness, tobacco control, and other areas of public policy, having worked at universities in Australia, Canada and the UK. Alex lives in Edinburgh with her husband and yellow Labrador, and you can find her most Saturday mornings participating in her local ‘parkrun’.

Jamie Kinlochan

Trustee

Jamie is an independent consultant, supporting individuals and organisations with their strategy and messaging. Jamie's work has involved policy changing engagement with the First Minister of Scotland, the production of a prime-time documentary and the delivery of a unique counselling service during lockdown. Jamie was awarded a BEM in the New Year Honours list for his work during the COVID pandemic. Read more

Jamie served as a member of the Children's Panel for four years and carried out research into access to higher education for Care Experienced people. He is currently a high school tutor with the Volunteer Tutor Organisation. He has a degree in Politics and Social Policy and a COCSA Certificate in Counselling Skills.

Ross McAdam

Trustee

Ross is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland (ICAS) and is currently an Associate Director at Craig Corporate Ltd, a business management consultancy based in Glasgow working with mostly privately owned businesses. Read more

He is passionate about the importance of good mental health and wellbeing, particularly amongst young men and in the workplace. Ross lives in Glasgow with his wife and daughter, is a passionate football fan, cyclist and average golfer.

Pauline Radcliffe

Trustee

Pauline has devoted her career to the pursuit of justice and wellbeing in public policy and service delivery, working in consultancy, leadership and advocacy roles in both a voluntary and professional capacity. She has recent direct experience of SAMH innovation in young people service delivery, through her own family’s service-use experience and grant-making in her current role. Read more

She currently combines the dual roles of directing the Glasgow Clyde Education Foundation, an FE College grant-making charity, with running her management and research consultancy business. Pauline is a former Carnegie UK Trust Associate and non-executive director of Shared Interest Society and contributor to Scotland’s Wellbeing Economy Alliance, with a specific interest in advocating for policy coherence across the National Performance Framework.

Executive Team

Billy Watson

Chief Executive

Billy joined SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health), Scotland’s largest mental health charity, as Chief Executive in November 2008. Read more

He has led SAMH through two ambitious strategies which has seen the organisation work to reposition mental health as one of the leading causes in Scotland; delivering award winning campaigns, national behaviour change programmes and community support services all across Scotland which continue to deliver high quality outcomes for the individuals who need it most. SAMH’s future areas of focus include care, workplace, wellbeing and therapeutic; all underpinned by a determination to end mental health stigma and discrimination. Prior to SAMH, Billy was with RNIB for 10 years, latterly as UK Group Director. Pre third sector was spent in NHS management for 12 years, variously in positions from General Management Trainee to Hospital Administrator and Business Manager.

Patricia Aniello

Director of Corporate Services

Patricia Aniello has over 30 years’ knowledge and experience of the voluntary sector in Scotland. Since joining SAMH in 1987, Patricia’s role within the organisation has continued to expand. Read more

Currently as Director of Corporate Services Patricia has responsibility for a wide portfolio comprising Finance, Human Resources, Internal Audit, Information Systems and Property Management. In addition, in her role as Company Secretary, Patricia is responsible for organisational governance and compliance. Patricia is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants; and former trusteeships include Treasurer of the West Drug and Alcohol Service and Treasurer of SCVO.

Jo Anderson

Director of Influence and Change

As Director of Influence and Change Jo has responsibility for developing SAMH’s impact and influence on mental health issues. She leads on public affairs, communications, campaigns, and national behaviour change programmes on suicide prevention, sport and physical activity, See Me and respectme. Read more

Jo has spent over twenty years in the charity sector, previously working for the NSPCC, Cancer Research UK and CHILDREN 1ST. She is passionate about the sector and its power to make a difference in the world. Moving to SAMH in 2011, Jo led on the delivery of a number of ground breaking campaigns and major policy wins including: the Two Too Many Campaign, Scotland’s first ever suicide adverts on daytime television; and the Going To Be campaign on young people’s mental health, highlighting that at the time 19 young people were turned away from CAMHS every day. Jo also contributes to national suicide prevention efforts through her work with the NSPLG (National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group), specifically the development and delivery of United to Prevent Suicide and FC United.