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 is currently leading an inquiry about the role of civil society in Scotland. 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. He lives with his husband in Edinburgh, runs for Edinburgh AC and is writing a memoir.

Tony Dick

Trustee Treasurer

Tony is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and joined SAMH as Trustee Treasurer in 2014. Amongst his experience, Tony is a former Finance Director of the Scotch Whisky Experience. Read more

Tony is a keen hillwalker and member of Mountaineering Scotland, an enthusiastic football supporter and more recently has taken up beekeeping. Tony also enjoys travelling, particularly as both his children are currently living and working abroad. Tony lives in Falkirk with his wife and recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. 

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.

Professor Robert Hunter

Trustee

Professor Hunter is an experienced psychiatrist with over 30 years’ experience. His key motivation is to help people recover good mental health and well-being. Read more

Through the NHS Bob has worked as a clinician in the Rehabilitation and Recovery Service in West Glasgow. Through his academic work he is involved in 2 strands of research: developing better treatments for mental health problems and service-user centred assessments to personalise care. He currently holds the position of R&D Director for Research Governance and Ethics for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Chairs at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities.

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 has worked in the public and voluntary sectors for over 30 years and has extensive experience at board level. She is currently Vice-Chair of Independent Living Fund Scotland (a public body supporting disabled people to live independently) and Chair of Drake Music Scotland (Scotland’s leading music and disability organisation). Read more

Elizabeth is also a befriender with three Scottish charities which support older people. Elizabeth is passionate about the importance of promoting good mental health and wellbeing and throughout her career has championed the provision of support for all.

Shona Littlejohn

Trustee

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.

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’.

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.

Graeme Henderson

Director of Delivery and Strategic Development

As Executive Director of Delivery and Strategic Development Graeme’s responsibilities include new business development and overall management and development of SAMH services. Read more

Graeme originally trained as an engineer with British Shipbuilders ending his engineering career as a design draughtsman. Graeme then worked as a volunteer with homeless people and qualified as a mental health nurse in the mid eighties. Graeme left the NHS in the early nineties to work for SAMH and since then has worked for several leading Scottish voluntary organisations. Graeme has a broad experience in managing and developing services across the social care spectrum, with particular expertise in mental health, as well as services for people with addictions, homelessness issues, a learning disability and older people. Graeme completed a Masters Degree in Community Care at Glasgow University in 2002; carrying out research into the development of the new Mental Health Acts in Scotland and England & Wales. Graeme is a Member of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland and an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

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 External Affairs

Jo joined SAMH in May 2011 to develop and deliver a fundraising and income generation strategy, a new venture for the organisation. Positioning mental health as a cause to support SAMH is now raising in excess of £1million each year from voluntary sources. Read more

During this time Jo led a cross functional team at SAMH to deliver the ground breaking ‘Two Too Many’ Campaign, Scotland’s first ever suicide adverts on day time television. Taking up the role of Director of External Affairs in 2013 Jo leads on SAMH’s work in public affairs, campaigns, communications and fundraising. SAMH aims to inspire everyone in Scotland who cares about mental health to give or support us. Jo has worked in fundraising and communications in the third sector for 20 years. Prior to SAMH, Jo worked for the NSPCC, Cancer Research UK and CHILDREN 1ST. Jo is a fully certified member of the Institute of Fundraising and sits on the IoF Executive Committee in Scotland.

Do you have a passion for Mental Health?

We are currently seeking SAMH Trustees to join our team.

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