Debbie is a board director with Dobbies Garden Centres which is the UK’s leading garden centre retailer. Headquartered in Scotland, Dobbies Garden Centres employs in the region of 4,000 colleagues across 77 stores located in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland with its latest store opening in Antrim this week. 

Debbie is a member of the Scottish Government’s Retail Industry Leadership Group and joined SRC’s Board in early 2021. She will be the first female Chair of the Scottish Retail Consortium since it formed in 1999 and will work with the 14-person Board and Director David Lonsdale to champion the retail industry and enhance its prospects for growth. 

The retail industry is Scotland’s largest private sector employer with 258,000 colleagues.

David Lonsdale is the Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, and Head of Devolved Nations for the BRC. Prior to this he was Assistant Director at CBI Scotland for 8 years until 2013, and previously worked at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, rising from Policy Officer to become Head of Policy & Public Affairs.

David’s responsibilities at the SRC involve representing and promoting the interests of the retail industry and member companies to government, policy makers and opinion formers on a wide range of public policy issues.

He is a board member of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, a member of SCDI’s National Policy Committee, a member of the CBI Scotland Council, and former chairman and trustee of Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland.

Ewan is Deputy Head of the Scottish Retail Consortium. He previously was Head of Policy and External Affairs for the SRC. Previously he was Public Affairs Advisor for Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc, and before that worked for the Scottish Youth Parliament, Scottish Parliament & Business Exchange, having started his career at the Courier Newspaper in Dundee.

Ewan leads on the development of SRC policy, collaborating with stakeholders, members, and colleagues to develop the SRC’s position on relevant Scottish issues. He also leads on the development of the SRC’s media activity. He can be found on various social media platforms at https://linktr.ee/Emacdonaldrussell