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Meet Our Board
Mike Macaulay, Chairman
Mike joined the board in 2013, and was appointed Chairman of the Group in 2022, having served in the position of Vice Chair since 2017. With a wide range of business skills and development experience, Mike is one of the founding members and Chairman of GPH Builders Merchants Ltd and Findlay, Glover and Macaulay. Mike is also Chairman of Inverurie Loco Works Football Club.
Stuart Stephen, Vice Chairman
Stuart joined the board in September 2016 and was appointed to the role of Vice Chairman in 2022. Stuart brings a wealth of experience to the group. Together with his family, he runs Thorneybank farm shop and farms 700 acres at Netherthird, Rothienorman, comprising spring barley and grass. Stuart is the former president of the Turriff Show and is a director of the Royal Northern Agricultural Society.
David Green, Deputy Vice Chairman
The Managing Director of Duncan Farms at Muirden near Turriff, managing over 12,500 acres across the North and North East, with enterprises including egg laying, arable and breeding sheep. He is a partner in renewable energy firm, Muirden Energy, and along with his family runs a small arable farm. David is currently Property Convener and a Trustee of the Aberdeen Endowments Trust and is a committee member of the Turriff Show.
Alan Hutcheon (F.I.A)
An auctioneer and former senior manager of the group for 35 years, Alan was co-opted to the board in March 2018. Alan brings valuable experience to the board from his time at Aberdeen & Northern Marts, which saw him mainly selling prime cattle and cull cows, canvassing livestock and assisting in the development of the Saturday plant, machinery and equipment sales.
Anna Mitchell, Director
Anna joined the board of directors in January 2018. With a background in dairy farming, Anna has run the popular Castleton Farm Shop since 2008 — her main responsibility in the Castleton Farm family business — one of Scotland’s largest commercial fruit growers. Anna brings considerable experience across the agriculture, hospitality and catering sectors.
Jane Mitchell, Director
Born and brought up on the family farm in Inverurie, Jane was appointed to the board in December 2016. With more than 30 years’ experience in the finance sector, Jane is currently in a business advisory role with a leading accountancy practice specialising in agriculture, and previously held several positions with the Clydesdale Bank throughout Scotland, including Senior Partner Agribusiness and Head of Customer Banking at the Bank’s Thainstone branch. A graduate of Aberdeen University and CA, Jane is also currently a Trustee of RSABI, and a Council member and Non-executive Director of SAOS.
Norman Thow, Director
Norman, a well-known and respected member of the farming community, was co-opted to our board in December 2018. He runs an extensive family farm operation in Denside, Auchenblae near Stonehaven, in partnership with his brother and is supported by his wife and son in the day to day running of the business. Norman has farmed for more than 40 years and brings a significant wealth of knowledge and experience across the agricultural sector.
Keith Walker, Director
A Former RNAS President, Keith works on his arable unit alongside the family’s extensive cattle and sheep farm based near Insch. He has many years’ experience in managing a diverse portfolio, running a successful local children’s nursery business and manages the letting of his residential, office and Commercial properties.
Ian Sim, Director
A well-known and respected figure across the farming industry, Ian runs a successful livestock operation, finishing 2,000 cattle annually, supplying slaughterhouses, meat wholesalers and local butchers. A supporter of the live auction system, Ian is a regular at Thainstone every Friday, buying store cattle for finishing.
Mark Gall, Director
Mark is an experienced banker, fulfilling a senior leadership role for over 17 years leading teams in the North of Scotland with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Mark’s role has allowed him to have wide ranging sectoral experience including agriculture, property, oil & gas, fishing, hospitality, renewables, retail, and professional services – predominately in the SME and Corporate environment. Mark has an extensive knowledge of leading transactions in support of mergers and acquisitions, working capital and asset purchases alongside initiating appropriate debt and equity structures in conjunction with local professionals.
Iain Fraser, Director
Co-opted to the board in 2023, Iain is a highly experienced Accountant and Corporate Business Advisor with over 35 years’ experience and partner with Accountants FRP Advisory. From a Ross-shire farming family, Mr Fraser has maintained his farming interests as a former chair and former treasurer of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs (SAYFC) and is currently chair of the Ingliston Trust. As well as joining the board, Iain will also take on an executive role with the company on a part-time basis to advise the board and Executive Team on policy development.