SUMMARISED CV
EDUCATION
- Coatdyke Primary
- Coatbridge High School
- Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth
- Royal Naval Engineering College Manadon (Diploma, Electrical Engineering)
- Royal Naval College Greenwich (Post graduate diploma, Nuclear Reactor Technology)
- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (Master of Science degree (Acoustics))
- Joint Service Defence College
ACCREDITATIONS
- Chartered Engineer
- Fellow of Institution of Electrical Engineer
- Member of Institute of Nuclear Engineers
- Member of Institute of Acoustics
- (resigned from all of above on retirement)
ROYAL NAVY
- HM Ships VIGILANT, HERMES and BARROSA
- HM Submarines ANDREW, OTTER, OSIRIS, CONQUEROR and REVENGE
(Awarded MBE in REVENGE for leadership during patrol sream leak emergency)
- Lead officer for UK submarine stealth technology programme (Submarine HQ)
- Tigerfish Torpedo Trials Unit
- Submarine Tactics and Weapons Group (Director of Analysis)
- Squadron Weapons and Engineer Officer, 3rd & 10th Submarine Squadrons
- Directorate of Naval Logistic Planning, MoD, Whitehall, (during first Gulf War)
- Chief Strategic Systems Executive, Assistant Director/UK Sec Joint US/UK Task Group (Trident)
- HM Naval Base Clyde, Chief Engineer and Director of Nuclear Safety
- Chief of Staff, Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
- Commodore, HM Naval Base Clyde
POST NAVAL CAREER
- Freelance management consultant
- Non Executive Trustee of Lomond and Argyll Primary Care NHS Trust
- Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire
- Liberal Democrat Councillor for Helensburgh East
- Liberal Democrat candidate, Dumbarton consituency (Westminster and Holyrood elections)
- Chairman Kirkmichael & Craigendoran Area Development Group
- Member Strathclyde Police Board
- Speaker
- Author/poet
INTERESTS
- Winner of Scottish Association of Writers Best Novel award 2012 (Constable Trophy)
- Published three books of humorous verse: Colquhounsville-sur-Mer, Democracy for Birds, Love Songs for the Romanticallyn Challenged
- Autobiography: On Her Majesty's Nuclear Service' (Casemate UK)
- Burns and Nelson
- President, Bridgeton Burns Club (2013)
- Football
- Marathon running (ex)
- Scout Leader (ex)
- Friend of Guiding
- Freeman of City of Glasgow (Wrights)
- Offshore Yacht Skipper
- Hillwalking
- Theatre
- Nature
PERSONAL
- Widowed 2005; 2 adult sons (both journalists); 4 grandchildren
- Lives near Helensburgh