Group Members

Gordon was educated at Bo’ness Academy and went on to Heriot Watt University where he was awarded an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. His early career was spent as a Maintenance Engineer with BP Chemicals at Grangemouth. He has subsequently held posts in HR, Operations and Business Units for BP Chemicals and BP Exploration and now INEOS, including Site Manager roles at Wilton, Sullom Voe and Grangemouth.

Gordon is a Director of INEOS Manufacturing Scotland Ltd and is currently Works General Manager for the Grangemouth Site. He is also a Council Member of the Chemicals Industry Association and a member of the Chemical Sciences Scotland Leadership team. He is currently Chairman of the Scottish Sector of the CIA and Chairman of the Grangemouth Development Group. He has also held Directorships in UK and European businesses and has been a Trustee of Lerwick Port Authority and Shetland Education Trust. Gordon is married with 3 boys. His main interests outside of work are sport and keeping fit.

Ewan Mearns is a Senior Manager in the Strategy and Economics Team within Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s main economic development agency. The Team helps ensure that SE effectively contributes to delivering the Government Economic Strategy by stimulating an industry-led approach to sustainable economic growth. Ewan focuses on a range of policy areas including sustainable development, tourism, leadership development and futures thinking.

Andrew Mitchell joined the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) in April 2011. Prior to the ECCI Andrew established and led Informatics Ventures, based in Europe’s largest and the UK’s highest-rated Computer Science department. Informatics Ventures was recognised with an award in 2010 as making the “Best contribution to a Smarter Scotland through use of European Structural Funds”. With a current focus on clean energy entrepreneurship and investment and green ICT, Andrew brings 18 years experience in the ICT sector and 11 years experience in business-university collaboration and commercialisation to the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation. This career being within small businesses, FTSE100 corporations and world leading research-intensive universities; internationally across Scotland, England, the USA and Australia. Andrew is a member of the 2020 Climate Group “Opportunities & Challenges” sub-group, a member of Business Forum Scotland’s East Committee and a Committee Member of the Research Centre of Globalisation at Renmin University of China.

David heads Scottish Government’s energy and environmental foresight capability aiming to better anticipate strategic threats and opportunities.

Previously he served as Director of Innovation Development for Scottish Enterprise the main economic development agency in Scotland. Based in Europe, he latterly served as an associate deputy assisting the US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy and Environmental Security Directorate.

He currently leads an international government security community (under the Global Futures Forum) working on a range of issues that contribute to Human and Natural Resource security - such as energy, environmental degradation, water and food security, global health, climate change and bio diversity.

David is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art.