ABOUT US

IAN FERGUSON

Chair 

Ian is a Chartered Insurer, Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and a qualified Executive Coach. Ian runs the Leadership Business

After spending many years in Corporate Business, during which time he led major teams across the UK, he has had experience in most aspects of running a business. Before leaving full time employment in the corporate world, Ian had a team of 500+ people and was responsible for a budget of £1BN. 

He has served on several industry, government and charity boards. He is married with two grown up children. He attended Crieff High School and has lived in Crieff all his life, despite spending a large part of his working career in London. 

GARETH WARREN

Gareth is currently the Rector and Principal of Morrison’s Academy, Crieff. He has been in the post for the past four years and under his guidance and direction, the already thriving school has gone from strength to strength. 

Educated at Liverpool, Bristol and Edinburgh Universities, Gareth has had a broad set of teaching experiences in a career spanning 24 years. He has worked in both inner city state comprehensives and more recently in the independent sector, as well as having international experience in Bermuda. Gareth brings a depth and breadth of knowledge to the Creative Crieff Board of Trustees with particular insight and expertise into the education of young people. In particular, he has worked with numerous groups and charities with the purpose of engaging and connecting school children with their local communities. 

He is married with three children and lives in Crieff.   

CAROL MCGREGOR

MBE

Carol McGregor is a member of BAFTA under the company name McDongall Films. She produced 3 films. Previous to this she set up theInternational Audio Describer Agency (IADA) and described films for Pathe, Momentum and Film Four. This followed on from describing plays in theatres, starting in Perth and also in Edinburgh, Bristol, London and Holland. She has attended the Cannes Film Festival for many years. She taught in the Learning Support Department at Crieff High School for 13 years and then became the Depute Head at Kingspark School in Dundee She does charity work for CHAS and SightSavers International, having travelled to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Malawi. She is married and has 2 sons. 

JOHN MAUCHLINE

Secretary/Treasurer

John Mauchline FCMA is a Chartered Management Accountant who has experience working in the hotel and hospitality industry in both General Management and Financial Management roles. In 2011 he was awarded Fellowship status with CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) in recognition of the breadth and depth of his financial, accounting and strategic management experience. 

John is now a consultant within the hospitality industry.  John also owns and operates his own accounting practice COUNT (Scotland) Limited with Offices in Perthshire and Fife. With a proven track record for providing management and financial accounting information John has shown diversification through business planning, setting and achieving targets but, also adapting and changing as external economic factors affect performance. 

Out with his professional life John is a keen salmon and trout fisherman, leisure skier and passionate about the beautiful countryside around his home in Crieff. John is Honorary Treasurer for Friends of Innerpeffray Library (Scotland’s oldest public lending Library) and still raises funds for charity by running the occasional 10K ‘fun’ run.

JAMES MCLAREN

MBE

Jim McLaren is a mixed beef and arable farmer from Crieff in Perthshire.  He is currently Chairman of NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading Rural Insurer, having previously held positions as Chairman of Quality Meat Scotland and President of the farmers’ union NFU Scotland. He has held numerous other prominent positions in the Scottish agriculture sector including serving on the board of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

In November 2015 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by that organisation for his “outstanding contributions to Scottish agriculture and the rural economy”. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.

In 2012 he led a project to create a memorial, which is now situated in Moray, to pay tribute to the work of the Land Girls who helped feed the nation by working on farms during World War II. Jim was awarded an MBE for his services to Scottish agriculture in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. 

He is married to Shona and has two sons, two daughters and two step-daughters.

GRAHAM SCOUGALL

(SCOOGZ)

Scoogz is a qualified primary and secondary teacher currently working at Viewlands Primary School in Perth. Born in Madderty, Scoogz has spent most of his professional life working both in Scotland and Australia supporting and teaching children with Additional Support Needs, focussed primarily on young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. In his current role he is a primary class teacher as well as a Microsoft Innovative Educator and digital leader, overseeing digital learning for all staff and pupils.

As a keen musician himself, he not only runs Viewlands’ Glee Club alongside another colleague, but also is a professional musician, singer and songwriter. He has toured widely throughout the UK, Australia, the US and across Europe. In May 2019, he released his first album which is available on all major online platforms. 

As well as playing and tutoring children on drums, guitar, keyboard and musical theory, Scoogz has also used his musical talents to raise money for a range of charitable causes, including the Friends of MacRosty Park where he helped create, organise and run the ‘Highland Fling in the Park.’ He now lives in Crieff, and while his travels have taken him across the world, he is exceptionally proud of the local community and is keen to help provide new and life changing opportunities for children and young people in the area. 

JAMES DENHOLM

James Denholm is a talented and acclaimed architect based in Comrie. He was appointed a fellow of RIAS in 2013. He formed the Denholm Partnership in 1988, after graduating from the University of Dundee where he completed a project about pioneering design in local cinemas. As Architect and Principal for the Denholm Partnership, he has led the firm in pioneering energy efficient timber framed design throughout Scotland. 

Over the last 30 years, Jimmy has been involved in over 5500 projects in various sizes and locations both rural and urban placing great emphasis on trying to find ideal solutions to meet the needs of clients whilst being aware of financial considerations and opportunities. 

Jimmy is an important member of the community, volunteering his time and expertise to further the success of community projects.