Our Staff

In addition to demonstrating what makes our colleagues qualified for the important roles they playing in driving SLE forward, we also wanted to allow you the chance to learn a little more about the people behind the job titles.

Find out more about the experience and motivations of the team.

Sarah-Jane Laing

Chief Executive

Sarah-Jane was appointed as Chief Executive of Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) in December 2019, the first woman to hold this role in the organisation’s 110 year history. Sarah-Jane, who lives on the family farm in Hume in the Scottish Borders, has steadily climbed the ranks at the rural business organisation over the past fifteen years...

Joyce Karch

PA to Chief Executive

Joyce joined the organisation in 2006, having previously been employed as a legal secretary. Joyce is PA to our Chief Executive, and provides support to the Chair and Vice-Chair.

Tony Stevenson

Director of Operations

Tony has been involved with the organisation since 2010, initially as a contractor arranging logistics for some of SLE’s major events, before being appointed as Head of Business in 2018, and then Director of Operations in February 2023. Tony works alongside our Vice Chair Operations and Chief Executive to increase new business, improve...

Stephen Young

Director of Policy

Stephen Young joined SLE as Head of Policy in August 2019 from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), where he was Project Manager. In February 2023, Stephen became Director of Policy. In his role, Stephen is responsible for managing SLE’s policy team at its Musselburgh HQ, as well as leading development of SLE’s policy...

Ross Ewing

Director of Moorland

Ross was appointed as Director of Moorland at Scottish Land & Estates in July 2022. Ross, who lives near Comrie in rural Perthshire, previously worked as public affairs manager for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) in Scotland. He successfully represented the interests of shooting and country sports in the...

Eleanor Kay

Senior Policy Adviser (Agriculture and Climate Change)

Having previously acted as Policy Adviser (Agriculture) from 2018 to 2020, Eleanor returned to SLE in February 2023, having spent the previous two and a half years working in the US Embassy London for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service as Agricultural Specialist for the United Kingdom and Ireland covering farming, climate change and...

Jackie McCreery

Legal Adviser

Jackie returned to SLE in February 2023 to provide in-house counsel on all aspects of existing and emerging policy which impacts upon SLE members and their businesses, having formerly been Director of Policy & Parliamentary Affairs at SLE (and its predecessor body SRPBA) until 2011. As well as being a qualified lawyer, Jackie is well...

Simon Ovenden

Policy Adviser (Access and Visitor Management)

At the age of 14 Simon secured his first job on a farm in Kent during the school summer holidays. Since then he has consistently worked in the rural industries and estate management sectors. Based at the White Cliffs of Dover for many years, he managed all National Trust countryside locations across Kent and South East London, welcoming...

Sarah Madden

Policy Adviser (Rural Communities)

Sarah joined Scottish Land & Estates in October 2021. She is a graduate of the University of Stirling with a BA (Hons) in History and Politics and MSc in Human Rights and Diplomacy, delivered by the UN Institute of Training and Research. Sarah previously worked for parliamentarians in both the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments, having...

Anna Gardiner

Policy Adviser (Rural Property)

Anna joined SLE in October 2022. From a childhood on a farm in the Scottish Borders she went on to study Land Economy at the University of Aberdeen and, from there to London, where she qualified as a Chartered Surveyor while working in commercial property for Savills. Back in Scotland her work shifted to the residential sector. In...

Nadia Flaherty

Policy Adviser (Wildlife Management)

Nadia joined Scottish Land and Estates as our Membership Co-ordiantor in June 2019. Having been brought up just outside of the Angus Glens, she has great rural knowledge and loves the Scottish countryside and all it has to offer. One of Nadia’s favourite pastimes getting out with her working dogs during the shooting season. Nadia studied...

Nathan Bryceland

Policy Adviser (Biodiversity and Woodlands)

Nathan joined Scottish Land & Estates in spring 2023. Based in East Lothian, he has over 20 years experience working in countryside management and education, with countryside ranger services, local government, and government agencies – including 10 years leading learning programmes with Historic Environment Scotland. He has also worked...