Our Staff | Scottish Land & Estates

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 Laing has served as Chief Executive of Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) since December 2019, becoming the first woman to lead the organisation since its founding over 120 years ago. With over 25 years’ experience in rural policy, strategy and public affairs, she has played a central role in shaping national debate on land use...

Ania Rytel-Dunn

Executive Assistant

Ania, who is originally from Poland, moved to Edinburgh in 2007 to complete her degree in Publishing. Since graduating she has worked in business support roles in a variety of industries, from start-ups such as early days of Skyscanner to large organisations like HSBC or JP Morgan. In her free time, she loves tending to her vegetable...

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 & Strategic Projects

Ross was appointed as Director of Moorland & Strategic Projects at Scottish Land & Estates in October 2025. Ross, who lives near Comrie in rural Perthshire, leads SLE’s representation on moorland and wildlife management and is a member of the organisation’s senior management team. He successfully led SLE’s response to the Wildlife...

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...

Anna Gardiner

Senior Policy Adviser (Business & Property)

Anna joined SLE in October 2022. Growing up on a farm in the Scottish Borders, she pursued Land Economy at the University of Aberdeen. She then moved to London, where she qualified as a Chartered Surveyor while working in commercial property for Savills. Upon returning to Scotland, Anna gained extensive experience in the rural residential...

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...

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...

Nic MacLeod

Policy & Public Affairs Adviser

Nic joined Scottish Land & Estates in April 2022 as Regional Manager for Clydeside & Argyll, a role she held for over two years. She then held the Policy & Public Affairs Assistant role followed by an Acting Policy Adviser role before stepping into her current role as Policy & Public Affairs Adviser covering topics such as Rural Crime...