Paul is a retired managing director who lives in Dunblane. He was educated at Queens University of Belfast and spent his career in a variety of commercial businesses. Paul has a broad range of skills in management and negotiation and also has a strong history of community and voluntary work, notably as a local councillor, business advisor to the Scotland Office, working on a school board and various professional associations, and making tea at Dunblane Memory cafe.

Andrew has over a decade’s experience within public policy and influencing change. Elected as a Councillor in 2017, he also works for the Mental Welfare Commission in a lived experience role for Neurodiversity.

Bringing experience as a Non-executive Director for two other large charities, he is also the Director of his own company. Andrew has a long track record of successfully changing policy for under-represented and often forgotten groups, successfully securing 7 and 8 figure investments within these areas.

Always looking for a new challenge in areas of interest and those which reflect his values, Andrew brings his entrepreneurial intrigue and problem solving passion to the Board.

Annabel founded ThinkPR in 2004, providing strategic marketing, media and communications support to clients across sectors including energy, finance and the third sector.

A former Board Director of Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland, now part of Scottish Autism, she has led national awareness campaigns and fundraising initiatives recognised by Parliament and industry awards.

Committed to progressing DEI across the energy industry, Annabel is a co-founder of Women in New Energy. It is now a flagship event for diversity and innovation in the sector, with the most recent conference welcoming over 300 attendees and 14 key sponsors.

Shannon Babbie, EdD is a Senior Lecturer of Education at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he gratefully serves as Programme Director of Inclusive Practice & Autism. Dr Babbie brings 25+ years’ experience across teaching & training, coaching & mentorship, human resource leadership, and higher education.

Shannon’s professional research centres around the intersection of autism, teacher education, and educational leadership. 

Margaret has extensive experience in local authority and independent special school provision having been a Principal Teacher of Learning Support, Assistant Head Teacher, Advisor in Additional Support Needs (Strathclyde Region) and Head of Service for ASN (Glasgow City). On a national basis she was a member of the National CPD Team and actively engaged with the independent special school sector. She currently chairs the National Commissioning Group established post the Doran Review. In her work as an Independent Consultant focussed on leadership support and school development within the sector, she is also the named link with the General Teaching Council on Professional Update. She has a particular interest in autism and has worked with New Struan for some years.

Director of Growth and Innovation

Billy joined us in November 2025 and brings over two decades’ experience across psychotherapy, social care and the third sector, with a career rooted in direct therapeutic support for children, young people and families. Formerly the inaugural CEO of Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland (A-ND), he led the development and delivery of a 2022–2027 strategy to enhance services across the North of Scotland.  

At Scottish Autism, Billy focuses on innovation in children and young people’s services, growth across Scotland, and strategic partnerships that expand our impact. His practice is informed by lived experience, diagnosed with ADHD at 15, and by extensive work training organisations UK-wide in neurodiversity, inclusion and therapeutic approaches. Billy is values-driven and committed to co-producing solutions that strengthen outcomes for autistic and neurodiverse people and their families.  

Director of Practice and Innovation 

Joe joined the executive team in 2023 after ten years at Scottish Autism. He leads on Practice Development; Public Policy and Campaigning; Research; Marketing and Communications; and Income Generation. Joe is committed to the meaningful inclusion of autistic people in decision-making at all levels within Scottish Autism and coordinates the strategy to improve this aspect of the organisation’s practices and governance.

Joe has a PhD in Social Anthropology and worked in academia prior to joining Scottish Autism in order to establish the organisation’s participatory research programme. He also draws on many years’ experience in direct support roles within autism and learning disability services.