Business Committee

The dates of 2025/26 Business Committee meetings are as follows:

• Thursday, 25 September 2025
• Thursday, 6 November 2025
• Thursday, 19 February 2026
• Thursday, 18 June 2026
• Thursday, 24 September 2026

The Business Committee’s 2024-25 report to the University Court is available here. 

Minutes of Meetings

For further information please contact gest@abdn.ac.uk.

If you want to have a more active role in the General Council, you can stand for election to the Business Committee. Please use our get in touch form to find out more.

Norman Hutchison (Convenor)

MacRobert Chair of Land Economy, based in the Business School. He was Head of the Real Estate Department for 20 years up to 2022 and is presently the Director of the Centre for Real Estate Research. He represented his discipline on Senate for over 20 years and was elected twice as a Senate Assessor to the University Court serving from 2011 to 2017. His main research areas are risk pricing in commercial property markets, financing urban regeneration, the operation of mortgage markets, senior housing and stakeholder engagement in the HE sector. He is a chartered surveyor with over 30 years' experience of teaching and research on the built environment.

Daniel Montgomery (Vice-Convenor)

Dan graduated in Modern Languages in 1980 and completed Diplomas in Education and in Educational Management at the University thereafter. He worked as Head of University Guidance at Robert Gordon's College and has particular interests in undergraduate student recruitment, the student experience, student welfare and alumni relations. He is a former Company Director and Trustee of the UK Combined Cadet Force Association, which looks after the interests of the 500 cadet units in schools. He commanded RGC Combined Cadet Force for 26 years, stepping down in 2023 with the rank of Wing Commander. With RAF Air Cadets recently appointed as an SQA examination centre, his current role is in Quality Assurance on the national Accreditation Team. He published Robert Gordon's College: The Military Tradition in 2008 and continues to work on the College Roll of Honour through his ongoing part-time employment in the College Archives. He volunteers with the Armed Forces Charity SSAFA and is former Panel member with Children's Hearings Scotland.

Doris Edem Agbevivi

Doris is a globally recognised sustainability and energy policy expert from Ghana, with over a decade of experience advancing clean energy, climate action, and equitable energy transitions across Africa. She currently serves as Project Manager for Energy Transition and Green Infrastructure at the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), where she oversees energy portfolios in Ghana and Liberia. 

Doris has been a driving force in shaping Ghana’s energy and transport landscape. She conceptualized and led the country’s pioneering Drive Electric Initiative, the EV Baseline Study, contributed to the National Energy Policy (2010), and the Electric Vehicle Policy (2023), and played a pivotal role in establishing Ghana’s national EV charging standards and regulations. Her leadership also extended to organizing Ghana’s first national EV conference and exhibition, catalysing cross-sector awareness and collaboration on sustainable transport. 

On the international stage, Doris has consulted for the World Health Organization’s Urban Health Initiative and represented Ghana on more than 50 global platforms, including COP the UN High-Level Political Forum, and the World Bank’s Sustainable Mobility for All (SUM4ALL) initiative, championing inclusive, low-carbon mobility and just energy transitions.

A 2022/2023 Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellow and 2025/26 Obama African Leader, Doris holds an MSc in Energy Economics and Finance from the University of Aberdeen and an MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment from the University of Oxford. Her work continues to bridge policy, innovation, and impact, building a sustainable future rooted in equity and opportunity. Doris is a passionate teacher and mentor. She loves reading, gardening, painting and photography.

Dr Natalia Calanzani

Dr Calanzani is a Lecturer, Teaching & Research, in Applied Health Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, with qualifications in Business (professional qualification and MSc with Distinction), Psychology (BSc), and Population Health Sciences (PhD).  She teaches public health and policy evaluation and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students on evidence synthesis.

She carries out interdisciplinary research in rural-urban health inequalities, early cancer diagnosis and the use of artificial intelligence to detect cancer.

Dr Calanzani has more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and her research has contributed to securing over £1m of grant funding.

Born in Brazil but having lived in the UK since 2007, Dr Calanzani offers international experience, while also understanding the British context and the many financial constraints that affect Higher Education. Her interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving acknowledges the financial, political, social, health and academic contexts.

Fiona Dormandy

A solicitor and in-house lawyer with over 25 years' experience in private practice and in-house most notably in fast-growing global technology-backed businesses. Originally from Glasgow, Fiona graduated from Aberdeen University in 1996 LLB (hons) with French law. She was President of the AU Law Mooting Society in 1994/5. Fiona started her legal career at global law firm Freshfields working in London, Brussels & Milan. She then moved in-house to Sky and on to Betfair (now Flutter) where she became Chief Legal Officer in 2013 before joining San-Francisco head-quartered Airbnb in 2017. In her current role as EMEA General Counsel she leads the Legal Team covering the Europe, Middle East & Africa region. Fiona is passionate about supporting younger lawyers in their legal careers and has been involved in a number of mentoring initiatives including founding a highly successful global mentoring programme at Airbnb in 2020.

Andrew Duffell

Andrew Duffell is an internationally experienced executive with over 20 years of leadership in technology-driven economic development, startup incubation, and university-industry collaboration. As President of the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University, he led initiatives that generated over US$700 million in annual economic impact in 2024. He is recognised for scaling innovation hubs, forging high-impact public-private partnerships, and advising global ventures on market expansion and commercialisation.

A fluent Spanish and English speaker, Andrew earned an MA in European Studies from the University of Aberdeen in 2000 and an MBA from Florida Atlantic University in 2015. He is a board-level contributor and sought-after speaker on regional growth, innovation strategy, and commercialisation.

Derek Duthie

Graduated BSc Marine Resource Management (2006) and MSc International Business and Finance (2020). Fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute. Director of Administration and Finance with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, S.F.F. Services Limited and Marine Environmental Solutions Limited, combining previous financial and fisheries policy experience in a wide-ranging role. Financial management and company secretarial responsibility for three other companies, including two registered charities.

Interests include following football and baseball. Mandarin student at the University's Confucius Institute and Treasurer of Stockethill Church.

David Evans

Born and raised in the north-east of Scotland, David studied law at the University and has worked in both the Scottish and UK parliaments since graduating in 2014.  He currently works in public affairs, having represented a range of industries in the energy and health sectors through trade associations.

As a gay man, David understands the importance of the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion, and hopes to ensure the supportive and inclusive environment he remembers as a student is protected and built on for current and future students.

Maintaining links with the University, he is a member of the newly reformed London alumni group, and served as the Apprentice to the University Court in 2022/23.

Jason Forbus

Jason graduated with a degree in Sociology from the University of Aberdeen in 2011 and holds an MSc in Globalisation. He went on to serve in the U.S. State Department’s Consular Affairs offices in Rome and London before joining the United Nations in 2014 as a Communications Officer. He is also the author of several fantasy novels and essays that blend his passions for social science, history, and literary fiction.

Hugh Galbraith

Emeritus Professor in School of Biological Sciences at Aberdeen University. Southern Hebridean islander, educated at Oban High School, Strathclyde University (BSc (Hons) and Aberdeen University (PhD). Worked (1972-2010: teaching, research, management, undergraduate and postgraduate administration and supervision, in Aberdeen at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture (SRUC) followed by the Department of Agriculture/School of Biological Sciences (University). Subsequent (post-2010) provision of teaching, research, consultancy and audit services by contract in College and University sectors. Some experience of national charities. Recipient of various research-funded grants. Author of a range of publications and contributor to scientific symposia internationally. Member of UK and European learned societies.  Current specialisations include animal nutrition biology and investigating mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in dairy farm production. Major interests in development of analytical skills, and in promotion of collaborative working.

Professor Christian Haerpfer  

Professor Christian W. Haerpfer is Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Vienna and serves as President of both the World Association of Public Opinion Research (WAPOR, USA) and the World Values Survey Association (WVSA, Austria). He is also Director of the Institute for Comparative Survey Research (ICSR, Austria) and a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA).

Previously, he held senior academic roles including Professor of Politics and Head of Department at the University of Aberdeen, and Professor of Sociology at the United Arab Emirates University. He earned his MSc in Politics from the University of Strathclyde and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Vienna.

Professor Haerpfer has advised global institutions such as the World Bank, OECD, WHO, UNDP, EBRD, ESRC, and ESS.

Dr Elizabeth Ann McClure  

Dr McClure is an experienced education leader and lecturer specialising in early childhood education. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri, she spent two decades teaching and leading schools in the United States before earning her PhD in education in Scotland. Her work focuses on shaping curriculum and teaching practices in primary schools, with a strong emphasis on sustainable, playful learning to support child development and improve educational outcomes.

Jan McRobbie

Aberdeenshire by birth, family and choice of location, resident of Old Aberdeen for the last three decades, her background is in Local Government Governance and Scrutiny. Initially employed, in February 1987, by Aberdeen City District Council as an Area Housing Officer, she was inherited by Aberdeenshire Council on Local Government Reorganisation in 1996, now working mainly in Partnership Committees. Passionate about the communities and culture of North East Scotland, and an Elder at St Machar's Cathedral.

Dorsa Naderi Mehr

Iranian by birth, now living and working in Aberdeen as a project engineer in the oil industry, having previously worked in petroleum engineering in Tehran. Graduated 2022 as a Master of Science in Oil and Gas Engineering, University of Aberdeen.

Ogutu Okudo

Oil and Gas Enterprise Management graduate (MSc) of 2015, an oil and energy expert working at the intersection of business and politics in the energy sector. Referred to by CNN as “the woman on a mission to disrupt the Africa energy sector,” she has played a significant role at the centre of the strategic deployment of decentralized energy technology solutions in East Africa. CEO of Guuru Energy, promoting the development and deployment of Africa's vast oil, gas and renewable energy resources. A Forbes 30 Under 30 listmaker, in the past decade Ogutu has worked as energy transition advisor to the President of Kenya, Nairobi County Chief Executive Officer (CCO) for Energy and Electricity, Executive Board Director of the National Oil Company of Kenya and a technical consultant for the World Bank and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (Kenya).

Arnab Paul

Independent director and healthcare professional with nearly 2 decades of experience. Founder of a Homecare Company called Patient Planet. Tertiary education at at Virginia State University and American University in Washington DC (Hurst Fellowship, 2000). In 2009, granted the Saltire Scholarship to study for MBA in International Healthcare Management at University of Aberdeen. Young Entrepreneur Award and the Fastest Growing Indian Company Award in 2018. In 2019, selected to join the Global Roster of Experts in Digital Health at the World Health Organization in Geneva. In 2023, finalist for the UK Alumni Award in the Business & Innovation category.

Mel Roberts

An Aberdonian, former pupil of Aberdeen High School for Girls and graduate of Aberdeen University with an MA Hons in English Literature and Language. Career in Public and Government Affairs in the UK oil and gas industry, first with Texaco in Aberdeen and then in the London based UK team focusing on activities in the Aberdeen area and offshore operations. Following the Texaco merger with Chevron, she became Public and Government Affairs Manager for Upstream Europe, with responsibility for supporting onshore and offshore activities, and involved travel within Europe and to the US, where she was assigned to Chevron's corporate HQ to develop a Corporate Responsibility Strategy. Mel was delighted to re-join the Business Committee in September 2022.

Judith Taylor

Born and brought up in the North East of Scotland, Judith graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1986 with a MA (Hons) in History and International Relations. After joining the Bank of Scotland's graduate trainee scheme, she spent 10 years in Edinburgh before returning to Aberdeen where she worked as a Director of Corporate Banking with Bank of Scotland, Treasurer with Aberdeen Asset Management and Director of Corporate Banking with Clydesdale Bank. Following 30 years in financial services, she moved into corporate governance as Secretary to the boards of 7 Aberdeenshire Camphill charities retiring in May 2025. Her big passion is music: she plays the flute in an orchestra and a concert band. 

John White

Born and brought up in Edinburgh, studied History at Aberdeen from 1973 to 1977 and took the professional exams of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (now called the Chartered Governance Institute). After a number of administrative roles in and around Edinburgh he moved to one with a private family group of companies in Kirkwall, Orkney, becoming Director and Company Secretary of S & J D Robertson Group Limited, where he spent more than thirty years. Still living in Orkney and involved with a number of local organisations, including Orkney Housing Association, as well as having trained to become a tour guide.

Haiyan Zhang

Graduated from the University in 2020 with a Masters degree in International Business and Finance. She works as a Data Analyst in Shanghai, China. She loves Aberdeen and views it as her second hometown. She is obsessed with travelling, music, hiking, and fresh things

Xiaoou Zhao

Having graduated in 2018 with an MA in Literature in a World Context and been an active member of the University's China Study Group, Xiaoou found his post-Aberdeen career to be as colourful and wide-ranging as his course selections at the university. While at the University, he studied politics, music, art history, and modern languages, and participated in an exchange programme to Cork University where he studied law, finance, sports, and worked in journalism while off the campus. 

After returning to China in 2018, he initially settled in Shanghai. Xiaoou has pursued further studies in France and Switzerland while keeping in touch with his friends in Aberdeen. He kept abreast of local developments, which persuaded him to run for election to the Business Committee.

Members of the Business Committee are elected by the General Council and can serve up to three terms of three years. Elections take place on a rolling annual basis depending on vacancies.

Nominations for the 2025 elections have now closed.