Governance
Any organisation is only as good as the people who run it. Here at the Home, we’re lucky to have a leadership team with a strong vision for the future.
Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, CEO
Lindsay has worked across the humanitarian, aviation and animal welfare sectors leading numerous complex and global operations including disaster response projects in Haiti, Japan and the Philippines. Lindsay was able to secure the first ever round table discussion at a UN conference on animals in disasters. In 2017 Lindsay was nominated for the Young Leader of the Year and awarded a special commendation, and in 2021 highly commended in the IOD Scotland Director of the Year Awards. As CEO, Lindsay leads the Home in its strategy to tackle pet poverty and be a voice for change for dogs, cats and their owners in their greatest time of need. She is a member of the Edinburgh City Council Living Wage Action Group, Edinburgh City Council Homelessness Task Force and is the Women Leaders Network Champion for ACOSVO.
Jamie Simpson, Director of People and Services
Jamie has an extensive background in managing operations across the UK and oversees in a number of different industries, including education, tourism and animal welfare. Jamie’s operational and commercial experience means he has a track record of successfully managing and developing teams, managing change and diversifying income streams. He has a passion for creative new ideas and enjoys developing new partnerships in order to grow success. Outside of work Jamie enjoys keeping fit and active through a variety of sports as well as spending time with his very demanding cat, Rudi.
Sarah Johnston, Director of Income and Engagement
Sarah is Director of Income and Engagement, overseeing the fundraising, and marketing and communications teams within the Home. She has spent over twenty years in fundraising, marketing, business development and customer success roles within the public and third sectors. Prior to joining the Home, Sarah headed up the business engagement team at a Scotland-wide social enterprise, leading the team to drive sales and providing her with strategic experience across the full customer journey. Sarah is passionate about corporate social responsibility and using ESG principles to build positive social impact. A proud Dundonian, she is owned by her dog Reggie and can often be found planning new campervan adventures.
Our Trustees
Matt Smith - Chair
Matt is Head of Development and Innovation at THINK Consulting Solutions. Matt is an innovation and fundraising leader, with specialist skills in digital fundraising, new product development and facilitation. He is proficient in setting up innovation functions, strategy development and managing large, cross-organisational change projects. Over the last decade, he has designed and facilitated innovation sprints for dozens of projects – his bespoke methodology can be applied to both process improvement and new product development. Alongside this, Matt is also proficient at integrating and embedding new fundraising innovations, particularly where the digital meets physical.
Murray Stewart
Murray is a solicitor and notary public having qualified in Scotland in 2005 and England in 2012. He is currently Head of Real Estate at Gilson Gray LLP, one of Scotland’s most prominent law firms. Previously he led the Scottish real estate offering of a major international law firm. Murray has a broad and diverse knowledge of the property industry and has advised institutional investors, developers and housebuilders, major corporates and FTSE 100 companies. Murray lives in East Lothian and his spare time centres on his family, primarily his two young sons and two rescue cats, Stella and Sakara.
David Field
David is CEO of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a wildlife conservation charity working to protect animals in Scotland and around the world. David has spent a lifetime around animals – at the age of 12 he became a volunteer at Dudley Zoo and on his first day met a chimp named Koko who remains one his “best friends” today. He went on to work at Dublin Zoo, London and Whipsnade Zoos as Zoological Director. Fundamental to his work has been progressing and implementing welfare science in the care of zoo animals in zoos across the world through his roles with the World Zoo and Aquarium Association. David is also currently the President of the Association of British Wild Animal Keepers.
Hannah Leslie
Hannah is an experienced in-house lawyer and notary public. She is qualified as a Scottish solicitor but has supported in legal teams for UK-wide and global organisations across different sectors. She is currently Senior Legal Counsel at Insights Learning & Development Limited, a Dundee headquartered global learning and development company. Previously she worked in-house in the media and housebuilding industries providing a range of legal and compliance advice. She also spent a short period at the Scottish Government with an exclusive data protection focus. Hannah lives in Dunfermline with her husband, three cats (Alfie, Luna and Arlo) and her Labrador X Rottweiler, Lola. Hannah is passionate about animal welfare and social justice.
Andrew Bardsley
With over a decade in a variety of People and HR roles, Andrew brings a wealth of experience in employee engagement, wellbeing, and leadership development. Andrew is the founder of his own people consultancy focused on helping business, and the people in them, thrive. Most recently Andrew has been supporting organisations as a Director of Learning where he has built impactful leadership and learning programs. Core to Andrew's career is his passion for growth, supporting careers, creating positive change and nurturing talent. Outside of work, Andrew is a keen hiker, a beginner triathlete and the proud dog-dad to Malcolm and Baillie, both adopted from the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home.
Jo Talbot
With over 30 years of experience in business management in both commercial and charity sectors, Jo is the Head of Corporate Services at Waverley Care, Scotland's leading HIV and hepatitis C charity. She leads a talented team across finance, fundraising, and HR. She has a proven track record of developing robust business infrastructure to enable the delivery of high-quality services and strategic aims. Driven by an interest for social impact, she has dedicated her career to supporting families and individuals in need. She previously worked to promote inclusive play and disability access, and prior to her current role, she worked for four years in bereavement care at Simba charity, supporting those affected by the loss of a baby. An Edinburgh local, the Home has always been well known to Jo and she was thrilled to welcome her staffie-pug cross Nico who was rehomed into her family in 2021
Rebs Curtis-Moss
Over the last decade, Rebs has worked with some of the biggest charities in the UK and Scotland in a range of strategic digital engagement, social media and fundraising roles. Most recently, they’ve worked with the RNLI as a Senior Social Media Manager, and with Shelter as their Social Media Manager. They now work as a Communications and Fundraising Consultant, offering a wide range of consultancy, training and other services for charities of all sizes
Fiona Davis
Fiona Davis retired in 2014 after nearly 30 years in the financial services industry. A Chartered Accountant by training, with a degree in Business Studies and French from the University of Edinburgh, she has held a variety of different finance director roles, with an emphasis on strategy, business planning and business efficiency. Latterly she was the Finance Director for the Personal, Wealth and Ulster businesses at RBS/NatWest. Since retirement, she has taken up a number of trustee roles, mainly focussed on animals and the arts. They include former roles as honorary treasurer at the Scottish SPCA, and Vice Chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. Currently she is Treasurer for Sistema Scotland, Treasurer at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Director at Restoring Upland Nature and Director of Earlsferry Town Hall Ltd. She owns two black labradors (Muppet and Daffy, who with a name like that really ought to be yellow) and a rescue ginger pusscat called Tootsie.
Nina Graham
Nina is a Business Adviser in the Enterprise and Communities Team at Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS). With extensive experience in supporting charities and social enterprises, she specialises in: • Strategic and operational planning to build capacity, sustainability, and social impact • Board development and governance • Leadership support through organisational change and growth • Income generation strategies and financial planning • Stakeholder engagement initiatives to enhance service quality and delivery Nina's expertise stems from her development management roles in the third sector, spanning urban and rural environments from Glasgow to the Highlands. In addition to her professional work, Nina is an experienced dog, cat, and home sitter with Trusted Housesitters. She has completed the Home's Dog First Aid and Dog Body Language courses to enhance her pet care skills and understanding. A long-time supporter of the Home, Nina's recent move to Edinburgh enabled her to seize the opportunity to join its Board.
