ALARM Scotland Conference 2025

Lesley Allan

Partner, Kennedys

Lesley is a Partner in Kennedys' Celtic Team. Her practice focuses on public sector, third sector and blue light issues. She regularly acts for local authorities, care service providers, educational, and charitable organisations. Lesley has acted for clients in a wide range of social care and safeguarding issues, including claims related to moving and handling, management of challenging behaviours, historical abuse claims, and fatal accident inquiries. Lesley has represented clients in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and advised clients on potential engagement in the Redress Scheme, which offers an alternative to litigation for survivors of historical child abuse.

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Adam Bayliss

Managing Director, Maven Public Sector

Adam has over 22 years of insurance experience, primarily supporting the delivery of a wide range of public sector insurance programmes. Since joining Maven Public Sector in 2018, Adam became Managing Director in January 2025. With his sector experience spanning key areas such as technical underwriting, risk control, and claims management, Adam is well-positioned to oversee the delivery of services to the public sector. Through understanding the unique needs of public sector organisations, Maven has the capability to offer bespoke, flexible, and tailor-made solutions.

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Neil Collington

Senior Account Manager, Public Services, Zurich Municipal

Neil has been a valued member of Zurich since 2012, when he joined as a Claims Inspector. With a wealth of experience in the industry dating back to 1999, he has held various roles, including that of a Counter Fraud Investigator.

Since 2018, Neil has been part of Zurich Municipal, initially focusing on our Charities and Social Organisations in Scotland. He later transitioned to our Public Services team, where he plays a crucial role in supporting large municipal and unitary authorities with their insurance and risk management programs.

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Debbie Connor

Senior Associate, DWF

Debbie is a Senior Associate and accredited specialist in personal injury law, having joined DWF from Clyde & Co in May 2020. Her specific areas of expertise include fraud and mainstream employers' liability, public liability and road traffic accident claims. Debbie has spent her 20 year career dealing with defender reparation work and appears regularly in courts throughout Scotland. 

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Matthew Dawson

Development Manager, Maven Public Sector

Matt has been working in the Insurance Industry since 2006 and most of that time in an Underwriting capacity. Gaining experience from working in General Mid-Market Commercial Insurance for 6 years and was also involved in a Business Development Analytics role for a short period. Matt then moved into the Public Sector Insurance Underwriting in 2016 and has built upon his Underwriting and Market knowledge within this area. Matt has a responsibility for the development of Maven Public Sector services whilst maintaining an Underwriting focus in day-to-day Tender and Policy activity. Matt fulfils a leadership role within the Maven Public Sector team to provide support on all the main cover types. In addition, he retains responsibility for our existing client book and regularly meets with Clients and Brokers to oversee and maintain service quality.

 

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Andrew Glen

Cyber Broker North Region, Aon

Having worked in the insurance industry for over seven years Andrew in his current role as Cyber Broker North at Aon helps support clients in the North of England and Scotland to understand cyber risk and obtain cyber insurance. In his prior role at Aon working as Cyber Client Director of Scotland he has helped clients through difficult cyber incidents and supported during 25 major cyber Incidents. As an ACII qualified insurance broker with real world experience of cyber incidents this helps him tailor cyber insurance policies to align with the incident response plans and business needs of his clients.

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Tanya Gordon

Partner, Clyde & Co LLP

Tanya has over 30 years of experience representing clients in the Court of Session and the Sheriff Courts. She also provides pre-litigation advice and ad-hoc guidance to clients in non-litigated matters. Tanya’s practice focuses on both insured and self-insured public sector bodies and organisations. Her caseload consists solely of high-value and high-profile matters. Tanya has acted as the principal solicitor on behalf of a number of clients at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and is frequently instructed by both insurers and self-insured organisations in respect of historical and recent abuse claims. She provides pragmatic and commercial legal advice in respect of such claims given their nature and the need for sensitive handling.

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Paul Green

Underwriting Team Leader, Public Services

No bio provided

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Carl Gurney

Director - Renewable Energy Practice UK and Ireland, Gallagher

Carl Gurney has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years and specifically in the Renewable Energy Sector for 20 years. He has sat on advisory boards and steering groups, whilst also consulting on policy and permits with government and regulators. Carl has written a number of articles and spoken at numerous events explaining the important role the insurance industry plays in helping to mitigate climate change and securing energy security.

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Matthew Hardwick

Principal Risk Consultant, Zurich Municipal

Matt has over ten years' experience of risk management, with extensive experience in supporting senior managers, corporate leaders and operational managers in understanding what good looks like, and how to embed these practices across their organisations. Matt has worked across the public sector, extensively with local authorities, as well as taking an active lead with third sector organisations. 

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Michael Higgins

Senior Associate, DWF LLP

Michael is a Senior Associate and has a strong background in all aspects of defender insurance litigation having practiced exclusively in this area for over nine years. He has experience in handling a wide range of cases including motor, employers' liability, public liability, property damage, credit hire and fraud. He predominantly handles high value, complex personal injury claims. 

Michael has a strong interest in advocacy and has regularly appeared in the procedural and proof courts throughout Scotland defending cases on behalf of insurers, self-insured corporates and Government bodies as well as appearing at a number of Fatal Accident Inquiries. Michael enjoys delivering training to clients across the UK on all aspects of Scottish litigation including procedure, costs and quantum.

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Louise Houliston

Partner, Kennedys

Louise is a Partner in Kennedys' Scottish liability team, based in the Edinburgh office. She has over 18 years’ experience defending and pursuing motor, EL/PL and property damage cases in Sheriff Courts and the Court of Session.

Louise heads up the fraud team in Scotland, collaborating with colleagues and market leaders north and south of border, as well as the other Celtic jurisdictions to identify and combat fraud. She was one of the first solicitors in Scotland to run a Court of Session proof on fundamental dishonesty.

Louise is a member of the FOIL Fraud Sector Focus Team in Scotland, the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association (HSLA) and has published a number of articles. Louise provides clients with training on Scottish procedure, costs and legal updates.

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Iain MacNab

Head of Risk Management Policy, Scottish Government

Iain is currently the Head of the Risk Team at the Scottish Government, responsible for the delivery and implementation of the organisation’s risk management policy, working in the second-line to improve the quality and effectiveness of front-line risk management practice. An IRM certified risk management professional, Iain has worked in risk and governance roles within the public and private sectors with stints at the Student Loans Company, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Scotland’s largest independent accountancy firm, Johnston Carmichael.  

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Bryan McCracken

Risk Control Consultant, Risk Management Partners

Bryan has worked within health & safety and risk management for 30 years. His career started within the health and safety executive, other frontline experience includes higher education, further dducation and the public sector. A seasoned health & safety professional with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, Bryan has a broad range of practical experience in the provision of advice and guidance, development of policies and procedures, and preparation and delivery of bespoke training.

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Michelle McMillan

Chief Risk Officer, City of Edinburgh Council

Michelle has worked in local authority risk management for over 20 years. Having started her career with Shropshire County Council and now working as Chief Risk Officer at City of Edinburgh Council supporting colleagues in Risk Management as part of the Council Corporate Risk Management team.

Working as Module Coach for the Institute of Risk Management, Michelle supports students in the penultimate part of the Institute of Risk Management International Diploma in Risk Management (Resilience, Perception and Society module). Michelle has a particular interest in Resilience and Risk Culture in the workplace.

Michelle enjoys crafting as well as all the benefits of living in Edinburgh with great walks, restaurants and shopping there is always plenty to do!

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Andrew Millard

Public Sector Practice Leader - North, Aon

Working with Public Sector organisations for two decades, Andrew’s first presentation on Cyber Risk was to ALARM in 2012. Since then, the threat landscape has evolved and the insurance market with it. Over the years, Andrew has assisted clients to assess and quantify the risk from cyber and access effective insurance.

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Craig Paterson

Senior Risk Advisor, City of Edinburgh Council

Craig is a Senior Risk Advisor for The City of Edinburgh Council. He has an MSc in Risk Management and has worked in the public sector for five years at numerous Scottish local authorities. Craig also has a background in emergency planning, business continuity and has a BSc in Computing.

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Jayne Pinnell

Public Sector Growth Leader, Marsh

Jayne has worked in the public sector since 2001 including:

• Experience with large NHS accounts involving complex liability issues.
• As a risk consultant for a direct underwriter in the further & higher education sector.
• As a development underwriter in the North East of England and Scotland looking after large local authority, police, fire & rescue and education risks.
• Account management and service delivery to a portfolio of public sector clients including unitary authorities. Jayne’s expertise is invested in the more unusual risks for her public sector client base. 

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Michael Short

Associate, Clyde & Co LLP

Michael began his career with Clyde & Co, beginning as a paralegal and then training with the firm and qualifying into the Casualty team. He handles a caseload of litigated matters and assists senior colleagues with high-profile and high-value matters covering the full range of employers’ liability, public liability, and road traffic accidents in both the National Personal Injury Court and the Court of Session. He represents several major insurers, local authorities, private companies, and charitable organisations. Michael also has a particular interest in and experience of historic litigation and has represented several public bodies and charitable organisations at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. He also has gained experience in workplace assault claims, a growing area for employers’ liability. He conducts advocacy in his own cases and regularly instructs counsel in higher value matters.

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Vicki Webster

Interim Head of Foresight, Strategy Division, Scottish Government

Currently Interim Head of Foresight in Scottish Government, Vicki is a policy professional with experience in the fields of strategic foresight and civil contingency risk assessment. She is leading the development of Scottish Government’s Foresight Programme, enabling long term trend insights to be used in decision making and in shaping policies that are resilient to the future.

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Laura White Laws

Public Sector Leader – North and Scotland, Marsh

Laura joined Marsh Public Sector Practice in 2017 and since then has worked with local authority, police, fire & rescue, NHS Trust and housing association clients including their wholly owned and trading subsidiaries.

Laura has been managing risk and insurance matters for both public sector and private sector clients since 2006. She worked at another global corporate broker for ten years prior to joining Marsh, looking after clients in private sector industry segments such as real estate, construction, manufacturing, logistics, technology and marine.Laura is experienced in complex marketing / tender processes, assessing insurance programme adequacy and cover audits, risk management project design and innovative cover solutions.

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Robyn Whitelaw-Grant

Head of Risk Profession, Scottish Government

Robyn is Strategic Lead: Risk, Control and Assurance within the Scottish Government and Head of the SG’s Risk Profession.  Robyn leads the teams responsible for delivering on Governance and Accountability (including fraud reporting and the Scottish Public Finance Manual), Risk Management Policy, Grants Governance and the Data Analytics function, working to champion good governance across the SG and its public bodies. An IRM certified risk management professional and Certified in Corporate Governance by CIPFA Robyn has 20 years of experience in risk, governance and finance roles across the Scottish Government and other public sector bodies.  

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