Sally moved into the Civil Service in 1999 after a decade working as a policy planner in local government. She led the development and delivery of Scotland’s innovative Land Use Strategy and established two highly successful pilot projects to test the concept of integrated regional land use decision making. Sally also led the delivery of Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy and Scotland’s response to international biodiversity obligations.

Engaging widely across the UK and in Europe on land use and biodiversity matters, Sally led the Scottish Government’s work on protected species and habitats, and iconic landscapes.

From 2017 to 2020 Sally was Director of People and Nature and Chief Scientist at NatureScot. As part of the leadership team for a major public body, she was responsible for ensuring that nature lay at the heart of decision making, most crucially in support of Scotland’s response to the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Sally is a Chartered Town Planner and a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. She is a Trustee of Plantlife International and the Andrew Raven Trust.