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Our board
Kindred's Board of Trustees
Laura McCartney - Chair
Laura's professional background is in Human Resources. She worked in the public sector, then in day-to-day operations for large financial companies, supporting the business managers with people management, recruitment and training. Her son was born in 2012 with complex medical problems, and we spent most of the first year of his life in hospital in Glasgow. When she became his full-time carer, she also became his nurse, his project manager, and his voice. Laura was supported by Kindred Advocacy at various stages of her family's journey - 'the help we received made a significant impact on our lives and helped us give our son the best quality of life possible'. She has volunteered with Kindred for around 10 years, becoming a Trustee in 2023 and chair in 2026.
Jock Encombe - Vice Chair
Jock Encombe is a corporate psychologist with over 30 years’ experience advising leaders in the charity, private and public sectors, in the UK and internationally. His previous trustee roles include chair of the NHS Lothian Charity, Non Executive Director NHS Lothian and chair of Mercy Corps Europe. He is a Warden of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh. Jock’s commitment to Kindred is informed by his own family’s experience of disability. His special areas of interest are corporate governance, leadership and strategy.
Piotr Zielinski
Piotr Zielinski is a technology leader and consultant with over 25 years' experience supporting organisations to make effective use of digital systems, improve operations and manage change. He has worked with charities, startups, SMEs and larger organisations, combining practical problem-solving with governance, leadership and strategic planning. His previous trustee roles include Learning Link Scotland, where he also served as Treasurer, and Wellspring Scotland. Piotr's financial experience includes charity budgeting, reporting and financial oversight, as well as running his own consultancy business. His special areas of interest are digital strategy, governance, organisational resilience and responsible use of technology.
David Law
David Law is a Chartered Accountant and spent almost 33 years working with Price Waterhouse and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). During that time he was, amongst other positions, the global leader of PwC's insurance practice and a partner in the UK firm. After he retired from PwC, David became a non executive director at Prudential PLC and chaired the audit committee for 7 of his 9 years on the Board. He was also a member of the Court of Edinburgh University for 3 years and Chaired the Audit and Risk Committee for one of these. David is currently a senior advisor to the FRC. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and holds a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.
Dr Una MacFadyen
Dr Una MacFadyen is a highly respected retired consultant general paediatrician with decades of clinical, research, and advocacy experience. Throughout her career in the UK and Canada, she pioneered neonatal respiratory care and tirelessly championed pediatric family-centered care and children's rights.
Chris Walker
Chris has an extensive background in engagement and education, working across schools and museums in both public facing and strategic roles. More recently, his work in the charitable sector has given him perspective and insight into policy creation and implementation. As a former primary school teacher in Fife he has first-hand experience of the complex systems professionals work in when providing care and the value and importance of carer and child voice in these conversations.