Meet The Team
Mark O'Donnell
Clair Bryan
Sarah Geoghegan
Linda Musonza
Philippa Crowther
Ruth Dorman
Brian Cavanagh
Jason MacGilp
Mark O'Donnell - Director & Founder
Mark has been Chief Executive of 3 well known Scottish Charities – Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Sight Scotland/Sight Scotland Veterans and Age Scotland. He is currently a Trustee of Action Against AMD, Heart Research UK and Day One Trauma Support. Previous Trustee roles include the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Scottish Council for Visual Impairment and the Scottish Drugs Forum. He is also career mentor for the Mastercard Foundation Fellowship Scheme at the University of Edinburgh. Mark has been responsible for a wide range of strategic and operational leadership functions in his career including complex regulated services in health, social care and special educational needs, community-based services, commercial and social enterprises, policy and research. He has extensive experience in media and campaigning work as well as direct leadership experience of service reconfiguration, stakeholder engagement, rebranding exercises and the development of co-created organisational development and people strategies.
He also has valuable experience in Executive-team roles in the NHS in Scotland, as Head of Planning, Performance and Estates at the Scottish Ambulance Service and Interim Director of Planning and Equalities at NHS Health Scotland. He also spent 5 years on secondment to the Scottish Government, taking on Deputy Director roles in Health Improvement and then Healthcare Planning and Quality and a spell as Acting Policy Director in health and social care. He has an MSc in Social and Public Policy, an MA (Hons) in Politics and a Professional Certificate in Management. Further strengthened by previous private sector consultancy work, Mark has extensive experience and insight in transformational change programmes, values-driven organisational development, growth and sustainability strategies, service redesign, governance improvement, policy and influencing strategies, and medical and social research programmes.
Clair Bryan – Consultant
Clair has over twenty-five years leadership experience in the third sector, initially starting her career in London she moved to Scotland in 2006 where she is now permanently located. She has experience of working in a range of senior roles in national and local charities. As Director of Services at Sight Scotland Veterans she held responsibility for delivering front line services to over 2000 services users per year. At MS Society Scotland she led the delivery of services, fundraising and local and national campaigning activities via the charity’s branch network and also held the charity’s UK self-management service portfolio. At Marie Curie as Head of Volunteering, she provided strategic direction and operational support to the charity, helping to grow Marie Curie’s volunteer base across the charity (fundraising, retail and services).
Clair has extensive experience of developing strategies to support growth, leading change and operational improvement programmes. She is a passionate advocate of co production and has a strong track record of working in partnership to design, fund and deliver new innovative services alongside communities. She has board level experience, currently as a Trustee of the Royal Society for the Support of Women of Scotland and previously as an Executive Board member of Sight Scotland, and Non-Executive Board member of Veterans Scotland. Clair is also a member of the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSVO), is MBA qualified and has a BA (Hons) in Sociology.
Sarah Geoghegan - Consultant
Sarah Geoghegan has over 25 years’ experience in Operational Management and Improvement across the private, public and third sectors. She now works primarily with the third sector. Following University Sarah quickly became the Managing Director of a small tour company, with high operational needs and low margins. This experience of running a business in a competitive market gave her a strong foundation in what is required to successfully manage a business leanly. This foundation was then built upon during 8 years in a National and then UK-Wide Operations Manager role at Marie Curie. During this Sarah trained in all areas of Charity Compliance, Governance and Audit and began her journey in Lean Six Sigma.
Now a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a Prince 2 Practitioner Sarah has worked as a freelance Operational Improvement Consultant for 8 years. Sarah also has a Diploma in Accounting (AAT Level 3), a NEBOSH Diploma, and is a qualified trainer – she also has a robust knowledge of Employment Legislation, Data Protection Legislation and Charity Related Legislation – this means she has a wide and holistic range of skills and qualifications to bring to an organisation’s operations. Working with over 15 organisations (on 25 projects) since becoming a freelance consultant Sarah has consulted, supported and implemented a variety of complex operational projects.
Linda Musonza – Consultant
Linda is an independent HR Consultant who has over 18 years’ experience, spanning healthcare, and local authority across HR and Operations. Most of her experience has been gained in both the public and charity sectors and prior to that, she worked as generalist HR practitioner in the private sector. She has skills and interest in change management, including reimagining work through innovative solutions and working with leaders and teams to drive systems wide effectiveness by moving away from in-the-moment-solutions to enabling strong ethical cultures that drive sustainable and long-term business success. Linda had a bold approach to problem solving and is unrelenting in ensuring that high standards are maintained in organisations that she supports, applying risk management principles that enhance client services and deliver efficiencies.
Linda is a transformational and influential HR and Change Leader who succeeds in complex and ambiguous environments with the nous to create the right synergies that build engagement, a shared vision and sustained impact. Linda is passionate about charity work and thriving local communities and currently sits as a Board Member of Heart Research UK, Freedom4Girls an award-winning period poverty charity and People in Action UK, a learning disabilities charity. Linda holds a postgraduate in Human Resources Management. She is also a qualified ILM5 Coach
Philippa Crowther – Consultant
Ruth Dorman – Consultant
Ruth is an accomplished and experienced Chief Executive. She offers significant experience in senior leadership and strategic roles within diverse environments, with a track record of successfully designing and delivering wide ranging transformational programmes and improving performance, inspiring realisation of full potential. Ruth has worked in both the public and not for profit sector. She provides leadership coaching and excels in taking organisations and teams with her on the journey of reflecting and reviewing to catalyse change, securing vision and development for the future which delivers focus on prudence, performance and people. Her effectiveness as a consultant and executive leader derives from the ability to apply sound judgement whilst remaining focused on the organisation’s primary objectives and successfully building strong working relationships, both internally and externally.
Ruth has contributed to several third sector and statutory agency boards and committees, providing her with the opportunity to contribute to the oversight of risk management, policy development and strategic planning across a broad spectrum of provision whilst also developing personal skills, knowledge and relationships. Current and past voluntary commitments and positions with other third sector or statutory agencies include Director of The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Director of The Hansel Foundation and Director of Right There. Previously, Ruth was Chair of The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, 2017 to 2025, Chair of Scottish Rural Health Partnership Steering Group 2018 to 2024, Director on the Board of Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland, CCPS 2009 to 2015, President and trustee of SCOVI (Scottish Council of Visual Impaired) 2009 to 2015 and a Committee member for the Robertson Trust on their Innovation and Learning Funding Committee.
Brian Cavanagh – Consultant
A trusted adviser, consultant and mentor Brian Cavanagh brings unique perspectives and immense value to organisations and individuals: he has a range of specialisms – from board leadership and governance, strategic positioning and influencing, to how to engage more effectively, all of which deliver lasting high-level results for clients. His experience of leading in the highly pressurised environments of health and local government, combined with his professional experience and coaching approach, brings a distinctive expertise that is valued by leaders and organisations. A trained business coach, working with CEOs and senior managers he understands the challenges they face and know that how they manage, and lead has a major impact on the success of their organisation. They value the confidential space and individual support that executive coaching brings.
The author of the books ‘Governing with Purpose’ and ‘The Art of Chairing’, Brian is a Board Member of Foscadh Housing in Ireland. Previous roles include Chair of Synaptik, an SME in the healthcare industry, Chair of NHS Lothian and Chair of Social Work at the City of Edinburgh Council.
Jason MacGilp – Consultant
Jason was the Group Chief Executive of Cairn Housing Group from 2011 to 2023 and has been CEO of Blackwood Homes and Care since Feb 2025. Jason is a values-driven, outcomes-focussed leader, motivated to work collaboratively with colleagues and client organisations to help drive services, support organisational change and governance improvement, in a range of assignments and projects. He brings over 35 years of experience and management skills from a career with housing associations, local authorities, national policy organisations and a training consultancy. Jason has extensive executive and senior management experience in leadership of senior teams, supporting governing bodies to ensure good standards of governance and regulatory compliance, including the role of company secretary. He has a demonstrable track record of service improvement and driving performance and staff engagement, including accreditations such as Best Companies, Quality Scotland and Customer Service Excellence.
Jason has a wide experience in developing sustainable partnerships and alliances, including multi-organisational collaborations, business growth, and strategic options, including delivery of projects on mergers and acquisitions between registered charities, achieving successful transition and integration programmes. He has experience of leading and supporting teams to support increased staff engagement, including cultural and values work. Jason brings practical experience on good governance practice and governance improvement including roles as a statutory appointee in third sector organisations. He was also an elected member of the Scotland Board of the Chartered Institute of Housing 2012-2015 and an elected Board Director of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 2015-2023. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.