The Education Scotland Leadership Team currently comprises the following members:

Donna McMaster – Chief Executive, Education Scotland 

Donna McMaster is Chief Executive of Education Scotland, leading the national agency responsible for curriculum development and supporting learning across Scotland. She focuses on strengthening curriculum, professional learning and leadership, while promoting inclusion, wellbeing, equity and collaboration across the education system.

Donna began her career as a teacher of Physics before progressing into leadership roles, including Principal Teacher of Guidance at Greenock Academy and Depute Headteacher at Springburn Academy. She went on to lead three schools as Headteacher, driving sustained improvement and fostering inclusive school communities, while contributing to national groups and boards supporting system-wide improvement and reform.

She later served as Head of Education (Curriculum, Quality Improvement and Performance) at West Lothian Council, with responsibility for learners aged 3–18 across all sectors. In this role, she led strategic delivery and played a key role in the national implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, serving on the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence Board.  She also held a national leadership role as Chair of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) Performance and Improvement Network, contributing directly to policy development and system-wide improvement.

She also served as Executive Director of Education at Aldar Education in Abu Dhabi, leading a network of 20+ schools and establishing a sector-leading professional learning academy, achieving international recognition for excellence and equity.

As Chief Executive, Donna is committed to working collaboratively across the education system to deliver sustained improvement and ensure every learner achieves their full potential.

Rob Strachan - Strategic Director, Corporate Services

Rob was recently appointed as Strategic Director for Corporate Services and Governance in Education Scotland. In his role, Rob is responsible for leading and directing the corporate functions of the organisation, including strategic planning, reporting and governance, organisational development and HR, financial management and budgeting, communications and engagement and the administrative functions of the organisation.

Prior to joining Education Scotland, Rob was Head of Strategy and Improvement for the Scottish Prison Service since 2015. Rob’s responsibilities included corporate planning, performance and risk, business improvement and analysis, research and development, policy and strategy, rights, equalities and engagement as well as strategic engagement with key stakeholders.

Originally from Greenock, Inverclyde, Rob started his career with Inverclyde Council in 1988. Rob was awarded a management traineeship in 1991 and held a number of operational and strategic roles across the Housing and Social Work department, before moving to the Home Office in London as a housing and local government adviser in 1999.

Rob then led the Home Office Neighbourhood Renewal Policy Team, working across Whitehall Departments, until 2004, before moving to the North East of England as Head of Stronger Communities (2004 - 2006) and Head of Safer Communities (2006 - 2009). Rob was Assistant Home Office Director for the South East of England before returning to Scotland to become Chief Officer of the Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority (2011 to 2015).

He is a recent graduate of the Civil Service Future Leaders Scheme and is an active board member of Scottish Community Development Network (SCDN). He was awarded a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Housing Studies by Glasgow University in 1996.

Rob has a keen interest in politics, history and education. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife Claire and enjoys good food, good wine and seeing Scotland win (sometimes) at Murrayfield.

Ollie Bray - Strategic Director

Ollie has responsibility for curriculum, pedagogy and innovation at Education Scotland. This responsibility includes major national initiatives, such as the ongoing implementation of Curriculum for Excellence; Glow; STEM; Developing the Young Workforce; Digital Learning and Teaching; the Learner Journey; 1+2 Languages; Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equality and Curriculum Innovation (including pedagogy and assessment).

Immediately before re-joining Education Scotland he was Global Director: Connecting Play and Education at the LEGO Foundation where he led the Foundations work related to education improvement through the use of technology and play. Prior to joining the LEGO Foundation he was headteacher of Kingussie High School, Highland. He started his career at the Glenmore Lodge (the sport Scotland national outdoor training centre) before becoming a geography teacher and going on to hold a number of promoted posts in East Lothian.

Dr David Gregory - Strategic Director

Dave is an educationist and leader with over three decades of experience spanning classroom to national leadership. As the Interim Strategic Director (SD) for Lifelong Learning, Education Scotland, Dave’s team collaborates with multiple stakeholders, including, Local Authority and Scottish Government to deliver on improving outcomes for children and young people from birth to 18 and onwards into adulthood.

Dave was, until his promotion to strategic Director, a Senior Regional Advisor for the Northern Team in Education Scotland, working with the Northern Alliance to deliver support and improvement across the north of Scotland. In this role he was responsible for collaboration with local authorities in the Northern Alliance, his corporate responsibility was linked to the use of data. In November 2023, he became the Strategic Director for the Scottish Attainment Challenge, a position that evolved to Strategic Director for Lifelong Learning due to ongoing reform in Educational Scotland.

Dave’s career in education began as a History and Modern Studies teacher and has held a number of senior leadership roles in secondary schools in Aberdeenshire. In 2005, he joined HMIE as an inspector and held a number of positions over the next 14 years, including National Specialist for History, Area Lead Officer, Lead Officer for Independent Schools, Head of Scrutiny and Lead Officer for Inspection. In this latter role he led the teams which introduced the changes to school inspection in 2008 and 2011, cementing the ‘with not to’ approach to inspection.

He earned his PhD in education, with research focus in Pupil Voice and aspects of the curriculum. Dave is an Associate Fellow of Stirling University, promoting and supporting the Stirling Centre for Research into Curriculum Making, an advocate of citizen science and a nature lover. In his spare time, he volunteers with the British Trust for Ornithology where he serves as the Regional Representative for Aberdeen, supporting other volunteers to take part in ornithological surveys which add to the understanding of the impact of climate change on nature and the planet. Being an animal lover, he has three dogs and two cats. When not outside, he enjoys reading about ancient history and historical novels.

Non-Executive Board Member (NEBM)

Independent non-executive board members are selected and appointed by the Chief Executive. Their role is to provide constructive advice and support to the Chief Executive, including contributing to reviews of strategic direction and operating and business plans. NEBMs will be expected to offer, as appropriate, constructive critical challenge to the Advisory Board.