Fiona has extensive experience in leadership positions and as a non-executive director in the public sector. She was a founding board member of Historic Environment Scotland; is a member of the Committee for Scotland for the National Lottery Heritage Fund; and sits on the board of the Cairngorms National Park Authority. Fiona was previously Vice Chair of Court at the University of the Highlands and Islands, and is now the elected Rector and Chair of Foundation for the University. She was also Chair of Highland Home Carers, Scotland's second largest employee-owned company. Fiona's interest in the justice system was developed as non-executive director on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service's Executive Board.
Fiona started her career in academia, obtaining a PhD on museum policy and marketing from the University of Northumbria. After a number of years as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Stirling, she joined Glasgow Caledonian University as Professor of Cultural Heritage Management.
Fiona has a strong commitment to equalities and diversity, and in most of her non-executive roles has acted as equalities champion. For the Cairngorms National Park Authority, she helped found and now chairs an Equalities Advisory Panel to support the Authority in mainstreaming equalities within the Authority and the National Park; and for the University of the Highlands and Islands she chaired a working group to increase diversity on the University Court and the Boards of the University's Partner Colleges.