Our Staff

Leadership Team

Chief Executive

Dr Jim McCormick joined The Robertson Trust in 2020.

He is a member of the Living Wage Commission and Board member of Morton in the Community. Previously Jim was Associate Director Scotland with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2017-20), ran an independent research consultancy and was Director of the Scottish Council Foundation think-tank.

He has been Chair of the Disability and Carers Benefits Advisory Group reporting to the Scottish Social Security Minister (2026-21), co-Chair of Highland Poverty and Equality Commission (2025-26), Chair of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission (2018-20) and a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC), which scrutinises the Department for Work and Pensions’ GB regulations.

In 2018 he was a travelling Churchill Fellow looking at the impact of mentoring programmes for children and young people facing disadvantage in Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

William Brown

Head of People and Corporate Services

William joined The Robertson Trust in 2025.

He is an accomplished Human Resources leader with over 20 years of strategic and operational experience across diverse sectors. William holds a Masters degree in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.

Known for his collaborative leadership and with substantial expertise in strategic human resource management, employee engagement, change management, and organisational development, William has previously held senior HR leadership positions within the Health & Social Care, Higher Education and public sectors, where he led transformative initiatives that enhanced workforce capabilities and supported sustained organisational growth.

William is also a Board Member for the International Association for Democracy, and a member of Edinburgh Napier University’s professional advisory group for the MSc Human Resource Management programme.

William is committed to nurturing a positive work environment where people thrive and are empowered to reach their full potential

Jo Cook

Finance Director and Company Secretary

Jo joined The Robertson Trust in 2021.

After graduating with a degree in Politics Philosophy and Economy from the University of Oxford, Jo qualified as a chartered accountant and became an Audit Manager with KPMG in London. Jo moved to the BBC and undertook a variety of Finance Manager and business improvement roles, in radio & television news and current affairs in London, and in BBC Scotland including Head of Financial Management.

Jo then became Finance Director for NVA, an innovative arts charity, and later moved to the Beatson Cancer Charity as Director of Finance & Corporate Services.

Jo also has an MBA from the University of Bradford and lives with her family in Glasgow.

Zoë Ferguson

Head of Impact and Insights

Zoe joined The Robertson Trust in 2021.

She has over 25 years’ experience in roles spanning research, analysis and policy. She worked for the Scottish Government from 2000 to 2015 in a wide range of policy areas including education, lifelong learning, social justice, culture and public service reform culminating in a two year posting as the Chief Social Researcher.

Before joining The Trust, she worked independently, among other things, developing work on kindness with the Carnegie UK Trust, contributing to thinking on enabling love in the care system for the Independent Care Review and serving on the Edinburgh Poverty Commission.

Russell Gunson

Head of Programmes and Practice

Patrycja Kupiec

Head of Funding

Patrycja joined The Robertson Trust in 2025.

She previously led the Edinburgh Trust at Turn2us, pioneering funding approaches rooted in co-production and lived experience. She has also held senior roles with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Young Scot, and The Young Women’s Movement.

Across her career, she has championed participatory research, inclusive funding practices, and policy engagement that centres dignity, justice, and long-term impact.

She is also a writer, and her first book, written in Polish and shaped by her experiences of migration and belonging was published in September 2025.

Lydia Rose

Head of Administration

Lydia has worked for the Trust for over 35 years and is the longest serving staff member of the Trust.

She started working for Edrington in West Nile Street (Arran Provisions and Lang Brothers which were part of Edrington originally) and then combined working for both the Trust, which was also based there, and the company.

Eventually the Trust moved its operations to a separate location from the company and Lydia has remained with the Trust ever since.

Lydia likes travelling with her partner, has a daughter and son and 3 grandchildren. She spends a significant amount of time in Belgium where her grandchildren live.