The new Lord Dean Mike Wilson
Mike Wilson – Lord Dean of Guild
Owner & Managing Director of Mearns & Gill, a fully integrated creative and digital marketing business. Founded in 1936, the business is Scotland’s longest-serving creative marketing agency. Previous roles within the construction industry with Morrison Construction, Anglian Water and as a 4th generation family member of ‘Willie Wilsons’, the Aberdeen founded distributor of plumbing, heating & electrical products based across Scotland and the North of England. Educated at Banchory Academy with a BSc in Biological Sciences from Edinburgh University and a MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School. A Burgess of Guild since 2004 and 8 years as an Assessor. Married with 3 children. An active Scout Leader & hillwalker.
Joe Mackie /Assessor
Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Logistics and Transport and Commander of the Order of St. John whose Royal Head is Her Majesty the Queen. Worked in various posts with Aberdeen Corporation Transport, latterly Grampian Transport, and was a member of the management team during the employee buyout in 1989, leading to the establishment of First Aberdeen. Became a directory of First Aberdeen in 1994. Involved with several charities over the years, including Touch of Tartan Ball, Chairman of The Archie Foundation, Boys Brigade Aberdeen Battalion, Art Gallery Development, Arts Centre and Theatre, UK Bus Driver of the Year Competition, Road Operators Safety Council, First Group Heritage Trust, Aberdeen and District Transport Preservation Trust, Gordon Highlanders Museum, First Aberdeen Retiral and Benevolent Society, Aberdeen Opera Company & Aberdeen Safer Community Trust (Absafe).
Dr Stephen Wedderburn/Assessor
Born and brought up in Aberdeen spending my formative years in Torry. My secondary education was at Robert Gordons College, and I graduated in Medicine at Aberdeen University. I am now retired following a career in General Practice at Rubislaw Place Medical Group, combined with hospital work in Dermatology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Kincardine Community Hospital in Stonehaven. I also worked as an assistant club doctor for Aberdeen Football Club mainly looking after the crowd at events. I have been involved with the Red Cross, teaching medical students and providing work experience to allied health professionals and medical school applicants. I am also a volunteer/member of the Friends of Johnston Gardens.
Stan Jack/Assessor
Born and educated in Aberdeen. Joined Aberdeen City Police in October 1971 until amalgamation with Scottish Northeastern Counties in 1975 and the formation of Grampian Police. During his service was attached to Divisional Policing, Airport Unit, General Enquiries Department, Traffic Department and latterly the Strategic Development Department. On retiring from the Police in November 2001 with the rank of Chief Inspector he obtained the position of Sacrist at the University of Aberdeen where he remained until his retirement in 2017. In 2018 he was awarded an Honorary Degree (M.Univ.) from the University of Aberdeen. A serving committee member of the Northeast Branch of the Retired Police Officers Association and currently a Signposter for the Retired Police Officers Scotland Association Transition and Wellbeing Program. Married with two daughters. Hobbies are golf, walking and gardening to name but a few
Sophy Green/Assessor
Sophy Green is the Chief Executive of Instant Neighbour.
Her entrepreneurial spirit is demonstrable by the charities she’s founded or played a significant role in developing including but not limited to Kaleidoscope, Aberdeen International Children’s Festival, acting as Scotland Director of Common Purpose, acting as Chair of the Social Entrepreneurs Network Scotland providing a voice to Northeast social enterprise issues.
Sustainability is the key priority for Instant Neighbour; keeping the issues facing our client group at the top of our agenda have led to the diversification of services and projects we offer whilst maintaining our overarching goal of “alleviating poverty”.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and an Assessor with the Burgess of Guild for the City of Aberdeen. She has been actively involved in the creation and development of various community groups in Aberdeen. She is the Chair of the Mela Steering Group, on the Board of the Belmont Cinema, working to get it reopened and is a founding member of Bonnymuir Green Community Trust.
She is married, has three daughters, a granddaughter and two grandsons.
Moray Barber
Moray is a partner at EY, a global professional services firm. He is a tax partner and leads EY’s office in Aberdeen, which has a staff of over 150 people in the city.
Originally from Aberdeen and educated at St Machar Academy, Moray moved with his family to Morayshire in his teens before returning to the city to study law at the University of Aberdeen.
A keen supporter of the arts and the start up/scale up business community in Aberdeen, he was on the Board of Castlegate Arts for over 10 years, is a Trustee of the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust and is the current licence-holder for TEDxAberdeen, which seeks to provide a platform for local people to share their inspiring ideas with both the city and the world via the TED on-line stage.
He is married to Michelle and they have two children, Olivia and Harris. In his spare time Moray enjoys training for, and competing in, triathlons and is a writer and performer with local comedy group The Flying Pigs
Susan Mitchell
Susan has served as Clerk to the Burgesses of Guild of the City and Royal
Burgh of Aberdeen since October 2025.
Born and raised in the North East countryside, Susan built a successful career in Learning and Development, holding senior roles with a leading legal firm and a national jeweller. Her work took her across Scotland and the North of England, where she specialised in training, leadership development, and organisational growth.
Now settled in Aberdeen with her husband and son, Susan is actively involved in the local school community. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling and spending quality time with family and friends.
