The steering committee provides strategic guidance on policy, governance, and market opportunities that support Equate Scotland’s vision and strategic objectives. Through sponsorship, mentoring, networking, support and referrals the committee seeks to maximise opportunities to advance gender equality across science, technology, engineering, the natural and built environment, and mathematics sectors in Scotland and beyond. The committee also offers oversight of current and emerging opportunities, ensuring that these are identified, assessed, and aligned with Equate Scotland’s key priorities and long-term goals. Through informed advice, strategic direction, and horizon scanning, the steering committee helps strengthen the programme’s impact, influence, and sustainability while supporting efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable STEM landscape for women and underrepresented groups.

Profiles

Stewart McKinlay (Co-chair)

Stewart is the Skills Director at the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy. Previously working for the Engineering Academy at Strathclyde University supporting widening access, and with SEMTA, Stewart has a wealth of expertise in directly supporting employers to improve skills and productivity, including engineering Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships. His skills in partnership working and knowledge in engineering are of particular benefit to the group.

Carol Marsh OBE (Co-chair)

Dr Carol Marsh OBE has been working in the Engineering industry for nearly 40 years and currently works as Head of Digital Systems at Celestia UK. Being Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at Edinburgh Napier University, Dr Carol shares her advice for Engineering students based on her views on current and future trends in Engineering sector.

Carolyn Anderson

Carolyn was appointed Director of Human Resources at Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in 2016.

Carolyn and her team have a remit to enable the people leadership, management and development capability of SDS as an inclusive employer, committed to a fair work approach through all events and situations during the employment lifecycle.

The Human Resources (HR) team portfolio ranges from employee relations and engagement, workforce planning, recruitment, learning and development, to championing equality and diversity within the workplace, and promoting health, safety and wellbeing.

As Director of HR, Carolyn has a fundamental role in delivering SDS’s Young Talent Programme, providing important opportunities for Scotland’s young people to grow and develop within the workplace through work experience placements, apprenticeships and internships.

She is also a strong champion for Equality and Diversity in the workplace at SDS, working to enable a culture of inclusion in practice through her sponsorship of the organisation’s Diverse-ability employee network, as a strong advocate for breaking down the barriers for progression into leadership roles for women and BME colleagues, and as a Coach/Mentor encouraging individuals to act with confidence in pursuing their personal ambitions.

Carolyn has worked in HR across a range of sectors including the drinks industry, financial services, public health, further education and sport and leisure, both in the UK and in France.

Carolyn is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Mavis Amadi

Mavis Amadi is a chartered engineer, a STEM ambassador and a mentor to young women. She currently works as a Fleet Programmes Project Manager at Babcock International and was nominated as one of the top 50 female engineers in the UK in 2016.

Kara Connon

Kara’s background is in sustainability, renewable energy and environmental management and through a 19-year agile career, Kara is now the Defence Nuclear Infrastructure Social Value Lead where she aims to provide the people of the Clyde with opportunities and access to employment, supporting the development of a trained and capable workforce, with an aim to retain local skills and talent, therefore contributing to inclusive economic growth.

Kara specialises in social value, stakeholder engagement, community outreach, educational enrichment and creating education and industry partnerships.  Kara has coordinated muti-award winning educational STEM programmes and contributed significant social value in the communities where we live and work.

Eileen Flanagan

Eileen is the Head of the Gender Equality Policy Team in the Scottish Government’s Equality Unit. She provides a national overview to the group on upcoming Government initiatives and policy areas which Equate Scotland should be involved in, as well as ensuring we are delivering against our funding bid.

Prof. Nazira Karodia

Professor Nazira Karodia, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, is the reporting line for the Equate Scotland Programme Director. She has an academic career spanning over 20 years in Chemistry, STEM education and university leadership. She is a national leader in inclusive curriculum, extending university opportunity and attracting students from marginalised communities. She is passionate that students not only enjoy their university learning but carry into their future lives a passion for further learning, skills enhancement, sustainability, and a commitment to community. In pursuit of this, her focus is on the entire pedagogic experience and student preparation for life.

She is Convener of Universities Scotland Admissions Policy Group, a member of the Advance HE Race Equality Committee Governance Committee and their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Advisory Group. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Anna Ritchie Allan

Anna Ritchie Allan is Executive Director of Close the Gap, Scotland’s expert policy advocacy organisation working on women’s labour market equality. She participates in a range of external policy working groups related to women and work, employer equality advisory groups, and is a member of the Ministerial working group on the gender pay gap. She is also chair of the board of Scottish Women’s Aid. Anna’s background is in research, labour rights, and violence against women.

Clare Taylor

Clare Taylor is a Professor of Inclusive Practice and Microbiology in School of Applied Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University. Clare is also Applied Sciences lead for Equality and Inclusion and has a track record of leadership, strategic planning, and a deep commitment to equity and social justice, which is addressed through different aspects of her work within the university, and with external organisations. Much of this work is focused on highlighting inequalities in STEM and engaging organisations to address barriers.

Sooz Young

Sooz Young is the founder of Technology Coaching, a Glasgow-based digital skills agency that has helped organisations, founders and teams build digital confidence since 2017. A finalist in the 2025 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, she has spent over 15 years in digital and learning, from training at Apple to working inside the legal sector at Ashurst.

Sooz has delivered skills programmes at national scale. She partnered with Facebook to train 3,000 people across Scotland, ran workshops with Google Digital Garage, and supported Glasgow Life and the Good Things Foundation to help over 300 new businesses get online during the pandemic. She also delivered three years of AI and data skills training across Tayside and the south of Scotland, funded by The Data Lab.

Her STEM experience includes four years on the Academy 9 programme, where she digitised learning, built a platform for STEM ambassadors and created a virtual reality careers fair for schools. She created the Tekunoji® Digital Mindset, and her CPD-accredited training covers innovation, web presence, social media marketing, cyber security, AI and automation, and data. She also mentors women founders through AccelerateHer and Barclays Eagle Labs.

Sooz brings digital and AI expertise to the committee, with a particular focus on making sure women are not left behind as AI changes the workplace. She is also a natural connector of people.