The Crosswind Board

Steve Dunlop
Steve is chairman of Crosswind Developments and has over 25 years’ experience of planning, regeneration and economic development.

He was chief executive of Scottish Enterprise from 2018 until October 2020.

Prior to that he was chief executive of Scottish Canals for just under six years and before that, Director Scotland and Regeneration at British Waterways from 2006 until 2012.

His other roles have included Director of Regeneration for Newcastle City Council and Director of Community Services for Falkirk Council.

John Watson

John is chief executive of Crosswind Developments Limited and has almost 30 years of experience working with all sizes of companies.

He joined Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) as an Operating Principal in 2013 at the same time taking on the role of Chief Commercial Officer of their investment, Edinburgh Airport Limited.

GIP is an international infrastructure investment fund with assets in the energy, transport, digital and water & waste sectors. John works in the operational improvement team with several of these GIP investments worldwide.

Prior to joining GIP, he was managing director of Lloyds Banking Group’s £50bn SME Lending portfolio and a founding board director of the Business Growth Fund plc. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with PwC Corporate Finance, John joined 3i plc.

John is Chair of Intelligent Growth Solutions, Chair of FOR-EV, Senior Independent Director of Scottish Event Campus, and a non-executive director of Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation. Formerly John was Chair and non-executive director of the Institute of Directors and a member of the ICAS Governing Council.

Dr Lesley Sawers O.B.E
Lesley is as non-executive director of Crosswind and has over 30 years’ experience working at senior levels within the private, public and third sectors.

She was appointed Equalities and Human Rights Commissioner for Scotland in 2016 and is a Director of GenAnalytics, a data analytics and research consultancy.

Previous senior public appointments include Chair of the Royal Mail Advisory Board for Scotland and Chair of Action for Children, Scotland and deputy chair of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

She was Vice Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor for Business, Enterprise and Innovation at Glasgow Caledonian University and CEO of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Scotland’s leading economic development think-tank.

Lesley has a PhD in Socio-Economics and holds two Honorary Doctorates. In 2017 she was awarded an OBE for services to business and equalities.

Andrew Sutherland
Andrew is a non-executive director of Crosswind and has more than 30 years’ experience in the world of commercial property and development.

He joined Miller Group in 1992 and was appointed Joint Managing Director in 2004 with primary responsibility for the company’s strategic direction and its development/investment activities in the office, mixed use, and industrial sectors throughout the UK, as well as several retail investments in mainland Europe.

He was a Chartered Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Governor of the Erskine Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh, one of the UK’s largest private schools where he chaired the Buildings’ Committee. He was Assistant on the Master’s Court of the Edinburgh Merchant Company where he was also a trustee on various charitable committees. He was also chairman of the Scottish Property Federation and Policy Committee member and a member of the Regeneration Committee of the British Property Federation.