Meet the team

Chris Harte

Chair

Chris is Chief Executive & Partner at MFMac, one of Scotland’s largest law firms, having served as CEO of Morton Fraser since 2013, before leading the firm into the merger with MacRoberts in 2023.  Chris joined Scottish Autism as a Trustee in 2021 and became Chair in 2025.

Paul Nelson

Vice Chair

Paul is a retired managing director who lives in Dunblane. He was educated at Queens University of Belfast and spent his career in a variety of commercial businesses. Paul has a broad range of skills in management and negotiation and also has a strong history of community and voluntary work, notably as a local councillor, business advisor to the Scotland Office, working on a school board and various professional associations, and making tea at Dunblane Memory cafe.

Christopher Thomson

Treasurer

Terry Allan

Board member

Terry is an experienced CEO and strategic business leader with a proven record of driving growth and transformation across diverse sectors in the UK and internationally. He brings deep expertise in organisational leadership, strategic development & implementation, financial management, and Board governance. Underpinned by integrity, authenticity and a people-focused approach.

Terry’s involvement in the charitable sector reflects his strong belief in purpose-driven leadership. As Chair of Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland (A-ND), he played a key role in helping guide its successful merger with Scottish Autism – a milestone that strengthened support for autistic people and their families across the country. He now continues that commitment as a member of the Scottish Autism Board.

Shannon Babbie

Board member

Shannon Babbie, EdD is a Senior Lecturer of Education at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he gratefully serves as Programme Director of Inclusive Practice & Autism. Dr Babbie brings 25+ years’ experience across teaching & training, coaching & mentorship, human resource leadership, and higher education.

Shannon’s professional research centres around the intersection of autism, teacher education, and educational leadership.

Andrew Jarvie

Board member

Andrew has over a decade’s experience within public policy and influencing change. Elected as a Councillor in 2017, he also works for the Mental Welfare Commission in a lived experience role for Neurodiversity.

Bringing experience as a Non-executive Director for two other large charities, he is also the Director of his own company. Andrew has a long track record of successfully changing policy for under-represented and often forgotten groups, successfully securing 7 and 8 figure investments within these areas.

Always looking for a new challenge in areas of interest and those which reflect his values, Andrew brings his entrepreneurial intrigue and problem solving passion to the Board.

Lynne Laverty

Board member

Lynne currently works as a consultant supporting charities in senior leadership roles, with a focus on strategy, governance, operations and funding. She has over two decades of experience supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families through her work in the voluntary sector and as a Governor at two specialist schools. She spent 12 years as Managing Director of a London‑based ADHD and autism support charity, and more recently served as Programme Director for Autism Central, a £4.6m NHS‑commissioned peer support programme in England. Lynne holds an MEd in Autism and an MSc in Voluntary Sector Management. Her passion for supporting neurodivergent people and their families is rooted in her experience as the parent of two brilliant autistic young adults.

Jane McEwan

Board member

Jane is the founder of Balanced HR, an HR consultancy supporting small businesses to build fair, inclusive and people-focused workplaces.
With over 20 years’ experience in HR and employee relations, she helps organisations navigate complex people matters with empathy, integrity and professionalism, creating positive and compliant workplace cultures.

As the parent of an autistic son with a complex eating disorder, Jane is passionate about promoting understanding and support for neurodivergent individuals in education, workplaces and beyond.

Her values of fairness, compassion and professionalism guide both her consultancy work and her role as a Board Trustee of Scottish Autism.

Margaret Orr

Board member

Margaret Mary Rafferty

Board member

Appointed to the Board in 2019, Margaret Mary was previously the Chief Executive at Ceteris for over ten years. She has a wealth of property management experience as well as business development, sales, marketing and financial management knowledge. She is experienced in accessing grant funding for Charitable Organisations, particularly those supporting the homeless and people with addictions. Margaret Mary has personal experience of the value of support Scottish Autism offers to autistic people and their families.

Karen-Jane Stewart

Board member

Karen Jane is an experienced risk management professional with a strong background in governance, strategic planning, and continuous improvement, gained primarily within the utilities sector. As Head of Corporate Risk Management at a national water utility, she leads work on organisational resilience and assurance, helping to shape decisions that balance operational delivery with public service outcomes.

Karen Jane is passionate about applying her professional expertise to strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability in the charitable sector; believing that inclusive decision-making and effective oversight are essential to ensuring Scottish Autism continues to deliver meaningful, person-centred support.

Her commitment to autism understanding and advocacy is also deeply personal: as a parent to an autistic child, she brings lived experience and a strong belief in empowerment, inclusion, and the importance of listening to autistic voices and their families.

Lucy Smith

Board member

Dorry McLaughlin

Chief Executive

Dorry has been the CEO at Scottish Autism for seven years. She joined Scottish Autism from Viewpoint where she was Chief Executive for eight years. Dorry has worked in housing, support and care services for over 30 years including spells in local government and with the housing regulator in England. Although much of Dorry’s experience before joining Scottish Autism has been around working with older people many of the issues autistic people face share a similar dynamic. Dorry brings to Scottish Autism expertise in leading the development of innovative services which support people who often live with complex needs and who are marginalised and disadvantaged simply by being who they are or living where they live. Dorry is passionate about hearing the voices of everybody Scottish Autism supports and all autistic communities however they wish to communicate.

Billy Alexander

Director of Innovation and Growth

Billy joined Scottish Autism in November 2025, bringing over two decades’ experience across psychotherapy, social care and the third sector, with a career rooted in direct therapeutic support for children, young people and families. Formerly the inaugural CEO of Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland (A-ND), he led the development and delivery of a 2022–2027 strategy to enhance services across the North of Scotland. 

Billy role focuses on innovation in children and young people’s services, growth across Scotland, and strategic partnerships that expand our impact. His practice is informed by lived experience, diagnosed with ADHD at 15, and by extensive work training organisations UK-wide in neurodiversity, inclusion and therapeutic approaches. Billy is values-driven and committed to co-producing solutions that strengthen outcomes for autistic and neurodiverse people and their families. 

Joe Long

Director of Practice and Innovation

Joe joined the executive team in 2023 after ten years at Scottish Autism. He leads on Practice Development; Public Policy and Campaigning; Research; Marketing and Communications; and Income Generation. Joe is committed to the meaningful inclusion of autistic people in decision-making at all levels within Scottish Autism and coordinates the strategy to improve this aspect of the organisation’s practices and governance.

Joe has a PhD in Social Anthropology and worked in academia prior to joining Scottish Autism in order to establish the organisation’s participatory research programme. He also draws on many years’ experience in direct support roles within autism and learning disability services.

Pauline McDonald

Director of Operations

Pauline joined Scottish Autism in July 2022, bringing extensive experience across learning disability, autism, mental health and homelessness services, as well as in managing complex service delivery. Previously a Director of Services with a major care provider, she is highly skilled in leading teams to deliver high‑quality, person‑centred support.

Pauline is committed to ensuring autistic people receive the highest standard of service. She champions person‑led practice, encourages innovation, and promotes excellence grounded in strong values and a human rights‑based approach.

Donna Paton

Director of Finance and Business Services

Donna joined Scottish Autism in January 2024, bringing over 25 years’ experience in social housing, charities and non-departmental government bodies. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Donna’s career has spanned all areas of finance and, more recently, leadership in IT strategy, acquisitions, and commercial subsidiary development. Being passionate about making a difference in the third sector, Donna also serves as a Trustee of a large housing association.

Donna is values driven and is an advocate for collaborative working and improvement initiatives. Making a positive difference to those we support is something Donna is passionate about.

Katherine Wainwright

Director of People and Culture

Katherine joined Scottish Autism in 2020 as Director of People and Culture, with around 20 years of strategic leadership experience across social care, the voluntary sector, social enterprise, consultancy, and voluntary board roles. Katherine’s extensive expertise in leading people functions, national workforce initiatives, collaborative working, and strategic change, with a strong focus on culture and values. Katherine is committed to the voluntary sector, championing inclusion and enabling people to thrive.