Alan JohnstonChairman

Alan Johnston qualified in Biochemistry and postgraduate Business Administration, & holds Fellowships and Chartered status of both The UK Royal Society of Biology and The Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a Member of the Institute of Directors, and spent more than 30 years with Inveresk Research (subsequently Charles River Laboratories) in Edinburgh, initially in practical Safety of Medicines research, then Operations Management, and occupied the position of Commercial Director for the latter 10 years, through the periods of Management Buyout, USA NASDAQ IPO and subsequent mergers.
He is Immediate-Past President and current trustee of the Edinburgh Angus Association & Charitable Trust, former Trustee of Charles River UK Pension Trust and Chair of the UK Royal Society of Biology Pension Trustees until 2021, having retired from Trust Chair of Edinburgh University SBS Pension Trust role in July 2020.
He was until 2009 Treasurer of the UK Institute of Biology, and was Chair of the Board of Marketing Edinburgh Ltd until retirement in 2014. He held other non-executive and advisory positions with Biosciences Organisations, including until 2014 the Advisory Board of the Scottish Life Sciences Association and until 2015, the Board of CXR Biosciences Ltd. He currently Chairs the Boards of Directors of both Clyde Biosciences Ltd, and Fios Genomics Ltd. He is actively involved with “Business Angel” investments in early-stage Life Sciences companies, and has acted as a Young Enterprise Business Adviser. Until 2021, Alan was an appointed University Governor and Trustee on the Governing Court of the University of Edinburgh, where he was Convener of Audit and Risk until July 2020 and was Convener of Policy and Resources and Nominations from August 2020. He was also appointed to Remuneration and Exception Committees, and was a Curator of Patronage of the University. He is a Member of The Edinburgh Royal Merchant Company and of the Edinburgh New Club, where he sits on Managers’ Committee. Alan is an Arts and Music enthusiast, is a Patron of Edinburgh Capital Theatres Trust, The National Museum of Scotland and The Edinburgh International Festival.