The Board

Jim is a qualified Chartered Accountant with wide ranging experience in the U.K. and overseas.  He gained a degree in Accounting, Economics & Law from Glasgow University in 1977 and, in the same year, joined KPMG, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, obtaining experience in audit, tax and consultancy. In 1981 Jim joined Britoil where he carried out Internal Audit, Management and Financial Accounting roles.  He joined Bank of Scotland in 1990 as Senior Manager responsible for Financial Accounting, Regulatory reporting and has also headed up Capital Raising Projects, Acquisitions & Mergers, Financial and Capital Planning, Management Accounting, Systems Development and Tax.  He sponsored the IFRS and Basel 2 implementations across the Finance Community.  In 1999 he was appointed Group Chief Accountant of Bank of Scotland and in September 2001 became Group Chief Accountant of HBOS after the merger with Halifax until December 2008. In January 2009 Jim became Divisional Finance Director for the new Lloyds Banking Group.  He is also a member of the FRC's Financial Reporting Review Panel, and a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland.

Raymond M. Williamson was educated at The High School of Glasgow and Glasgow University (M.A. LL.B). He spent 40 years with Solicitors, MacRoberts, the last 6 as Senior Partner. He was a Council Member of The Law Society of Scotland (1990 – 1996), Convener of its Employment Law Committee (1990 – 2006) and founding Committee Member and Vice Chairman of The European Employment Lawyers Association until 2006. He served as Dean of The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow (2001-2004). He is currently a fee paid Employment Judge.

He served on the Board of the RSNO (1970 – 1991) the last six years as Chairman.  He is a former Chairman of The John Currie Singers and Children’s Classic Concerts. He served as a Governor of The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for 12 years the last 3 as Vice Chairman. He is currently President of The Glasgow Art Club a director of Chorus Trust, Honorary President of The Scottish International Piano Competition, Chairman of Westbourne music, Chairman RSNO Pension Scheme Trustees, a trustee of The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Trusts, Director of Glasgow UNESCO City of Music and Vice Chairman of The High School of Glasgow in addition to his Chairmanship of NYCoS.

He is a Fellow of The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and was the recipient of the Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow Award for Culture 2010.  He is married with two grown up children. His wife is a dedicated chorister singing with both the RSNO Chorus and The Edinburgh Festival Chorus.

Richard Chester studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London and was the founding flautist of the Nash Ensemble.  He worked with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra before joining the Scottish National Orchestra in 1967. During his time with the Scottish National Orchestra he worked as Principal Flute with conductors Sir Alexander Gibson and Neeme Jarvi. He was a founder member of the chamber ensemble Cantilena performing flute concertos in most concerts, including tours in Europe and South America. He also gave concerto performances with the SNO. On leaving the Scottish National Orchestra in 1987, Richard was invited to become Director of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland. He retired from NYOS in 2007 to pursue a career as an adjudicator, orchestral trainer and music adviser. He was President of The European Federation of National Youth Orchestras, Chairman of St Mary’s Music School and the World Federation of Amateur Orchestras.

Having spent many years working for Clydesdale Bank, in areas such as Law Department, Marketing, Business Development, Retail, Insurance, and Corporate Affairs Myra has gained a broad understanding of many different aspects of Banking.   Her experiences include negotiating with and working with external organizations with whom the Bank had a sponsorship relationship.   Now working for Glasgow’s Hospice, she is experienced, in particular, in making Trust applications in order to attract funding. She believes that working for a Charity allows her to better understand the challenges facing NYCOS, and can offer her expertise and support, particularly in areas of sponsorship and finance and event management.

Lizanne is passionate about singing. Her singing life has included memberships of Edinburgh Festival Chorus (10 years), Bearsden Burgh Choir, Cecilian Society, Glasgow Grand Opera and occasional concerts with RSNO. Lizanne’s working life has included 10 years in Arts Administration, mainly in starting up Westbourne Music and Children’s Classic Concerts, Via Project for Glasgow University plus various consultancies and Outreach in the Arts. Her Board memberships have included chairmanships of Friends of Scottish Opera, National Childbirth Trust, Cecilian Opera Company Ltd, Glasgow University General Council and seats on the Boards of Scottish Opera, NYCoS and Westbourne Music. Her strengths are in innovating and motivating. Along with singing Lizanne enjoys Arran, speaking Italian and French, theatre, walking, snorkelling and travelling. She has four children, three working in the arts and one in law.

Ian Mills spent 30 years working in education services – both in school based posts - subsequently as a Depute Head Teacher in a Lanarkshire secondary school, and local authority management as an Assistant Director of Education in Tayside and then Director of Education in East Dunbartonshire Council. In 2001 he was appointed General Manager of the National Youth Choir of Scotland and from November 2007 has been working in the RSAMD (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) as Head of the Principal’s Executive Office. Ian is Chairman of Drake Music Scotland, Administrator of the Scottish International Piano Competition and, in addition to being a member of NYCoS Board, he is also on the Board of Children’s Classic Concerts Scotland. In addition to a busy family life, his interests are in music (member of RSNO Chorus), Rotary International and sport (now as a spectator!).

John Robertson sang major roles with the Glasgow Grand Opera and the Edinburgh Grand Opera and was a founder member of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in 1965 before becoming a full-time professional singer in 1966. He sang nearly 1000 performances in some 50 roles with Scottish Opera and for the last 20 years has been part of the extra chorus, singing as recently as 2011. He taught singing for two years at the RNCM and for 16 years at the RSAMD (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). In the late 80s he became Scottish Agent for the British Federation of Young Choirs and assisted in the birth of NYCoS. In semi-retirement he teaches privately at his home in Edinburgh. 

Christopher is the Ena Mitchell Professor of Singing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where for the past 15 years he held the post of Head of the Vocal Department. Prior to that he spent eight years as Assistant Head of Vocal Studies at the RNCM.  He has had a performing career throughout Europe in Concert, recital and opera with a special emphasis on singing in French. He won the French Song prize at the Paris International Competition and the Benson and Hedges Gold Award at Aldeburgh. Has given vocal master classes in the USA, Argentina, Russia, Australia, China and New Zealand. He believes that singing can change the lives of singers and listeners as exemplified by the work of NYCOS in Scotland.