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meet-the-team
Shaw

With expertise in all areas of marketing – from strategy to delivery – and across all sectors, we provide the knowledge, the insights, the energy, the creativity, and the experience to deliver results for you.

We can become part of your team, working in partnership with you to achieve your goals and using our breadth of skills to fit your needs.

Sector

Managing Director

Alastair Bruce

Began his career in publishing before moving on to hold various marketing and public relations posts in the voluntary and public sectors and then becoming a senior information officer at the Scottish Office (now Scottish Government). Joined Shaw in 1989. His roles include project management, marketing, and business development, and he’s also an award-winning copywriter and a trained editor.

Deputy Managing Director

Isabel Johnson

Formerly deputy chief executive of Shetland Islands Tourism, Isabel set up our Shetland office in 2000 and now divides her time between Shetland and Edinburgh. In addition to her role as a project manager, she provides marketing consultancy, press and public relations, copywriting, and event management services to clients. She’s also a skilled strategist with particular expertise in the tourism sector.

Strategy and Projects Director

Karyn Lumsden

Karyn joined us in 2022 after a distinguished marketing career in the education sector, latterly as head of brand and communications at New College Lanarkshire. A guest lecturer for Edinburgh Napier University Business School, where she delivered workshops as part of the National Transition Training Fund, she has won a number of communications awards and was selected to be part of a pioneering cohort for the first professional development award in Service Design at the UK’s first Service Design Academy. Her high-level knowledge is now being employed to boost the effectiveness of our clients’ marketing.

Head of Design

John Maxwell

A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, John has over 20 years’ experience as a designer. Experienced in branding, corporate literature, exhibitions, packaging and digital projects, John’s expertise also includes photography, illustration and film/video production. Since joining us in 2016, his range of creative skills have enabled us to deliver a real breadth of projects for our clients.

Production and Systems Manager

Gordon Murray

Gordon joined us way back in 1987 as a finished artist and has moved through the ranks to become an associate director of the company. He has led on the interface between design and technology and his expertise in digital technology provides excellent support through the build stages of web projects. He’s also been responsible for developing our super-efficient in-house systems.

Designer

Aimee Colley

A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, Aimee joined us in 2017 and hit the ground running, demonstrating her outstanding creative skills for a wide range of clients. She has gone on to provide great results in branding, digital, packaging and 3D projects for clients such as the Law Society of Scotland, Aurora Jewellery, Social Value Portal, CHAS, and Leeds Credit Union.

Marketing Assistant

Sophie Henderson

An honours graduate in fashion management from Robert Gordon University, Sophie also spent six months at the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology. A Shetlander but based in London, she joined us in November 2020 after working in marketing roles for Oasis Fashion, Fortnum & Mason, Cutler & Gross, and Ocean Kinetics. Sophie is working with a number of our clients to support their marketing while also being a key member of the in-house team driving Shaw’s own marketing strategy.

Project Manager

Isla Mercer

Isla spent a number of years working in the Scottish drinks industry before joining Shaw in 2019. She has particular experience and expertise in branding and brand strategy, product development, packaging design and marketing. She has a keen interest in the food and drink sector and has written on this topic for various publications, including a blog on The Herald website.

Alastair Bruce

Managing Director

Alastair Bruce

Began his career in publishing before moving on to hold various marketing and public relations posts in the voluntary and public sectors and then becoming a senior information officer at the Scottish Office (now Scottish Government). Joined Shaw in 1989. His roles include project management, marketing, and business development, and he’s also an award-winning copywriter and a trained editor.

Isabel Johnson

Deputy Managing Director

Isabel Johnson

Formerly deputy chief executive of Shetland Islands Tourism, Isabel set up our Shetland office in 2000 and now divides her time between Shetland and Edinburgh. In addition to her role as a project manager, she provides marketing consultancy, press and public relations, copywriting, and event management services to clients. She’s also a skilled strategist with particular expertise in the tourism sector.

Strategy and Projects Director

Karyn Lumsden

Karyn joined us in 2022 after a distinguished marketing career in the education sector, latterly as head of brand and communications at New College Lanarkshire. A guest lecturer for Edinburgh Napier University Business School, where she delivered workshops as part of the National Transition Training Fund, she has won a number of communications awards and was selected to be part of a pioneering cohort for the first professional development award in Service Design at the UK’s first Service Design Academy. Her high-level knowledge is now being employed to boost the effectiveness of our clients’ marketing.

Gordon Murray

Production and Systems Manager

Gordon Murray

Gordon joined us way back in 1987 as a finished artist and has moved through the ranks to become an associate director of the company. He has led on the interface between design and technology and his expertise in digital technology provides excellent support through the build stages of web projects. He’s also been responsible for developing our super-efficient in-house systems.

John Maxwell

Head of Design

John Maxwell

A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, John has over 20 years’ experience as a designer. Experienced in branding, corporate literature, exhibitions, packaging and digital projects, John’s expertise also includes photography, illustration and film/video production. Since joining us in 2016, his range of creative skills have enabled us to deliver a real breadth of projects for our clients.

Aimeé Coley

Designer

Aimee Colley

A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, Aimee joined us in 2017 and hit the ground running, demonstrating her outstanding creative skills for a wide range of clients. She has gone on to provide great results in branding, digital, packaging and 3D projects for clients such as the Law Society of Scotland, Aurora Jewellery, Social Value Portal, CHAS, and Leeds Credit Union.

Isla Mercer

Project Manager

Isla Mercer

Isla spent a number of years working in the Scottish drinks industry before joining Shaw in 2019. She has particular experience and expertise in branding and brand strategy, product development, packaging design and marketing. She has a keen interest in the food and drink sector and has written on this topic for various publications, including a blog on The Herald website.

Marketing Assistant

Sophie Henderson

An honours graduate in fashion management from Robert Gordon University, Sophie also spent six months at the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology. A Shetlander but based in London, she joined us in November 2020 after working in marketing roles for Oasis Fashion, Fortnum & Mason, Cutler & Gross, and Ocean Kinetics. Sophie is working with a number of our clients to support their marketing while also being a key member of the in-house team driving Shaw’s own marketing strategy.

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