Peter brings vast experience and knowledge of Public Affairs to the Board. He is a member of the Corporate Governance and Risk Committee.
Peter is External Affairs Director at communication consultancy Aspect, where he works with leaders, mostly in energy, decarbonisation and sustainability, to cut through complexity and shape clear, effective external relations strategies.
Previously Peter was Director of Public Affairs at Edinburgh-based consultancy Indigo and has also worked for the Federation of Master Builders Scotland and political monitoring agency Newsdirect. He has an MA from St Andrews University and an MSc from the London School of Economics & Political Science.
Peter grew up in Belfast but moved to Scotland to study at St Andrews where he met his future wife, Hilary. They eventually settled in East Lothian and now have three sons, Sam, Ruaridh and Hamish who take up most of their spare time.
There's something special about CHAS's approach that gets under the skin of anyone who encounters it. Its people are always there to put a big arm of support around families facing the toughest of circumstances and if the organisation didn't exist - and didn't operate with the very distinctive and special spirit of joy that it embodies - then Scotland would be so much worse off.
Peter Smyth