Our Team

As a company we like to think that we and what we do is a bit special, have a look and see for yourself.

Based in Edinburgh, we use our operational experience in media, public affairs, public relations and policy communications to work with you to set realistic targets and plot a course for you to achieve your goals in Scotland.

John Macgill / Director

What started out as a tentative step into being his own boss in 2005 has led to the creation of one of Scotland’s most respected public affairs and media consultancies.

A journalist for 17 years, John spent 15 of those in broadcasting with the BBC, STV and Radio Forth and, despite the odd awkward moment pronouncing the Thai island of Phuket, managed to avoid an appearance on Auntie’s Bloomers. After spending time as an Editor on Radio Scotland’s flagship Good Morning Scotland programme, John left to enter the world of politics, firstly as Editor of Holyrood and then as Editor of The Parliament (the magazines of the Scottish and European Parliaments respectively). He left journalism for public policy after being appointed Managing Director of Grayling in Scotland.

John is the Treasurer (having previously been Convener) of the Association of Scottish Public Affairs (ASPA) and is also convener of the committee overseeing the Church of Scotland’s publishing..
–
john@morhamburn.com

Niamh Hegarty / Assistant Director

Niamh is Morhamburn’s very own Europhile, having spent two years working in Brussels for both an MEP and for a leading consultancy. While in Brussels, Niamh specialised in EU environment, transport and maritime policy and worked with two EU-wide trade bodies. Any comment at this point as to Niamh’s interest in Belgium’s other specialities, say for example beer or chocolate, would of course be inappropriate.

Niamh originally comes from Northern Ireland and studied at Queen’s University, Belfast before moving to Glasgow, where she gained a Master’s degree in political research at the University of Strathclyde and worked for children’s charity Action for Children. She also spent a year as an English teacher in Japan – so if you come across any Japanese children with Irish accents, you know who to blame.
–
niamh@morhamburn.com

Keith Small / Senior Consultant

Keith took a slightly circuitous route into policy work, first dirtying his hands in that most disreputable of professions, banking. In what was either a brilliant piece of foresight (according to Keith) or just blind luck (according to the rest of us), Keith left investment bank Citigroup before the financial sector collapsed to fulfil a strange ambition to work in public affairs. He too has refused to give up his pension entitlement.

Keith studied at Napier University in Edinburgh and also holds a Master’s degree in International Politics from the University of Glasgow. He still claims his student backpacking jaunts were research expeditions.
–
keith@morhamburn.com

Mark Ferguson / Public Affairs and Media Relations Assistant

Mark is the newest member of our team joining us from the Scottish Sports Association.  Having spent what he says felt like an eternity in higher education, Mark finally obtained degree in Management from the University of Aberdeen. He then promptly decided to continue his studies, going on to obtain a Master’s in Policy Studies from the University of Edinburgh.

While at university, Mark also worked as a barman, laboured for a carpet fitter and gained extensive knowledge of Swedish furniture, despite lacking the ability to build any of it.
—
mark@morhamburn.com