Our Organisation

Board chairman of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Charities) Limited
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited
• Edinburgh Tattoo Productions Limited
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (International) Limited

In May of 2015, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo welcomed International Events Consultant Bill to the Board. As Director of Culture, Ceremonies, Education and Live Sites for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Bill has a deep understanding of staging large-scale international events. He led the team which delivered the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Torch Relays, Victory Ceremonies, and Team Welcome Ceremonies. Bill continues his relationship with the Games as an Expert Advisor for the International Olympic Committee.

Before joining London 2012, Bill worked in radio and TV production at the BBC. As Project Director of Live Events, he was responsible for major spectacles including BBC Music Live, BBC Proms in the Park, ‘Live 8’ in summer 2005, and The Queen’s Concerts at Buckingham Palace, for which he was awarded the LVO in The Queen’s Jubilee Honours List.

Serving on the Radio Academy’s Council and as Chair between 1998 and2001, Bill was awarded a Fellowship in 2001 and then in2012 he was granted the Olympic Order of Merit. Bill also served as an advisor inside HMG Home Office and is a Trustee and Chair hair of a number of arts and education charities.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Charities) Limited
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (International) Limited
• Edinburgh Tattoo Productions Limited

Tricia joined the Board of Directors in July 2021. She has an Engineering Science degree from the University of Durham and an MBA from the London Business School.

All of her professional career has been in the commercial world including being a partner of Deloitte Consulting (London), the Managing Partner of Deloitte Consulting, Netherlands based in Amsterdam and the Managing Director of a management development school in London.

She subsequently set up her own cheese making business in Ayrshire, winning Best Scottish Cheese and 7 gold medals at the Royal Highland Show with her cheese served at Michelin starred restaurants throughout Scotland.

Tricia served two terms as a Trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland, serving as Chair of the Major Capital Projects Committee which had oversight of the £70m capital programme and as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

She is currently the Deputy Chair of the University of Dundee and the Chair of the Friends of The Pipe Factory CIC in Glasgow.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited

Ruth's diverse and robust background brings a wealth of experience in leadership, public service, and media. Before embarking on her political career, she served in the Territorial Army. This military experience, combined with her subsequent political career, has equipped her with a unique perspective on the importance of national heritage and the role of the military in society.

Her journey from journalism to political leadership exemplifies her commitment to public service and her ability to inspire change. Beyond her political career, Ruth is a published author and a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights.

Her invaluable experience will undoubtedly help steer the Tattoo towards an even more impactful future.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Charities) Limited

Chris is a veteran of the UK live entertainment events and ticketing industry, having worked in various senior management roles across the industry for over 30 years. He joined Ticketmaster in 2004, as Managing Director of their UK business, the global ticketing company’s second largest market after North America. In 2013, Chris became Chairman of Ticketmaster UK and expanded his role as Executive Vice President, leading Ticketmaster’s international expansion through mergers, acquisition, and partnerships across multiple markets.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Charities) Limited

During a career that spans over 34 years in investment management, Tim spent much of his professional career at Martin Currie in Edinburgh before joining the London based Garraway Capital Management in 2013. As a main Board Director at Martin Currie, and a member of the management team at Garraway, his experience at Board level is reflected in several non-executive roles and the chairing of major charitable foundations. He has chaired the Corra Foundation (Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland), the Martin Currie Charitable Foundation, and worked with the Princes Trust and Pilotlight Scotland.

He currently chairs the Board of Governors of Kilgraston School and is a trustee of the Mainhouse Charitable Trust.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited

Giles joined the Tattoo’s Board of Directors in February 2022. He has over 34 years of experience in the British Army, leaving in 2021 as a 3-star Lieutenant General. During his career, he has held a number of leadership roles. The most recent being, Deputy NATO Coalition Commander for Afghanistan. In this role, he led on strategic and international engagement and was responsible for a 37-nation, 40,000 strong international military and civilian coalition.

Giles was appointed CBE in 2014 and Companion of the Order of Bath (CB) in 2020. He was also awarded the United States Legion of Merit for operational leadership in 2020.

A keen golfer and lifelong runner, Giles also occasionally skydives and is actively involved in leadership mentoring and charity fundraising.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Charities) Limited

Ray graduated MA, LL.B, MBA from the University of Glasgow and began her career as a solicitor in private practice. A former Senior Director of the Bank of Scotland and Managing Director of Scottish Enterprise, Ray is now Chairman of the Scottish Legal Aid Board and of Museums Galleries Scotland. She has held a variety of non-executive posts in the public and private sectors and is now Deputy Chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and chairs the Scotland Committee. Ray is also a Trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland Foundation and of the Hopetoun Foundation.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited

Lee joined Joining the Board of Directors in June 2019, Lee brings with him experience from thirty years spent in the development of commercial revenue in media and live entertainment. He was part of the launch team for Virgin Radio, the UK’s first national pop and rock station and, as Sales Director, helped the station achieve the highest share of national revenue as well as creating new digital radio services for the Virgin Radio group. He was also Commercial Director of The O2, the world’s most successful music venue, and over nine years generated £30m+ annual revenue from sponsorship, commercial partnership, and hospitality deals. Within the AEG Worldwide Group, he worked on venues such as Rotterdam Ahoy, O2 World Berlin, Palais 12 Brussels, Ülker Arena Istanbul, SSE Arena Wembley, and the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.

In 2014 he became Managing Director of Canvas Partnerships, developing commercial benefits for the entertainment, culture, retail, and property sectors. Canvas has generated sponsorship revenue and provided consultancy services for companies such as BAFTA, Imperial War Museum, Battersea Power Station, intu plc, the Nelson Mandela Global Exhibition, East of England Arena and Events Centre, Lloyd Webber Theatres, and the Barbican.

He is also a Foundation Governor of Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall, West Midlands – one of the best performing state schools in England and Wales.

Board member of:

• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited

Rucelle joins the Board from her current role as Chief Financial Officer at the Scottish Football Association (SFA). Prior to her role with the SFA, she had been a core member of the team at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – having held the position of Head of Finance before being appointed as Chief Operating Officer in October 2018.

As Chief Operating Officer Rucelle worked closely with the Board and Chief Executive in the development and delivery of the organisation’s strategy so is well versed in the inner workings of the Tattoo for her role on the Board.   

Rucelle is a Chartered Accountant (ICAS) and Chartered MCIPD with over 20 years’ experience in a variety of private, public and voluntary sector organisations including ProjectScotland and The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.   Rucelle also a Trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland.

Appointed as Creative Director in 2024, Alan Lane will spearhead the 2025 Show in the Tattoo’s 75^th year.  Alan is an international award-winning, large-scale theatre director with extensive, experience of creatively directing outdoor epic performance and civic-military ceremony, and the national broadcasting of both of those. 

Founder of theatre company Slung Low, since 2000, Alan has directed the entire back catalogue of work including outdoor shows for commissioners including Royal Shakespeare Company, BBC, Singapore Festival, Manchester International Festival, National Theatre of Croatia, Almeida Theatre, Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and many more.

An Army Reservist since 2015 with 75 Engineer Regiment, Alan has also worked as creative consultant on Army Expo 2022, 2023 and 2024. Designed to be a step change from previous programmes, Alan was brought on board to create a more dramatic and immersive event where he applied production technology to create a dynamic, engaging experience- allowing for the army’s messaging to be delivered in powerful, immersive narratives. 

With the ability to create immersive experiences alongside the larger scale spectacles, Alan brings extensive experience and expertise to his role at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 

Having joined the Tattoo team as Chief Operating Officer in 2020, Jason took over the role of Chief Executive in December 2023.

Originally from Colorado, Jason joined the Tattoo with over 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and has held various Chief Executive and Management roles in the US.

Prior to this, Jason had a distinguished career in the United States Marine Corps. He served 20 years as an infantry officer where he held leadership positions, teaching leadership as well as being involved in high-level strategic planning and on active service with the UK Royal Marines. Jason retired from the Marine Corps as Lieutenant Colonel in 2010 having commanded over 1,000 Marines.

Notably, during his time with the military, Jason served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and has written procedures for managing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for the Marine Corps.

Alice started at the Tattoo in 2009, working in a progression of administrative and legal roles and experiencing all areas of the business before being appointed Head of Governance and HR in January 2022. In this role, Alice is responsible for overseeing all corporate governance, legal, charitable and people matters. It’s important to her that contact with the Tattoo adds positively to people’s lives whether that’s through employment, charity donations and contributions, or by setting conditions for successful partnerships across the company.

Having graduated with an LLB (Hons) with Accounting from the University of Aberdeen, Alice also completed her Diploma in Legal Practice and an LLM in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Edinburgh. A qualified company secretary and experienced HR generalist, she brings a wealth of invaluable knowledge to the Tattoo. Her experience with third sector organisations and in research roles also provides a different perspective to the team.

As Company Secretary, Alice has a key connecting role between the board(s) of directors and the senior management team.

As Head of Operations at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Ed has responsibility for the production, venue and event management of the Show. Prior to joining the Tattoo in February 2020, he was engaged by Capita as Senior Head of Regional Operations, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and North of England – focussed on the Army Recruiting Partnership Project.

Ed is a former Army Colonel who finished his military service in 2014 as Commander, UK Command, Staff and Tactical Training Group.  He commanded The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) in Fort George and in Afghanistan where he led a 1500-strong battlegroup in Helmand Province.

Johna Penman was appointed Marketing Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2025, leading the organisation’s Brand, Marketing, Box Office, and Communications functions.

With more than 20 years’ experience in senior marketing roles with leading consumer brands, including The Famous Grouse, Edinburgh Gin, Makers Mark, and Absolut Vodka, she brings strategic vision, audience expertise, and a track record of driving growth.

Johna plays a key role in shaping the Tattoo’s brand and extending its reach across the UK and internationally.

David took on the role of Head of Finance in 2024 and brings with him a wealth of experience having held similar roles previously at the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) and the Scottish SPCA.

With a finance career spanning over 20 years, most recently as Finance Director at RHASS David has experience of working with another high-profile Scottish event, The Royal Highland Show. Providing him with vital skills for his role at the Tattoo.

As Head of Finance, David oversees all financial operations of the business and is responsible for both day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning, helping guide decisions that affect the financial future of the Tattoo and our charitable giving.

Martyn joined the Tattoo in 2021 as Head of Commercial following 10 years with the NatWest Group where he led the bank’s sponsorship, hospitality & events department. He brings 20-plus years of experience of building brands and delivering commercial growth to organisations such as FC Barcelona, Tennent’s Lager, Sky, Whyte & Mackay, Bank of Scotland and Diageo.

Having sat in the position of rights owner, sponsor and activation agency over the years, he’s uniquely positioned to work with our partners to support them to drive value out of their partnerships with the Tattoo.