Women in Public Affairs Scotland

Women in Public Affairs Scotland is a voluntary network that brings together professionals across all levels in public affairs, politics, communications, and policy to network, support one another, and access advice and training. Founded in 2019, WiPA Scotland works alongside the other WiPA networks to foster an inclusive and supportive community of public affairs professionals.

Over the last few years, we’ve hosted a wide range of speakers such as Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance Shona Robison, Patricia Ferguson MP and hosted a series of manifesto webinars with Scottish political parties policy leads ahead of the 2026 election, providing unique and direct access to the teams.  Our Executive Committee is also supported by the WiPA Scotland Senior Advisory Panel.

Our network continues to grow, with a thriving LinkedIn community and our podcast, The Unofficial Report. This podcast explores Scottish politics, interviews industry leaders, and delves into key topics in the public affairs landscape. 

We are proud to offer free membership and events, ensuring accessibility across our network. However, as a voluntary organisation led by a dedicated committee, we rely on partners to support our programme of work. We deliver a range of networking events, training opportunities, and our popular ‘In Conversation’ series, held both in-person and online.

If you’re interested in supporting us, hosting an event, suggesting speakers, or providing venue space, we’d love to hear from you. Stay informed by signing up for our newsletter or connecting with us on LinkedIn to keep up with our latest activities.

Rebecca Watson, Chair

Weber Shandwick

Rebecca is a Public Affairs Manager at Weber Shandwick with over four years of agency experience. She advises clients covering a wide range of sectors on political and policy developments, providing strategic counsel, stakeholder engagement support and political monitoring across the UK.

Prior to working in public affairs, Rebecca has experience working on political campaigns, having supported a successful election campaign in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections. Rebecca has been part of the Women in Public Affairs Scotland Committee for over 3 years, previously leading on our events.

Dominique Mitchell, chair

56 Degrees North

Dominique is a public affairs and strategic communications professional with experience across government and corporate organisations in the UK and internationally. She currently works as a Senior Consultant at 56° North, supporting organisations to build strong reputations, engage effectively with the media and navigate political landscapes across sectors including financial services, culture and sport.

After moving back to Scotland in 2024, Dominique has been passionate about supporting Women in Public Affairs Scotland to build an inclusive and supportive public affairs community. She previously served as Communications Lead for WiPA Scotland prior to becoming Co-chair.

Michaela McEnemy, events and partnerships

Quantum Communications

Michaela is a Senior Account Manager at Quantum Communications. As a member of the Women in Public Affairs Scotland Committee, she co-leads on events partnerships, motivated by a passion to create an inclusive space for women operating in the public affairs arena.

Prior to joining Quantum, Michaela worked in public affairs for the scotch whisky arm of Pernod Ricard, the world’s second largest wine and spirits producer. High-profile stakeholder engagement, developing policy positions, and creating engaging responsibility campaigns and messaging were key to the role.

Jennifer brash, events and partnerships

MCR Pathways

Jennifer is a Policy & Public Affairs Officers at MCR Pathways, leading on work in Child Poverty and Widening Access. Over her time with the organisation, Jen has supported in training new Pathways Coordinators, managing the programme in North Ayrshire and working directly with the young people on the programme. She is driven to address the inequalities young people face in accessing education and create sustainable solutions, with young people driving conversations that affect them at both local and national spheres of influence.

Róisín Hunt, EVents and partnerships

Scottish Youth Parliament

Róisín holds a BA in Politics, Sociology, and Social Justice, alongside qualifications in Liberal Arts and Leadership and Management. She previously worked in retail and banking before joining the Department of the Taoiseach in 2021 as a Clerical Officer, where she contributed to significant reforms in policing and various social policy initiatives. In 2023, Róisín joined the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office, where she played a key role in establishing its first Youth Advisory Group, delivering youth-friendly presentations, and organising high-profile events such as the inaugural Summit. In mid-2025, she became Policy and Public Affairs Officer for the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), supporting young people to influence policy, engage with politicians, and lead impactful campaigns. Her work includes supporting youth-led committees, coordinating events such as the Executive and Cabinet Takeovers, and driving initiatives such as the UK:Ireland Youth Forum and SYP’s podcast series with Young Rights Champions.

Rebekah macleod, communications

White Ribbon Scotland

Rebekah is the Project Lead at White Ribbon Scotland, an organisation dedicated to ending violence against women and girls through the inclusion and education of men. In addition to this, she sits on the Lived Experience Panel for Suicide Prevention Scotland, and has previously sat on the Young Women's Movement Advisory panel.

Alexandra West, communications

National Autistic Society Scotland

Alexandra works for National Autistic Society Scotland as Policy and Public Affairs Officer, and is passionate about making improvements to accessibility, especially regarding inclusive communication. Alexandra previously worked for a short while as a Research Officer for an MSP and before that undertook a traineeship at the Council of Europe.

eloise richmond, communications

Scottish Parliament

Eloise is a Communications and Engagement Officer at the Scottish Parliament, where she leads on constituency engagement and helps communicate the work being done to improve people's day-to-day lives. Prior to working at the Parliament, Eloise worked at Newsdirect (now DeHavilland) as a Parliamentary Reporter, later becoming a Senior Account Manager with responsibility for the organisation's education portfolio. Outside of politics, Eloise enjoys good food and all things hot drinks — especially endless cups of tea or caramel lattes!

helen reilly, mentoring

Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland

Helen is Head of External Relations at the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS), a charity that provides professional development and leadership opportunities for community nurses and midwives. She manages all of QNIS’ external communications and engagement. Helen has over 17 years’ experience of working in communications and public affairs, including roles at BMA Scotland, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. She is an accredited member of the CIPR and is currently undertaking a master’s degree in public relations and strategic communications.

fiona inglis, mentoring

Aspect

As Head of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement at Aspect, Fiona supports clients in building stronger relationships with political, regulatory and stakeholder audiences to drive growth and navigate change. She spent more than a decade at ScottishPower, where she led public affairs activity across Holyrood and Westminster to influence policy, protect reputation and advance key business priorities. Her work spanned electricity networks, renewables and emerging sectors such as green hydrogen.