Association Leader of the Year
Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers – Fiona Campbell MBE
Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), is one of the most influential leaders shaping tourism policy in Scotland today. Operating at the intersection of law, policy and industry, she has transformed ASSC into a highly effective advocacy body delivering measurable outcomes for over 1,800 small and micro tourism businesses.
Over the past year, Fiona has led decisive legislative reform across multiple policy areas. She designed the legislative pathway for the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Amendment Bill, enabling one of the fastest amendment processes in Scottish parliamentary history and securing a more proportionate, workable framework for the wider tourism sector. She also secured targeted Non-Domestic Rates protections, including a 15% cap and regulatory corrections that reduced rateable values by up to 25%, delivering immediate financial stability.
Her leadership extends beyond her sector. As Vice Chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance Policy Group, she represents the wider visitor economy, ensuring policy is grounded in operational reality and economic evidence.
Combining strategic vision with relentless execution, Fiona consistently translates complex regulation into practical solutions. Her work protects livelihoods, strengthens communities, and has fundamentally reshaped the legislative landscape affecting Scotland’s tourism sector.
Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions – Michael Golding
I am Michael Golding, Chief Executive of ASVA, the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions. When Scotland’s attractions faced losing a national quality scheme, our members were clear that doing nothing was not good enough. I led ASVA, then a home-based team of three people living across Scotland, through the decision to create a new industry-led Quality Scheme at a time of high cost pressure and real financial and reputational risk.
We had to appoint only two people to cover the whole country, ask attractions to join before the scheme had been fully delivered, and protect ASVA while building what was effectively a new business inside the organisation. The result is 238 sites in the scheme, from Gretna Green to Shetland, 86% membership growth, a team doubled in size, and ASVA reaching break even while holding reserves and capital for future investment.
At the same time, core ASVA Membership remained strong, with high renewal, new member recruitment and growing member activity. Scotland now has a sustainable, industry-led scheme that will raise standards, improve visitor experiences and strengthen ASVA’s role in the sector.
British Beer and Pub Association – Emma McClarkin OBE
Since becoming CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), Emma McClarkin has transformed the organisation into one of the UK’s most influential and effective membership associations, delivering exceptional value for members while strengthening the long-term future of Britain’s brewers and pubs.
Leading a sector that supports more than one million jobs and contributes £34 billion annually to the UK economy, Emma has guided the BBPA through Brexit, Covid-19, the energy crisis and significant economic challenges. Her strategic leadership helped secure £8.3 billion in pandemic support for hospitality, earning her an OBE in 2022, and over the past year alone she has helped deliver more than £400 million in savings.
Most notably, Emma led the campaign that secured a Government U-turn on its flagship business rates policy – the only measure reversed from the 2025 Budget. The campaign generated more than 4,200 media hits, mobilised almost 20,000 letters to MPs and successfully repositioned pubs as essential community infrastructure.
Alongside landmark policy victories, Emma has modernised member services, grown membership, championed diversity and strengthened the BBPA’s influence across government, media and industry, making her a deserving Association Leader of the Year 2026.
Builders Merchants Federation – John Newcomb
John Newcomb has transformed the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) since becoming CEO in 2017, establishing it as a leading and authoritative voice within the UK construction and building materials sector.
Under his leadership, membership has grown to over 1,020 companies, representing 198,000 employees and £51.6 billion in turnover, alongside a 97% retention rate.
Guided by a clear strategic vision, John has modernised the BMF, focusing on professionalisation, skills development, sustainability, digital innovation, and stronger government engagement.
Key achievements include exceeding apprenticeship targets five years early, growing IoBM membership from under 100 to nearly 2,000, and launching initiatives such as BMCareers and Data Yard to address skills shortages and improve digital capability.
He has strengthened industry influence through senior roles in national and international bodies, while championing inclusion, sustainability, and SME representation. His collaborative leadership style has united stakeholders and driven measurable industry-wide progress.
As he transitions to Executive Chairman, John leaves a high-performing, future-ready organisation with a strong leadership pipeline and a lasting impact on the sector’s professional, economic, and social development.
Logistics UK – Phil Roe
As President of Logistics UK (the sole trade association representing all aspects of logistics, and one of the biggest associations in the country), Phil is a hands-on, visible leader who has made a significant difference to the external and internal image of the organisation, and the wider industry. A champion of young people and those from diverse backgrounds, he plays a key role in driving the industry-wide Generation Logistics campaign, spearheads the campaign’s Ambassadors network, and acts as mentor to a number of university students.
Phil has been at the forefront of Logistics UK’s thought leadership work to establish the organisation and the wider industry as a key influencer in the economy. Working closely with Logistics UK’s policy team, he established the President’s Council – a new representative group of personally invited Chief Executives and Chairman of leading organisations from across the industry, and has persuaded significant speakers including the Governor of the Bank of England to attend and share their insights. He has also led the creation of a new membership category for the association which provides a forum for C-suite representatives – a first for the sector.
National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers – Jim Higginbotham
Jim Higginbotham joined the NACFB in late 2024 at a critical moment for the organisation, bringing more than 30 years of experience across financial services. Rather than imposing immediate change, he prioritised listening—engaging with brokers, lenders, policymakers and staff—to shape a new strategic direction built on five pillars: Influence, Community, Support, Trust, and Meritocracy/Engagement. This framework refocused the NACFB on its core purpose: supporting responsible brokers to deliver strong customer outcomes.
Under his leadership, the Association has achieved measurable growth and renewed relevance. Membership rose from 1,338 to 1,414 firms between January 2025 and 2026, while patron lender numbers grew by 9%. The NACFB also secured its largest-ever sponsorship deal and strengthened its value proposition through a clearer member offering.
Jim has championed innovation, notably through the NACFB Assurance platform, significantly increasing certification capacity and enhancing transparency. He has elevated the Association’s external voice, representing it in key policy discussions and strengthening industry relationships.
Internally, he has transformed culture, with staff engagement reaching 89% and strong gains in leadership confidence. Widely praised for his collaborative and principled leadership style, Jim has revitalised the NACFB, strengthening its influence, credibility and future ambition.
National Residential Landlords Association – Ben Beadle
The last 12 months has been a year characterised by change – both in the legislative landscape and the way the NRLA operates.
During this time, I have led the organisation on a journey of transformation, modernising and investing to ensure we have the knowledge, skills and tech required to support members, while strengthening the organisation commercially and operationally.
With more than 1,300 media mentions under my belt and countless high-level meetings in Westminster and Cardiff Bay, I have brought about real change, with Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook thanking me personally, ‘for the robust but constructive challenge provided throughout the passage of the Renters’ Rights Act’.
Innovation is a central pillar of my strategic direction, with new products developed offering tangible benefits to help landlords manage change with confidence. These include the development of an AI-powered virtual agent to support our advice team and major updates to our Portfolio property management system. I have also invested in people, with 26 new colleagues joining us over the last year.
I remain a passionate advocate for private sector landlords, and am committed to shaping an agile, commercially focussed and responsive association, ensuring members are fully prepared for the PRS of the future.
The Horticultural Trades Association – Fran Barnes
Fran Barnes joined the HTA in January 2023 during a period of organisational instability, weak governance, and limited board support. Drawing on her background in communications and industry leadership, she quickly established control, stabilised management, and implemented a wide-ranging transformation programme. She identified critical structural and operational risks, including poor processes, lack of succession planning, compliance gaps, and declining membership income, and addressed these through decisive leadership.
Central to her impact was the development and delivery of the GROW26 strategy, which repositioned HTA as a member-focused organisation with clear objectives, accountability, and measurable outcomes. She restructured the Senior Leadership Team, improved recruitment practices, and introduced formal training programmes for both Board and executive members, alongside a Board skills matrix to strengthen governance.
Fran enhanced organisational performance through rigorous KPI tracking, maintaining membership levels in a contracting market, increasing satisfaction, and growing influence across media and government. She significantly elevated HTA’s industry presence through successful events, campaigns, and political engagement initiatives. Internally, she fostered a more collaborative, accountable culture through structured communication, planning, and team development.
Her leadership has transformed HTA into a strategically focused, outward-facing organisation delivering demonstrable value to its members.
