Guest Speakers

We are thrilled to confirm joint guest speakers, a first for the annual dinner, Emma Heath (née Scarratt) and Julian Griffin both OW 1990. Julian was Head Boy and Emma was Deputy Head Prefect, but they hadn’t seen each other since leaving WGS in the summer of 1990 until they happened to attend the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards event last year! They are looking forward to sharing details about their careers, time at WGS and some anecdotes involving their peer and Head of WGS, Nic Anderson!

Emma Heath (née Scarratt) OW 1990

Emma joined WGS for Sixth Form in 1988 after attending St Peters Collegiate School and served as Deputy Head Prefect in 1989. She pursued a degree in Marketing at Strathclyde Business School and has since built an impressive 30-year career as a Marketing Director and board member, predominantly in the food and drink industry. Emma is renowned for her strategic and commercial acumen, developed through two decades in the drinks sector, complemented by her creative flair. She has successfully led brand development, agency management, integrated communications campaigns, and high-profile innovation projects.

Emma is a passionate advocate for supporting women in business and serves on the Advisory Board of the Executive Women in Leadership (EWIL) Network in Scotland. Additionally, she is dedicated to mentoring early-career professionals and actively contributes as co-chair of her local high school's parent council. Known for her energy, authenticity, and people-centric leadership, Emma excels in fostering collaborative environments that drive success.

Julian Griffin OW 1990

Julian (‘Griff’) joined WGS in Year 8 and served as Head Boy before studying Chemistry at Magdalen College, University of Oxford. He is currently the Director of the Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen, a leading centre in sustainable nutrition research tackling global health challenges such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and climate change. Julian's research focuses on translating scientific excellence into practical solutions for chronic diseases, emphasizing the role of precision nutrition in preventing and managing conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease.

Julian earned his DPhil from Oxford, researching brain biochemistry under Sir Prof. George Radda. His distinguished career includes fellowships from the Royal Society and King’s College, Cambridge. His research group specializes in using analytical chemistry to study metabolic signatures of disease – a field termed metabolomics.

Julian was President of the Metabolomics Society, Director of the Metabolic Profiling Forum, and a recipient of the Agilent Thought Leader Award in lipidomics, reflecting his significant contributions to the field of nutrition and metabolism.