Joann Russell is Head of Estates at Historic Environment Scotland, responsible for the strategic management and national investment programme for the 336 properties in the care of Scottish Ministers.
Joann leads the sustainable strategy for the portfolio, with a particular passion for creating greener, better places that sustain the uniqueness of our places, stories and connections.
She leads Built Heritage Investment Plan work on demonstrating the value of our built heritage within a circular economy – aligning and measuring investment outcomes to sustainable tourism, net-zero, inclusive economic recovery, community wealth building, place-making with a focus on skills, materials and young people.
She is an Architect with extensive project management experience across many sectors, including retrofit and commercial development projects.
Other areas of expertise include the application of emerging digital technologies to improve strategic decision-making across all areas of business management; developing appropriate mitigation and adaptation solutions for the impacts of climate change; managing visitor safety and working with communities to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the built heritage.