In this episode of the Leaders in Business podcast, Marlene is joined by Sarah Boyd, Chief Executive of the Lothian Group — the organisation behind Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams — whose combined network carried an extraordinary 130 million passengers last year.

Sarah's story begins in Dundee, before a degree in maths and finance at Edinburgh University led her unexpectedly away from the world of finance and onto a Stagecoach graduate scheme that would shape everything that followed. Spending time in depots across the UK — including a memorable stint underneath a bus with a jet wash in a Fife depot on a freezing cold day — Sarah quickly discovered that the heart of any organisation lies firmly in its people. That insight has never left her.

After 12 years with Stagecoach, she joined Lothian in 2013, and last October took on the role of Chief Executive — overseeing the integration of the bus and tram networks, bringing together two distinct cultures under one vision, guided by Lothian's long-standing ethos: leave it better than you find it.

Marlene and Sarah explore what it means to lead with genuine curiosity and determination, the power of staying close to the ground even at the most senior level, and why Sarah actively welcomes the moments that don't sit comfortably — because those, she has learned, are often where the greatest growth lies.

They also discuss Sarah's IoD Director of the Year Award, the quietly complex feelings that come with individual recognition when success is always a team effort, and the surprising personal challenge Sarah set herself in her forties — taking up running from scratch and completing her first half-marathon last year, with more already on the horizon.

Warm, candid and quietly inspiring, this is a conversation about leadership, lifelong learning, and the very human thread that runs through every great organisation.

In this episode of the Leaders in Business podcast, Marlene is joined by Rebecca Rigby, Operations Director at Bluestone National Park Resort — a five-star holiday destination in Wales welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests each year.

Rebecca's story is one of full circles. Growing up immersed in her family's thriving hospitality empire — spanning pubs, restaurants, a hotel and a nightclub — she developed a formidable grounding in people, service and work ethic from a young age. But with a burning desire to spread her wings, she studied economics in Bristol before landing her first role at a German investment bank in London, trading on the floor during the turbulent days following 9/11.

In a male-dominated environment where she was once told by a senior leader that "no woman would ever make it on his trading floor," Rebecca chose to answer with determination rather than defeat — and proved him wrong. After several years in the city, she followed her heart back to Wales and rejoined the family business, only to find that deep-rooted generational expectations around gender could not be shifted regardless of her efforts. It was a pivotal and difficult decision, but one that ultimately set her on the path to discovering her own leadership identity.

From her early days at Bluestone, through to a senior commercial role at the National Trust navigating the complex balance between conservation and commerce, Rebecca's journey has been shaped by moments of growth, reinvention and the courage to choose her own direction. Eight years later, she returned to Bluestone as Operations Director — a role that felt, in every sense, like coming home.

Marlene and Rebecca explore the fascinating concept of generational pivoting — the shift between traditional family models and the evolving expectations of today's workforce — and the importance of creating space for both men and women to navigate that change authentically. Rebecca also shares her passion for elevating the hospitality sector as a destination for meaningful, long-term careers, and reflects on the possibility of one day building a family business legacy of her own.

A warm, candid and genuinely inspiring conversation about resilience, identity and what it truly means to lead.

In this powerful episode of Leaders in Business, host Marlene Lowe speaks with Amy Callaghan, former Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire and current Strategic Political Adviser at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. Amy's story is one of extraordinary resilience, marked by life-altering health events that redirected her path from teaching to politics to advocacy.

Amy's journey began at age 19 with a melanoma diagnosis that opened her eyes to health inequalities in the West of Scotland. This experience, combined with support from Teenage Cancer Trust, transformed her aspirations from becoming a teacher to entering politics to create systemic change. She witnessed firsthand how young people with cancer needed greater psychological and financial support, and how many preventable deaths resulted from health inequalities.

After working as a staffer in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood—which she describes as a "modern functioning parliament"—Amy stood for Westminster and achieved a remarkable victory in 2019, defeating the incumbent leader of a Westminster party by just 149 votes. However, her time as an MP was immediately challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a severe brain haemorrhage that left her navigating Parliament as a young woman with an acquired disability.

The conversation reveals the stark contrast between Holyrood and Westminster, particularly regarding accessibility and support for disabled MPs. Amy had to campaign for the basic right to a proxy vote whilst recovering from her brain injury—an experience she describes as "resentful" but one that left a positive legacy for future MPs with disabilities.

Amy speaks candidly about authentic leadership, distinguishing between showing up when you shouldn't (which she did) versus being true to yourself by acknowledging capacity limits. Her cyclical grief over her acquired disability, leadership challenges during the pandemic whilst consuming information simultaneously with constituents, and the pressure of being perceived as strong when feeling vulnerable paint a realistic picture of leadership under extraordinary circumstances.

Now at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Amy works on the very rehabilitation programme that helped her regain independence—including the seemingly small but profoundly significant goal of being able to put on her own bra so she could wear power suits in Parliament. The programme challenges outdated scientific evidence about stroke recovery timelines, proving that neuroplasticity continues far longer than previously believed.

The episode concludes with Amy's passionate call to protect democracy, encouraging listeners to research candidates thoroughly, align votes with personal values, and actively lobby their elected representatives. Her message is clear: every vote counts, and democracy requires active participation, not passive observation.