John was an investment manager for Scottish Provident and an Edinburgh City Councillor. He was awarded the OBE in 1990 and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the City of Edinburgh in 2012.

He has many years’ experience of charitable and other voluntary board memberships, including the Cyrenians.  Those that he has chaired include the Samaritans (nationally) and, in Edinburgh, Penumbra and Volunteer Edinburgh.  In retirement, he has been non-executive director of an Irish financial services company.