Alan is a former senior Police Scotland Commander with over 31 years of policing and public safety experience.

In 2025 he retired as Chief Superintendent, Head of Learning, Training & Development at the Scottish Police College, Tulliallan.

Throughout his career, Alan has undertaken a wide range of leadership roles in community policing, firearms, corporate governance, specialist crime and training.

As Divisional Commander, he led policing operations in Forth Valley during the pandemic, delivering policing services to a population of over 300,000 citizens.

Alan proudly served on the Leadership in Counter Terrorism (LinCT) Board of Governors between 2014 and 2025, assuming the role of Chair for his first two years on this globally renowned leadership program.

He is a highly experienced Strategic Firearms Commander and has overseen countless critical operations, including Royal, Presidential and VIP movements. During the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Alan had overall command of the armed operation at the venue which saw the attendance of 120 world leaders.

Alan is a graduate of both the Police Executive Research Forum’s (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Executive Institute.

In 2024 he was formally recognised by the Director of the FBI for his “exceptional commitment and superior collaborative efforts in the international law enforcement training community”.

Alan currently and proudly serves as a Distinguished Advisory Board member with the University of Virginia's Center for Public Safety and Justice.

In Alan’s most recent role as Head of Learning, Training and Development for Police Scotland, he drove continuous improvement across the 1000+ training programs that Police Scotland provides its 23,000 officers and staff. He had oversight and responsibility for Police Scotland’s International Academy which has the most wide-reaching global delivery program of any police service in the United Kingdom.

Alan’s expertise spans police education, training, leadership development and international police and public safety collaboration.

He has presented and collaborated extensively overseas on a wide array of subjects – from recruit training, use of force, leadership and critical decision making, to health and wellbeing as a strategic leader.