Our People

Mark Speed was appointed Partnership Director for Tactran and started in post on the 1st April 2020.  Mark brings a wealth of experience of working at a National, Regional and Local level of Government.  Mark has previously been engaged as Head of Place Management at Sunderland City Council, Commissioning Manager for Transport and Infrastructure at Peterborough City Council, Senior Travel Demand Engineer at TRANSIT New Zealand and as Senior Policy Officer for the Tyne and Wear Local Transport Plan Core Team.

Mark has a passion for the environment and sustainability and believes Tactran has a vital role to play in building partnerships with all transport agencies and organisations to ensure a co-ordinated approach to transport policy, planning and delivery in Scotland.

Mark studied Environmental Management at Dundee University and Transport Policy and Planning at Newcastle University.

Ashley Roger took up the post of Office Manager / PA to Director on 29th January 2007. Ashley joined Tactran from the private sector and over 20 years office management / PA experience.

Jonathan Padmore took up the post of Senior Partnership Manger on 1st June 2025.  Jonathan joined from Stirling Council in 2018 and has been working in transport planning roles for Stirling Council, St. Helen’s and Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council’s in Merseyside, Norfolk County Council and Aberdeen City Council since 1992.  Jonathan is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and has a BSc in Geography from Glasgow University and an MA in Environmental Planning from Nottingham University.

Dr. Cooper joined Tactran in 2022, and serves as the Projects and Programme Manager for the partnership. James is a transport professional and academic with over 30 years experience of applied research and project delivery focused on transport, social, and economic impacts in three continents. Dr. Cooper’s recent career includes experience as the CEO of an international transportation consulting company based in Dallas TX, USA; and scientific advisor to the Washington DC Department of For Hire Vehicles. His academic career includes research at Edinburgh Napier University, and culminated as the Visiting Professor of Urban Transportation Regulation at the University of Missouri St Louis. James is widely published in the field of social and economic impacts of transport, is the lead author and editor of four transport text books and over 40 refereed articles and conference presentations, and serve on the editorial boards of three transport journals. I am immediate past chairman of the Taxi group for the Transportation Research Board, and have contributed to the professional work of the International Association of Transportation Regulators.

Merry Smith took up the post of Strategy Officer for Sustainable Transport in October 2020, having formerly worked for Tactran for ten years from 2006 to 2016.  Merry has previously worked for Dundee City Council and ran a self-employed Transport Consultancy, totalling over 25 years’ experience in Active and Sustainable Transport.  She has been a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics & Transport for 20 years and has an MSc in Passenger Transport Management.

Kimberley Ewan joined Tactran in June 2025.  Kimberley has experience in transport strategy, planning policy and the delivery of sustainable travel projects, having worked for Guildford Borough Council, East Dunbartonshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.  Kimberley has an MA (Hons) in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Dundee and is a Member of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Neil Quinney joined Tactran on secondment from Dundee City Council in January 2025. Neil has experience in Active Travel Behaviour Change, management and delivery of Active Travel Projects and public engagement. Neil has previously worked for Sustrans, SPA Forensic Services and the University of Dundee. Neil has a BSc (Hons) in Animal and Plant Cell Biotechnology from the University of Abertay, Dundee and is a Member of the Chartered Institution of Logistics and Transport.

Euan joined Tactran in January 2025 on secondment from Dundee City Council. Euan has experience in active travel behavioural change focusing on school-based travel throughout Dundee. Euan supports project delivery for the People and Place programme and the Bus Infrastructure Fund at Tactran and brings previous experience in design and project delivery, backed by a BSc (Hons) in Interactive Design from the University of Dundee.