December Newsletter – Meet the Team

Meet the Team

Marion Shaw, procurement manager 

I joined CMAL in 2019 as I was looking for a new procurement challenge following a long career in the Ministry of Defence.  There, I worked my way up to manager over the course of 16 years, sourcing everything from clothing and textiles to defence equipment and stationery. This was followed by procurement roles with South, North and East Ayrshire councils supporting the council’s work within local communities. 

The role at CMAL has been a real eye opener in terms of the diversity of projects we manage. I now work with a procurement assistant across the whole organisation providing support and guidance to project managers.  

Day in the life 

I love that no two projects are identical, which means that no two days are the same! One of the main parts of my role is to ensure we comply with public procurement regulations and Scottish Government procurement policies. This involves fully understanding the intricacies, and how to apply them to the work we do. 

I am also involved in many of our larger projects, such as the harbour developments at Tarbert on Harris. I came into this project part way through, and so learned a lot very quickly. We helped in the creation of tender documents and supported the evaluation and award of the contract.  

Another part of my role is working with procurement teams across Scotland’s public sector organisations.  I am a member of the Scottish Government’s procurement group which helps ensure approaches to procurement are aligned across these organisations. It’s a great way to share best practice and build connections across industries. 

Graeme McGinty, senior project manager  

I joined CMAL in early 2020 following over 20 years as a project manager, including time with Forth Ports, Peel Ports and Port Babcock Rosyth on marine related projects. Having been engaged as a consultant on a project with the CMAL team, I was intrigued by the variety of work carried out by CMAL in the delivery of its commitments to support lifeline ferry services. When the opportunity came along to work here full time, I was very keen to take on the role.  

Day in the life  

I work within the port infrastructure and planning team, and the work is really varied. I am currently working on several projects including the redevelopment at Gourock.  

My role as senior project manager is to oversee these and other planned construction, and to work with stakeholders to ensure the improvements meet the needs of users and the asset owner. Marine infrastructure construction normally has many factors to consider, and so a big part of my role is ensuring we are following the project brief as the work progresses.   

We also need to consider the needs and desires of local communities, which is why public engagement is so important. Their input feeds into the development of all projects, and often inspires us to approach the work we do in new ways.   

In addition to my role as project manager I have recently taken on a role to assist the business in the overall governance of projects. This will help to ensure we are working effectively, from how we engage with local organisations like contractors and service providers, to the way we interpret legislation and policy changes.