Barbara Smith

Trustee

Balanced Horizon are currently formalising this appointment with OSCR [August 2026]

Barbara Smith brings more than 35 years of senior leadership experience across tourism, hospitality,
cultural heritage, wildlife conservation and the visitor economy in Scotland and the UK. She has a strong
track record of leading transformational programmes, developing sustainable organisations and
creating meaningful connections between people, places and the natural environment.

Barbara’s career has included senior leadership roles with some of Scotland and the UK’s most
recognised organisations, including the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Historic Scotland,
Diageo Scotland Brand Homes and Chester Zoo. As Chief Executive Officer of RZSS, she led Edinburgh
Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park, with responsibility for conservation, education, research, commercial
operations and community engagement. During this time, she supported major conservation
initiatives, including securing significant funding for the Scottish wildcat breeding programme, and
helped strengthen the organisation’s membership, partnerships and long-term sustainability.

As Managing Director of Scotland Brand Homes at Diageo, Barbara led a major £185 million investment
programme across Scotland’s distillery visitor experiences, managing large teams and delivering
internationally recognised visitor attractions, including Johnnie Walker Princes Street. Her work has
been recognised through awards for sustainability, accessibility and excellence in visitor experience.
Barbara currently serves as a Board Member of VisitScotland, appointed by Scottish Ministers, and is a
member of the Scottish Government’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group, contributing
to the future direction of Scotland’s visitor economy. She is also a Non-Executive Director of MacGregors
Hospitality, Inverness.

With a deep commitment to Scotland’s landscapes, wildlife and communities, Barbara’s experience in
governance, sustainability, partnerships, fundraising and organisational development will provide
valuable support as Balanced Horizon continues to grow its ambition to deliver source-to-sea
environmental restoration across Scotland’s marine, coastal and terrestrial environments.
Barbara joins Balanced Horizon as a trustee to help strengthen the charity’s strategic development,
ensuring that nature restoration, community involvement and long-term environmental impact remain
at the heart of its work.