Professor Heather McGregor CBE is provost and vice-principal of Heriot-Watt University, Dubai.

She is a non-executive director at Fundsmith Emerging Equities Trust (FEET) plc, an investment trust listed on the London Stock Exchange, Lowell UK and IGT.

She sits on the audit committee at all three and chairs the Lowell audit and risk committee.

Professor McGregor’s earlier career was in investment banking and she then spent 17 years as an entrepreneur leading her own executive search firm, prior to her move into higher education.

Professor McGregor was previously the Executive Dean of the Edinburgh Business School, having held the post since 2016.

In 2021 Professor McGregor was one of the first two people at Heriot-Watt University to be named a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; in 2021 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

She was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2015 for services to diversity and employment.

She is an experienced writer and broadcaster, with a long-time column in the Financial Times.

She is a founding member of the 30% Club, which campaigns for gender diversity on UK boards.

Professor McGregor has a PhD from the University of Hong Kong in Structured Finance and an MBA from London Business School.

She is a qualified chartered management accountant (CGMA).

Her undergraduate degree was a BSc in Agricultural Economics & Marketing from Newcastle University.