As the Director of Population Health and Wellbeing at Public Health Scotland, Ruth leads work to ensure that policy and practice are developed and implemented in ways that improve the building blocks of health and wellbeing and actively reduce health inequalities. This includes addressing the broader social, economic and environmental factors that shape outcomes—such as work, housing, health‑harming commodities, diet, physical activity, and the quality of our communities and places. 

She brings to this role extensive experience in partnership working, evidence‑informed practice, and translating complex ideas into practical, real‑world action. Her work is grounded in a clear understanding of how policy, systems, people and culture interact to influence outcomes and drive inequalities, and how these forces can be reshaped to deliver fairer results. 

Prior to joining Public Health Scotland, Ruth served as Director of Improvement at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, where she led major national programmes using quality improvement and large‑scale system‑change methodologies to support transformation across health and social care. She has also worked in the Scottish Government, leading national mental health improvement programmes, and has over 15 years’ experience managing health and social care services. 

Ruth holds a Master of Public Administration from Warwick Business School and a Master’s in Leadership (Quality Improvement) from Ashridge Business School. She is also a Health Foundation Generation Q Fellow, a Health Foundation Sciana Fellow, and a qualified executive coach