About us

Capital Review is produced by the Economic Development Service of the City of Edinburgh Council’s City Development Department.

City Development
City Development provides services related to the physical and economic development of the city. The Department covers four principal areas: Economic Development, Planning and Strategy, Property Management, and Transport. Through a combination of infrastructure improvements and strategic guidance the department aims to help Edinburgh improve its competitive position and ultimately become one of Europe’s most successful small cities.

Lesley Martin -Strategy and Information Team Leader
Lesley Martin is an experienced local government manager who has worked in several local authorities across the Edinburgh City Region. She qualified as a town planner, subsequently gained a management degree and is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and Chartered Management Institute. Lesley has worked mainly in strategic planning, information management and policy development covering the fields of land use planning, economic development, transport and the environment. Lesley joined the Strategy and Information team in May 2006.

Susan Robertson -Senior Economic Development Officer
Having initially worked for Lothian Regional Council, Susan Robertson joined the Business Development team at the newly formed City of Edinburgh Council in 1996. She has worked in the Strategy and Information Team for the past 6 years, managing the publication of Capital Review from 2002-2006. Susan was involved in the 2020 Scenarios project and has undertaken much strategy-related work. She is currently undertaking the development of an integrated Investment Promotion strategy for the City of Edinburgh Council. Susan holds a BA in Business Studies from Napier University.

Shona Marshall -Economic Development Officer
Shona Marshall joined the team in 2004 and is responsible for producing Capital Review. She led production of the second Key Sectors report in 2006 and is currently coordinating a footfall monitoring project to measure city centre performance. She has a strong interest in city competitiveness and the role of Edinburgh as Scotland’s capital. Shona holds an MA in Economics and Politics from the University of Edinburgh and is studying towards an MBA from Heriot-Watt University.

David Hanna -Economic Development Assistant
David joined the Strategy and Information Team in 2006 from the University of Edinburgh where he graduated with an MA in Business Studies and Geography. He has been responsible for compiling a database of the largest employers in the city region and has undertaken an audit of city region policy documents. David carries out much data analysis and fact finding, including recent work to monitor Edinburgh’s city centre parking data.

Leon Johnson – Economic Development Officer
Leon joined the Strategy and Information Team in January 2008 and works on the City of Edinburgh Council’s investment promotion work to recognise Edinburgh’s potential as a leading international location for high quality investment. Leon previously worked with Midlothian Council where he worked on financial assistance schemes to support small businesses and spent two years in northwest British Columbia, Canada working for a regional economic development agency assisting communities, including First Nation band and tribal councils, to find ways to diversify from traditional industries. A proud Shetlander, Leon holds a BA (Hons) in Business Administration from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

Kyle Drummond – Strategy and Information Team Graduate Intern
Kyle Drummond took up the post of intern with the Strategy and Information Team in April 2008. His responsibilities include assisting with the production of Capital Review and helping to compile the Edinburgh Labour Market Bulletin and Edinburgh by Numbers publication. Kyle attended the University of Edinburgh between 2003 and 2007, graduating with an Honours Degree in Politics. His studies frequently focused upon the government and economy of Scotland, with his final year dissertation probing the low turnout in the 1999 and 2003 Scottish Parliament elections.