Sunflower Scotland’s Team

Oleg Dmitriev, MBA, MStJ

Position: Executive Chairman, Team Leader

Missions in Ukraine: Kherson, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Izium, Chasiv Yar, Vovchansk city

Awards and recognition: Medals for supporting Ukraine’s defenders, Member of The Order of St John

Oleg is the founding chairman of Sunflower Scotland. He regularly travels to Ukraine on humanitarian missions, having delivered aid to thousands of people in the active war zone. Oleg is a certified first responder and trainer. He holds a dual MBA degree from London Business School and Columbia University in New York.

Prior to the war in Ukraine he worked as CEO of a precision engineering business in Edinburgh, and was responsible for technical operations in a Scottish aerospace company. Oleg won the Made in Scotland Award, and was named Scotland’s Innovator of the Year in 2018 and Inventor of the Year in 2017.

Oleg received a number of medals from Ukraine’s defence forces, a number of letters of appreciation from civic organisations across Ukraine for the humanitarian work.

On 10 February 2025, His Majesty King Charles III admitted Oleg to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (the Order of St John) as Member.

Steven Blythe

Position: Deputy Team Leader

Missions in Ukraine: Kherson, Izium, Slovyansk, Vovchansk district

Stevie Blythe has been working with Sunflower Scotland since the end of 2024. Together with Oleg, Stevie delivered aid to some of the most dangerous parts of Ukraine. Their trips included Kherson, Slovyansk, and villages around Borova and Vovchansk.

Stevie has been working as an ambulance driver for NHS Scotland from 2012. In 2018 he switched from full-time to part-time, and opened an airport transfers business “Aya Scotland”.

Alistair Davidson BSc (Arch)

Position: Humanitarian Volunteer

Missions in Ukraine: Lviv, Dnipro

Alistair Davidson is an Edinburgh-based Principal Architect with a wealth of experience in the architectural industry. He has received critical acclaim for his work on modern and traditional homes, listed buildings, and conservation areas.

Alistair has been helping Sunflower Scotland as a volunteer driver to get vehicles with humanitarian aid. He is a valuable member of the team who has earned respect for his hard work and commitment to helping Ukraine.

Oleg Dmitriev, MBA, MStJ

Position: Executive Chairman

Missions in Ukraine: Kherson, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Izium, Chasiv Yar

Awards and recognition: Medals for supporting Ukraine defenders, Member of The Order of St John

Read more: Sunflower Scotland Team – Oleg Dmitriev, MBA

Dr Margaret Coughtrie, PhD

Position: Trustee, Board Member

One of Margaret’s passions is to help facilitate better outcomes and experiences. To that end she works a member of the board at Sunflower Scotland, while being involved with a few charities which focus on improved eating choices in deprived neighbourhoods, improved living experiences for addicts, greater justice, new business creation and research on the oceans and aquaculture.

She was a professional investor and fund governor during her career, holds the Charter Financial Analyst designation and worked in London, Edinburgh, Montreal and Miami.

Education-wise she holds a doctorate in entrepreneurship from the University of Strathclyde where she also studied an MBA and Accountancy Diploma. Otherwise she has M.A. in Economics from the University of Edinburgh..

Elvira Dmitrieva

Position: Treasurer, Board Member

Missions in Ukraine: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Tsyrkuny

Elvira Dmitrieva is a Treasurer of Sunflower Scotland. She has a BA and Diploma in Accounting, Audit and Business Administration and more than 20 years of experience in operations, project management , accounting and finance, and health and safety in SMEs.

Before starting Sunflower Scotland, she served as Operations Manager at Pufferfish Ltd in Edinburgh. She’s also worked as an Operations Manager at a compressor factory in Edinburgh, as well as in finance with Deloitte, Arthur Andersen and several start-ups.

Iryna Mansell

Position: Trustee, Board Member

Iryna Mansell studied nursing at Napier University in Edinburgh. Since 2017 she has been working as an NHS staff nurse at Western General Hospital, Edinburgh. Through her work Iryna has a lot of first-hand experience with medical treatments, supplies and devices, and brings a wealth of expertise in medical aid.

Tetyana Sibbald

Position: Trustee, Board Member

Tetyana Sibbald graduated from the Kyiv Medical University and London School of Medicine in 2000. After working as an auxiliary nurse in hospitals in the UK, she joined Bon Secours Hospital in Galway, Republic of Ireland. In 2014 Tetyana took a position in St Columba’s Hospice in Edinburgh, where she continues working to this day.

Being a creative person, Tetyana has a passion for art, creative writing and music. While living in Galway she found her love to glass art, and published her first book “Time for a change”. Currently, Ms Sibbald is working on her second book “The Galway Story”.

A loving mother of three, Tetyana balances her work in St Columba’s Hospice, family, glass art and writing.