Dougal was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1951. He attended Trinity College Glenalmond where he played cricket avidly and was Captain of the School. Dougal graduated from the University of Leeds, England with a BA hons. in textile design in 1975, whereupon he joined the British luxury textile company Holland & Sherry, taking up a sales executive position in the USA. In 1981 he became President of Holland & Sherry Inc., traveling extensively and often in the US and overseas, driving the sales growth of the company, including under his watch the founding of the luxury textile interior design division in New York in 1998, since when it has spread globally.
In addition to his sales and corporate responsibilities, he spent much of his career teaching retailers and their sales people in the custom clothing and apparel industry about luxury natural fibres and the design and manufacture of fine woven textiles. He retired in May 2023 after 47 years with Holland & Sherry.
Dougal and Becky, his wife of 45 years in 2024 and a real estate agent with Brown Harris Stevens, moved to Darien in 1987. They have two adult children, Katrina and Rob, both of whom attended Darien High School. Dougal became a US citizen in 1994.
Dougal and Becky have been active members of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien since 1987 and are long time members of Country Club of Darien. Dougal is a member of St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, founded 1756, was on the board of managers of the Society for two four year terms, and subsequently served as First Vice President 2014 to 2015. He currently serves on the Scholarship committee of the Society. He is a member of Robert Burns Society of the City of New York and served for several years as a trustee. He is also a member of Connecticut State Seniors Golf Association, Darien Boat Club and New Club, Edinburgh, Scotland. Additionally, together with his wife, he enjoys the performing arts, reading, traveling with friends to culturally interesting destinations, boating on Long Island Sound, swimming at the Darien YMCA and in the Sound, as well as walking with their dog. In retirement, Dougal is keen to play more golf and rekindle some of his dormant creative interests in photography, painting and writing, as well as being a useful, participating member of the DMA.
