Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation is an independent charity that exists to equip leaders and talent with the entrepreneurial skills, mindset and connections to create impact.
Scotland needs entrepreneurial leaders and talent across all parts of our economy: start-ups to scale-ups, corporates to social enterprises, in Government and higher education - everywhere.
Our innovative programmes provide transformative experiences, world-class teaching, peer to peer learning and access to a 5,000+ global community.
Our vision is to inspire and develop Scotland's people to build the most entrepreneurial society in the world. Entrepreneurial Scotland is independently funded allowing us the freedom to collaborate with world-class partners in Scotland and internationally who share our vision.
Entrepreneurial Scotland is a community of current and future entrepreneurial leaders worldwide, who are ambitious, globally minded and have the potential to be the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders who will contribute to Scotland’s success.
As a charity, our mission is to transform those who can, in turn, transform Scotland and our entrepreneurial culture. Entrepreneurial people create the jobs, generate the wealth to reinvest, breathe life into the solutions we need. They shape Scotland. In turn, they create new opportunities and enrich our entrepreneurial culture, laying the foundations for future generations. It is a virtuous circle. Our job is to keep that circle spinning.
Founded and nurtured by the GlobalScot network in 2007, the Saltire Scholar programme was created to find, fuel and spark the next generation of leaders in Scotland. This visionary group wanted the programme to deliver internships that would provide students with:
In April 2014, the Saltire Foundation, alongside the Entrepreneurial Exchange, became founding partners in the creation of Entrepreneurial Scotland. The Saltire Scholars programme now forms an integral part of the organisation's mission to inspire, develop and connect Scotland's current and future leaders to build the most entrepreneurial society in the world.
The network you can access is really important, they are there to support you. I'm always thinking about how I can help the group and I know that when I need the help it will be there for me too.
The Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation (USA) support the Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation in providing world-class development for high potential individuals at the early or mid-career stages. The people who will be the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders contributing to Scotland’s success. Our focus is to transform those who can transform Scotland plc and our entrepreneurial culture.
Mark Bamforth has founded, built, and sold three contract development and manufacturing organizations over the last 12 years with private equity partners. Gallus Biopharmaceuticals focused on monoclonal antibodies, Brammer Bio produced viral vectors for gene therapy and Arranta Bio produced microbiome, plasmid and mRNA vaccines. In total, these companies created over 1200 jobs, enabled over 100 clinical trial projects for clients, and delivered two commercial products.
Previously, Bamforth spent 22 years at Genzyme, latterly running a 12-site clinical and manufacturing operation supporting over 20 commercial therapeutics, and a pharmaceutical CMO business. His career began as a petroleum engineer with Britoil, then as a chemical engineer with Whitbread.
Bamforth serves on the boards of Continuus Pharma, Enterobiotix, Inceptor Bio, Pneumagen, and Entrepreneurial Scotland. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Strathclyde University and an MBA from Henley Management College.
Graeme Bissett is a Chartered Accountant, corporate financier and experienced non-executive Chairman / Director.
His career includes Partner at Arthur Andersen and Finance Director at international groups, and a subsequent portfolio of boardroom appointments in entrepreneurial businesses, across diverse sectors and in both the privately owned and listed markets.
Graeme has also held many pro bono appointments, including Chair at Children 1st, Vice-Convenor of Court at the University of Glasgow and trusteeship at Citizens Advice Scotland.
Alan Brown is the Founder and CEO of A. Brown + Company Ltd. that provides independent strategic advice to leaders amongst corporate, institutional and government clients globally.
He spent the majority of his career in investment banking, latterly at Deutsche Bank and has led the Natural Resources Group since its formation in 2007, with responsibility for Deutsche Bank’s corporate finance activities across a number of global sectors.
A GlobalScot, Alan relocated from London to Toronto in 2016, is a Director of Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation and Chair of ES in Canada
After founding, creating and running one of the UKs most successful Property Investment and Management Companies, Colette knows about the challenges of Leadership, team building, team wellbeing and retention. After selling her business in 2018 she decided to dedicate her life to her passion for Performance and Leadership Coaching. The skills required to make this a reality have been honed over decades of Professional Training and Learning. Also being on the front line as a founding Trustee of Entrepreneurial Scotland and the Leader of a business for over 20 years through recession and economic turmoil.
Her time is now spent Coaching Business Leaders, entrepreneurs and organisations both in UK and around the world. She has dedicated her professional life to highlighting and applying the transformative potential of a new understanding of the mind to her clients’ current challenges and limitations. Helping leaders move forward has enabled them to create real, sustainable change by connecting more powerfully to their creativity to unleash their best ideas, improve their performance and reach their full potential, therefore creating a healthier, clearer state of mind for themselves and their teams.
Caroline has a BSc (Hons) in Fuel and Energy Engineering (Leeds University) and a MSc in Business Systems Analysis and Design (City University, London).
She is an Independent Advisor supporting Senior Executives to design, build and execute strategic change and business transformational initiatives.
Caroline was previously the Global Customer Operations Executive at AIG. In this role Caroline managed the day to day service delivery and significant change transforming 76 global operational centres that engaged with AIG’s customers in 56 different languages.
She has over 30 years of international business transformation, Operations and IT experience gained from global companies, including Cap Gemini, RBS, Lloyds Banking Group, BT, and Criterion, where she held a range of positions, including EMEA CIO, Managing Director, IT and Strategy Director, and Head of CRM service delivery.
Caroline was previously Chair of Netball Scotland, a Non-Executive Director of Origo and is currently a Non-Executive Director of Scottish Golf.
Jason qualified as a chartered accountant in Scotland prior to an international investment career, spending over two decades with global investment firm Bridgepoint. He now sits on the board of Scottish National Investment Bank as well a range of Chair/ NED roles with several consumer-tech and data related scale-ups. At the mission-led development bank he helped support the executive team through the launch phase of the bank and sits on their investment, valuation & audit committees. Jason’s key expertise lies in Business Strategy, Scale-up, fundraising, international growth and business transformation
Colin was Chief Executive of Alexander Dennis Limited, Britain’s largest bus and coach manufacturer for 13 years, before being appointed to NFI’s Board as Vice Chair in September 2020. He is also Founder of Robertson Campbell Investments.
In his role at Alexander Dennis, Colin led their transformation from a predominantly UK-focused business to an international player in the bus and coach sector, employing 2,600 team members, with annual revenue in excess of £600mn.
Colin has over 38 years of international manufacturing experience gained from global companies, including Cummins, Case and Terex Corporation, where he held a range of positions, including Executive Vice President Global Operations and President of the US$2bn Construction Division.
Colin was appointed Chair of Entrepreneurial Scotland in 2018. In May 2019, he received a CBE for his services to exports, and to the bus and coach manufacturing sector.
Chris Sheldon is a partner at Turcan Connell where he specialises in tax and succession advice for entrepreneurs, as well as charity law.
He has served on numerous boards including the Court of Aberdeen University, Families Outside and Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.
Chris, a member of the CFA UK Society and Chartered Management Institute, read psychology and law at university.
Mark Simmers
Mark Simmers is co-founder and CEO of Celtic Renewables, having raised over £40m of funding to establish its first manufacturing plant and grow the company from its inception.
His career began with International Management Group, commercialising and managing its global golf assets, before he founded and managed his own events and promotions company in Scotland.
Mark has over 20 years’ experience as an entrepreneur and commercialisation specialist.
Dame Joan Stringer is a CEO, Chair and Non-Executive Director.
She has held senior appointments in education for 25-years, most recently as Principal & Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University and previously with Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
Dame Joan holds numerous board appointments, including trusteeship of The Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation and Chair of Capital Theatres.
Celia is passionate about building a better Scotland. She has been with Inspiring Scotland since its launch in 2008, as Head of Funds before taking on the role of Chief Executive in 2013, and has been instrumental in shaping its values and vision.
Celia brings 20 years of management experience from the private sector and is passionate about the potential of people and communities to create lasting positive change. She is a champion of collaborative working to tackle deep-rooted social problems.
Celia leads from the front with commitment and dedication, both with Inspiring Scotland and as a member of several community and advisory groups. She sits on the Scottish Violence Reduction Governance Board and is an Advisor to Common Purpose Scotland.
Celia is also an enthusiastic advocate of the power of sport to break down barriers and inspire people. She is a British Cycling coach in track, road and time-trial and founded the Clydesdale Colts youth section of the Royal Albert Cycling Club, of which she is a Trustee and Secretary. She is a Trustee of the Winning Scotland Foundation which uses education and sport to encourage young Scots to be their best.
John Watson joined GIP as Operating Principal and CCO of Edinburgh Airport Limited and is CEO of Crosswind Developments Ltd.
He was previously Managing Director of Lloyds Banking Group’s $50bn SME lending portfolio and a founding Board Director of the Business Growth Fund plc.
John qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has subsequently held numerous executive and non-executive positions globally.
Richard Williams is an academic and entrepreneur working in chemical and mineral engineering. He is Principal and Vice Chancellor at Heriot-Watt University based in Scotland, UAE and Malaysia. He is a Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences.
He has experience in mentoring innovators, and funding for radical innovations that challenge existing business models. He is a director of British Geological Survey, the UAE-UK Business Council (Education and Culture) and on the Advisory Board of the Lloyds Register Foundation.
