Meet our Team

Alison is a Programme Executive with Entrepreneurial Scotland, providing support for the Saltire Scholar Internship Programme.

With a background in Recruitment, Graduate Selection, and connecting and supporting Ayrshire’s entrepreneurial start-ups, Alison has a passion for seeing people progress in their careers.

Louise is Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Financial Controller.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2002 she gained a breadth of experience in various senior finance roles, most notably in the aviation industry and recruitment sector.

Katrina joined Entrepreneurial Scotland as a Programme Executive in 2021, providing support to facilitate the provision of world class internships to Scottish university talent.

She has extensive commercial experience in business development, focusing on income generation through strong partnership relations, gained in a large multinational telecommunications company in Dublin and more recently in the purpose-built student accommodation sector in Scotland.

Lisa is Programme Manager with Entrepreneurial Scotland, where she plays a pivotal role in designing and delivering impactful programmes that support and inspire senior leaders. With a strong foundation in project and event management across both domestic and international contexts, Lisa brings strategic insight and operational excellence to her work—most recently contributing to the development of the innovative ES Membership offering.

Lisa has founded three businesses over the past 12 years, including a community interest company focused on supporting low-income families—demonstrating her commitment to inclusive growth and social impact.

Alanna Gillen is an experienced Events Administrator with a strong foundation in hospitality and event management. She began her career over a decade ago while studying Events Management at City of Glasgow College and The University of The West of Scotland, and has since built a well-rounded background across the industry — starting in customer service roles and progressing to management positions.

Alanna brings a hands-on understanding of event operations, exceptional organisational skills, and a passion for delivering seamless, memorable experiences. Her journey through various aspects of hospitality has equipped her with a practical, people-focused approach that’s central to her role today.

Alanna is excited to work with our community to help deliver engaging, impactful events that foster collaboration, learning, and growth.

Kelly Glass is the Head of the Saltire Scholar Programme.

With extensive experience working with young people, she has worked in Youth Organisations across Renfrewshire and Glasgow, as well as national youth charities.

Kelly has driven change within specific youth communities, in sports clubs and with young offenders in prison, offering learning and development programmes to emerging young and future leaders

Cheryl joined the Entrepreneurial Scotland team in November 2023 as a Programme Executive, supporting our Saltire Scholar Internship Programme.

While her career to date has been predominantly focussed on Marketing, Communications and Public Relations, Cheryl feels passionate about supporting, facilitating and encouraging students and young people to fully maximise the fantastic opportunities available to them through our programme and can share her own experience of living, studying and working abroad.

Sean joined the Entrepreneurial Scotland team in March 2022 as a Marketing Executive.

He is responsible for all things marketing and shares the engaging story of Entrepreneurial Scotland, our programmes and our vibrant community which help to shape Scotland as one of the most entrepreneurial societies in the world.

Sean has a BA in International Business from Glasgow Caledonian University, and experience in both private and third-sector roles.

Charlie Livsey joined Entrepreneurial Scotland as Head of Commercial in October 2023.

He will primarily be focused on developing and managing a wide range of commercial activities across the charity whilst engaging with businesses globally who wish to be part of the Entrepreneurial Scotland network and attract the best young talent to their organisation.

Charlie brings over twenty-five years of senior commercial experience leading highly successful teams focused on customer acquisition and retention.

He is passionate about organic growth within Scotland and has spent the past decade within the senior management team of the s1 group of companies with key operational and commercial responsibilities of their flagship brand s1jobs.

Sean McGrath was appointed Chief Executive on 1 July 2021.

He is on the Advisory Boards of Scottish EDGE Fund and Glasgow City Innovation District and is a member of the Advisory Council for Economic Transformation, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy.

Sean is a Chartered Accountant and joined the Foundation in May 2019 as Finance Director. Prior to this he worked with leading brands including Red Bull, NorthgateArinso and Monster.com and held a number of financial management roles within organisations such as Deloitte and London & Scottish Investments.

A passionate advocate of entrepreneurial thinking, Sean firmly believes that Scotland’s future will be shaped by those who think, act and lead in an entrepreneurial way.

Anna Rafferty is a Senior Programme Executive at Entrepreneurial Scotland, focusing on sourcing world-class internships for Scottish university talent.

With over 10 years’ experience in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, she has held positions across the public and third sectors, including the Scottish Government.

Anna facilitates the transformation of students who participate in the Saltire Scholars Programme, supporting them to fulfil their leadership potential.

Natasha joined the Entrepreneurial Scotland team as a programme assistant in March 2022 supporting the Saltire Scholar team.

Natasha graduated University with an Honours degree in Human Resource Management in 2020.

Rosalie Turbett is Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Programme Executive, providing support for the Saltire Scholar Internship Programme.

With experience in communication, her role focuses on student engagement for both current programme participants and Alumni.

Rosalie graduated from the University of Stirling in 2008 with an Honours, Upper Division, in Film and Media Studies, subsequently working in a range of customer service roles.

Vicki Wells is Business Support Manager at Entrepreneurial Scotland. She provides operational support to the Chief Executive and our non- executive teams. She also operates in an office manager and HR support role for the ESF team.

With a career in HR, she left London to spend 10 years living abroad in the Middle East, the Bahamas and South Africa. She has also undertaken a variety of volunteer roles, supporting vulnerable children and young people.

Vicki has a BA in Interpreting and Translating and is a Graduate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Rebecca joined the team as a Programme Executive in February 2023. She will support the provision of world class internships through the Saltire Scholar internship programme .

Rebecca has experience in customer service in a variety of sectors with a focus on mentoring, coaching and training. She believes in encouraging everyone to grow and develop while remaining true to themselves.

Almost three decades ago, Andy was working in investment banking in London. He knew that he wanted to come back to his hometown of Dundee, and to make a real difference in the world. Just about the same time, his father Andi was considering his next venture, and so together they established Insights. They haven't looked back, and are extremely proud that their now-global business still has its roots in Scotland. Contributing to the local economy means everything to Andy, and he can't wait to see what the next 30 years will bring.

Andy is Chief Executive Officer of Insights Group, where he guides it to fulfil Insights purpose - to create a world where people truly understand themselves and others and are inspired to make a positive difference in everything they do. Alongside Insights, The Insights Group also includes Vidatec, the Group’s technology business, with its purpose to improve peoples’ experience of life through technology, and The Insights Foundation. With Andy at the helm, Insights has become a global brand with a presence in over 40 countries around the world, and ambitious growth plans in place. Andy was awarded EY’s Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.

In 2025, Andy was appointed Chair of the Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation.

Scott co-founded FWB Executive Search Ltd ( initially as Finlayson Wagner Black ) and managed the business until 2024. During this period, the company became the largest executive search business ever to be established in Scotland and operated globally. Scott also led the launch and development of FWB Inc in the USA and FWB Consulting Ltd in the UK. FWB Inc was an executive search business and FWB Consulting, a leadership development consultancy. Both were successfully sold to management.

In 12/2016, Scott led the sale of FWB Executive Search Ltd to management and continued as Managing Director until 12/2024 when he stepped down, while remaining on the company’s board.

Outwith FWB, Scott has held several board appointments including Edinburgh International Festival, Newlands Junior College, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce ( 1 year as Acting President and 4 years as President ) and Scottish Chambers of Commerce. In addition to Entrepreneurial Scotland, he is currently a Trustee of Athletics Trust Scotland and The Children’s Parliament.

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

Julie Grieve is Chair of a Vistage CEO Peer Advisory Group, an executive coach, and a mentor to start-up and scale-up businesses across the UK.

With over 20 years of CEO experience across property, hospitality, and technology, Julie is a self-confessed business geek. She is passionate about the power of leadership development at all ages, to build a more prosperous Scotland.

In 2016, she founded Criton, a platform that simplified digital transformation for independent hotels by enabling a fully digital guest journey. She successfully sold the business in 2022. The idea for Criton came during her time as CEO of Lateral City, a luxury serviced apartment operator in Scotland, where she experienced firsthand the frustrations caused by fragmented hospitality tech systems.

Before that, Julie was Managing Director of Abbey Business Centres, a national serviced office provider. She took over the company in 2004 when it was loss-making in the wake of the dot-com crash. Under her leadership, the business returned to profitability and expanded into London and other key UK cities, before being sold to Regus in 2011.

Julie is also an Ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland and has held a range of board positions, including with Women in Tourism, The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, Barclays Eagle Labs Digital Growth Grant IAB, Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools, and Traveltech for Scotland.

Fiona is the Managing Partner at Carlyle, an Executive Search and Leadership Development Business. She has over 20 years’ experience in Executive Search and joined the Search industry after working in Management Consultancy with EY.

Working across the UK and broadly across sectors, she has a track record across leadership positions, many of these within Financial Services, or fast growth businesses where she has built a wide and established network across industries.

A graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme, she supports entrepreneurs and growth-focused businesses. With experience working alongside private equity and venture capital–backed companies, Fiona brings practical insight into the challenges of scaling sustainably. She values collaboration and is passionate about contributing to organisations that create lasting, positive impact in their communities.

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

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.

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.

Lisa is an experienced entrepreneur, business coach and HR specialist, with a passion for diversity, inclusion and helping others to achieve their goals and potential. In 2014 she founded Purpose HR, a niche HR consultancy focused on early stage and innovation driven clients in the technology and life sciences sectors, which she grew, scaled and sold to the AAB Group in 2021. Having operated as a Partner and member of the AAB leadership team until 2023, Lisa exited the business and is now an independent consultant and non-executive Director. She is a qualified executive coach and NLP specialist, a former Saltire fellow and a proud Ambassador for Women's Enterprise Scotland. Lisa is a Mum of 3, lives in North Berwick East Lothian and enjoys wild swimming, reading, cooking and walks with Lola her cocker spaniel.

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.

In 2024, he was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Years Honours List.

David Young is the President and CEO of Unified Women’s Health and a Board member of several provider focused healthcare companies.

Previously David was Global CEO of GenesisCare, a global oncology services provider in Australia, USA, UK and Spain, President & CEO of Physicians Endoscopy, Inc. a Gastrointestinal investment and management services provider for independent GI providers, Chief Operating Officer of Privia Health, Inc., Chief Financial Officer of Smile Brands, Inc., and held senior leadership roles at McKesson Specialty Health and US Oncology, Inc.

David is originally from Scotland, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting (Hons) and received his MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst, Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Accountant and Corporate Treasurer.

A lifer in the alcoholic beverages industry, Brian has worked for Diageo, Edrington, Beam Suntory, Distell and Angostura in his corporate career before starting various ventures from 2012 some very successful and some pretty disastrous! Having learned more from the things that went wrong than went right, Brian now owns a number of largely successful businesses in the alcohol beverage and property spaces.

Woods & Co Family Holdings is a family investment company which is a non trading investment vehicle.

Cane & Grain International is a blender and bottler of Scotch Whisky, present in around 15 countries around the world specialising in private label, single cask whisky bottlings. With almost zero business in the UK, its main markets are Taiwan & China.

RumPro is a (future) bottler of aged, single cask world rums. At the moment, the rum is sleeping in cask and not ready to be bottled but it will be in or around 2027.

Spirit Safe buys new make whisky and holds the stocks for an indeterminate period of time with a view to releasing their value in future years.

Alexander David & Co buys and refurbishes flats in Student areas of UK cities. We aim to add value to well located properties through refurbishment and adding additional bedrooms to the apartments.

With one recent successful exit under his belt, Brian is looking to build and exit more businesses in the future including those above.

A keen but bang average golfer and a football fan, Brian lives in Glasgow with his wife Kathrine and two teenage children.