Executive Leadership Team
Our senior management team, known as the Executive Leadership Team, is:
Lena C Wilson: Chief Executive
Lena Wilson is Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise – Scotland’s national economic development agency.
Prior to this, Lena was Chief Operating Officer of Scottish Enterprise and the CEO of Scottish Development International, leading Scottish Enterprise in supporting companies to grow and Scottish Development International in helping to promote Scottish businesses overseas and attracting new high value investment to Scotland.
In a career spanning over 20 years, she has held a range of positions covering all aspects of economic development.
During a two-year secondment to the World Bank in Washington DC, she worked in over 20 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia advising governments on economic development with particular emphasis on the conditions necessary for the development of the private sector and the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment.
Lena has held a range of non-executive positions in business, arts, sports and voluntary organisations. She is currently a board member of the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust, Ambassador for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, a member of the management committee of the Tartan Clef foundation, and advisory board member of the University of Strathclyde business school.
Paul Lewis: Managing Director Operations - Sectors and Commercialisation
Paul Lewis is Scottish Enterprise’s Managing Director of Sectors and Commercialisation. Paul is responsible for setting clear measurable policy and priorities for Scottish Enterprise’s operational teams to deliver in response to the Scottish Government’s economic strategy and the demands of priority and growth industries. He has significant experience within Scottish Enterprise having undertaken roles in inward investment, urban regeneration and industries.
Jim McFarlane: Managing Director Operations - Company Growth, Innovation and Infrastructure
Jim has overall responsibility for what Scottish Enterprise delivers to support Scottish businesses with the capacity and ambition to succeed in an increasingly global marketplace. A whole range of services and specialised support come under his remit, like the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service, our Innovation Support service and Scottish Enterprise's Investment Funds, as well as the tailored support we provide through our account management programme. In addition, Jim also oversees a number of critical large scale projects we are delivering, often in partnership with others, to help improve the business environment.
Jim McFarlane has had a 30 year career in economic development with Scottish Enterprise and its predecessor, the Scottish Development Agency. Previous senior positions held by Jim include periods as Chief Executive at Scottish Enterprise Borders and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian.
Iain Scott: Chief Financial Officer
Iain Scott has been Chief Financial Officer since May 2010. He is responsible for ensuring delivery of SE’s business planning, financial management and corporate performance.
Iain has been with Scottish Enterprise since 1991 holding a number of finance and corporate planning roles. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has held a range of non executive positions in Scottish further education institutes and the public sector.
Julian Taylor: Director of Strategy and Economics
Julian Taylor is Scottish Enterprise's Director of Strategy and Economics. He is responsible for the overall direction of SE - in response to the Government Economic Strategy - and the evidence base that supports this.
Julian has over 20 years' experience of international economic development in a wide variety of roles and has been with Scottish Enterprise since 1997. He was educated at the Universities of Sheffield, Newcastle upon Tyne, Dortmund and Herriot Watt.
Linda McDowall: Business Networks and Communications Director
Linda is responsibile for the organisation’s marketing and communications activity and customer intelligence; transformational government, corporate office and stakeholder engagement – nurturing and supporting parliamentary, partner and key influencer relationships; and Scottish Enterprise’s International Networks which include the Globalscot community and the Saltire Foundation.
A graduate of Glasgow University, Linda joined Scottish Enterprise in 2001 and has extensive knowledge and experience in both business and economic development. Her career has spanned both the public and private sector and she currently holds a variety of Board positions including Council of CBI Scotland, SCDI, IOD and New Lanarkshire Ltd. Linda is also a visiting tutor to the Leadership Trust, and as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Linda enjoys taking an active part in her local community.
Carolyn Stewart: People Services Director
Carolyn is responsible for the delivery of internal services to Scottish Enterprise that ensure SE is a great place to work, staff are supported and equipped to deliver the business plan and that SE has the ability to attract, retain and motivate talent. Functions included in People Services are Human Resources, Employee Communications, Employee and Community Engagement, Procurement, Facilities Management, Health & Safety, Environmental Management and Information Management.
Carolyn is a qualified HR professional with over 20 years' HR and employee communications experience in both the private and public sectors, 8 years at HR Director level, and has been with Scottish Enterprise since 1997.