The board
The team are supported by a fantastic board who bring their breadth of knowledge, experience and strategic vision from a variety of sectors.
What unites them is their passion for SIS’ impact across Scotland’s communities. In addition we have six patrons who have supported SIS over many years.
Kenneth Barclay
Chair
Kenneth Barclay previously held the role of Chair, Scotland for the Royal Bank from 2012 to 2016. During his career he undertook numerous Executive positions in Edinburgh, London, New York and Hong Kong. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland.
On leaving RBS he Chaired the Government initiated review of Non Domestic Rates.
He currently Chairs The Lens a SCIO Registered Charity which aims to create and improve entrepreneurship with the third and public sectors. He is Chair of Social Investment Scotland and on the boards of The Ross Development Trust and poppyscotland.
Ken also Chairs the Advisory Board of Institute for Public Policy Research, Scotland (IPPR). The UK’s leading progressive think tank.
Carol-Ann Boyter
Carol-Ann Boyter
Carol-Ann is an international and multi-sector experienced Director who has consistently provided critical leadership during complex transformation programmes, commercially astute senior decision making and the continual development of staff capability to deliver sustainable improvements in organisation-wide performance.
Currently, as Head of People for the National Trust for Scotland, Carol-Ann holds responsibility for the entire People function; including HR and Volunteer processes for the multi-million pound charity.
Her career incorporates an exceptional track record of achievement with several industry leading multinationals such as Intercell Biomedical (Valneva) and Aviva – successfully defining and implementing new operational models, driving meaningful changes in culture, and integrating commercial objectives with talent management and development.
Bill Crossan
Bill Crossan
Bill is the Chair of Social Investment Scotland’s impact investing arm, SIS Ventures.
Bill has over 30 years’ experience investing debt and equity exclusively into UK based SMEs. Initially investing equity with 3i in Aberdeen, London and Bristol before moving to Bank of Scotland to eventually run the regional netowrk providing debt to growing UK businesses. In 1999, he founded what has become Growth Capital Partners LLP, originally within Close Brothers before taking it independant in 2009. At GCP, he developed its differentiated combined debt equity strategy and has raised 4 Funds with an aggregate value of over #500m to invest in UK mid-market businesses.
Kenny Fraser
Kenny Fraser
Kenny is a Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant with over 20 years experience advising global companies in Mobile Communications and Technology sectors.
In 2013, he founded Sunstone Communication Ltd and is the CEO of the company. Sunstone provides world class small business consulting a startup can afford. Kenny is an active Non Executive Director, board level advisor and mentor to several technology start ups. He has recently taken on the role of CEO for Triscribe, a University of Edinburgh spin-out in medical informatics. Kenny is also an active member of the Scottish start up community and provides advice and expertise to startups in the US, Africa and Europe. He is a recognised speaker and writer on mobile and digital topics.
Eric Gibson
Eric Gibson
Eric has over 35 years experience in the Banking sector. He has held various senior director roles with Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group working with SME & Corporate customers in a variety of sectors. He also ran his own business advisory business for 3 years with a focus on business development, stakeholder management & corporate governance. Eric also holds Non-Executive positions as Vice Chair of the Wheatley Foundation and at Loretto Housing Association.
Outside of his business interests Eric is an enthusiastic golfer & tennis player and enjoys gardening & travel.
Celia Hodson
Celia Hodson
Celia has vast experience working in the social enterprise sector with a career including roles as the CEO of School for Social Entrepreneurs Australia, Founding CEO for Eastern Enterprise Hub and School for Social Entrepreneurs East of England and Deputy CEO of Social Enterprise UK. Celia’s experience spans government, non-profit, private sector start up and scale and international and social enterprise development. She is motivated by building businesses, driving change and bringing commercial acumen and entrepreneurship to non-profit organisations.
Sandy Kennedy
Sandy Kennedy
Sandy Kennedy is the Chief Executive of Entrepreneurial Scotland and The Saltire Foundation. The vision of Entrepeneurial Scotland is, working with others, to inspire and develop Scotland’s people to build the most entrepreneurial society in the world. The Saltire Foundation seeks to find, fuel and spark Scotland’s next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
Educated at Cambridge University he became a qualified lawyer with Ashursts in London specialising in private equity. He joined 3i, the venture capital firm, in 1996 and worked on a mix of traditional leveraged deals and tech venture capital. In 2000, he won the Chris Hill Prize for best overall MBA student at Strathclyde. Sandy’s extensive commercial background has involved the successful startup of Bowie Castlebank Group’s online and direct business, the turnaround and growth of over 600 of their physical retail stores.
He is passionate about unlocking Scotland’s latent potential wherever this may be.
Kenneth McDowell
Kenneth McDowell
Kenny is a partner in Edinburgh’s Saffery Champness. He joined the firm in October 2015 with specialist experience in the not-for-profit and commercial sectors. He brings a wealth of experience, having worked with a number of large Scottish charities as auditor and adviser.
With over 20 years’ experience, Kenny provides assurance and advisory services to Scottish charities in the theatre, arts, education and care sectors, as well as faith-based charities and grant-making organisations.
Before joining Saffery Champness, Kenny was a partner in an Edinburgh accountancy practice for 12 years.
Morag McNeill
Morag McNeill
Morag has over 25 years experience as a corporate lawyer. She was a partner in McGrigors for 13 years and then spent nearly 8 years as General Counsel at Forth Ports plc. Morag is a non-executive director of Aberdeen Harbour Board and a member of the Strategic Board of the Scottish Government. On leaving Forth Ports, Morag was keen to become involved in the third sector and she sits on the Board of a number of charities. Outside work Morag sings in an amateur choir and spends Saturday and Sunday mornings on the touchline watching her son play rugby.
John Watt
John Watt
John is a qualified chartered accountant. He retired as a Partner in the Deloitte Government & Infrastructure team in May 2012 and established his own consultancy business, Annequin Associates. Through this business he works for a number of clients delivering advice on feasibility studies, business planning, restructuring, governance, strategy, procurement, project management and review, risk management, financial and funding strategy. He has worked in the low carbon, education, transport, waste, health and port sectors.
In addition he has the following roles; non-executive director of Our Power Community Benefit Society, member of the audit committee; non-executive director of Zero Waste Scotland; non-executive director of the EDI Group Limited, the arms-length property company of the City of Edinburgh Council. Chair of the Audit and Remuneration Committee.
Susan Younger
Susan Younger
Susan is a fully qualified lawyer with over 27 years’ legal experience in acting for both lenders and borrowers in all forms of commercial finance transactions, and a strong background in commercial property. She led the Banking and Finance Team at Morton Fraser LLP for 14 years and has been instrumental in developing the team into one of the most highly regarded in the UK, particularly in relation to social enterprise funding of community projects. After being a Director at Cairn Mhor Childcare Partnership for 5 years she has now joined Cairn Mhor in a full time capacity as CEO to manage the company and in particular to assist with good governance and compliance of the company.