Entrepreneurial Scotland (ES), the leading business education and membership organisation, announces the strengthening of its management team with the appointments of two new Directors to its senior management team.
Sara Cook has been promoted to the new position of Director of Talent Programmes and Sean McGrath is ES’s new Finance Director.
In 2018, Sara was the first ES employee to embark on the Saltire Fellowship, a globally renowned business education and leadership development programme run by ES alongside Babson College in the US. This immersive experience allowed Sara to grow her management skills and bring her learnings and experiences back to her role and the wider ES community. Sara represents the unique range of opportunities that are available through being part of ES: connecting with the right people, inspiring an entrepreneurial mindset and developing leadership capabilities.
Sara started her career as Programme Assistant for the Saltire Scholar Programme in 2013 and quickly progressed through the organisation to Programme Executive then Head of Programmes, and six years on, has a Director’s role with overall responsibility of the Saltire Scholar Programmes, Talent Matching and Alumni Engagement.
Sean is a multi-disciplined senior finance professional who has a wealth of experience in both a practise and commercial setting. Previous to joining ES, Sean held financial management roles within organisations such as Deloitte and London & Scottish Investments.
Prior to retraining as an accountant in 2011, Sean spend several years working in commercial roles with brands such as Red Bull, NorthgateArinso and Monster.com where he was responsible for driving sales and marketing activities.
Commenting on the new appointments, Sandy Kennedy, ES Chief Executive, said:
“It’s an exciting time for ES with two incredibly talented people in Sara and Sean joining our management team.
“Sean’s financial experience will be invaluable, and he will help us plan ahead for the future.
“Sara’s appointment is a proud moment for everyone involved with ES. Sara is part of the next generation of leaders in Scotland, which was clear to see when she returned to her role following the Saltire Fellowship, and I am confident she will continue to be an invaluable member of the team.”
Sara Cook, Director of Talent Programmes, said:
“It’s a fantastic honour to be the first Entrepreneurial Scotland employee to fully rise through the ranks, and now in my role as Director of Talent Programmes, I’m more excited than ever for some of the projects on our horizon. It’s widely recognised that finding, retaining and valuing talent is a challenge for most businesses in Scotland and Entrepreneurial Scotland is uniquely placed to support businesses with this.”
Sara and Sean will take up their posts with immediate effect as ES strives forward with their domestic and international goals, including playing a pivotal role in Scotland’s mission to become the most entrepreneurial society in the world.
