Staff & Board

Simon has held leadership roles in global research and design agencies and led programmes across national governments, charities, and the private sector. He has worked with significant clients such as the Gates Foundation, the NHS, the Home Office, and the International Rescue Committee.

Before joining CEIS, he was the Head of Regional Development for the UK innovation agency Connected Places Catapult. There, he led projects to ensure communities could benefit from and participate in a more inclusive innovation economy.

James joined CEIS in May 2005 and works as a Business Adviser. With over 22 years experience in business management and consultancy, James is a very experienced adviser capable of offering advice and support across the range of business competencies, including business and strategic planning; new product development; marketing; and finance. He specialises in delivering intervention work on behalf of some of Scotland’s main public sector agencies including the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council.

Prior to working with CEIS, James worked for Motorola Semiconductors for 12 years, holding seven different positions increasing in responsibility up to European Management level.

Roddy joined CEIS in 2009 as a Business Adviser within the Enterprise & Communities Team. A qualified accountant, Roddy currently specialises in providing business planning and finance support to social enterprises in the recycling, regeneration and community transport sectors. In addition Roddy advises clients on how access public sector procurement opportunities and how to write effective tenders. He also supports public sector procurement agencies with the development of community benefit clauses.

Jo has over 10 years’ experience managing stakeholder initiatives, including board-level events and international delegations. Her portfolio spans executive-level programme delivery, governance support and relationship management across multiple sectors. She has successfully coordinated high-stakes activities for groups ranging from 10 to 1,200 participants, demonstrating strong administrative and organisational capabilities.

Outside of CEIS, Jo is Vice-Chair of Thistle Credit Union, Scotland’s second largest community credit union where she has volunteered as a director since 2014.

Jo has a BA (hons) in European Business Management with Spanish and French.

Matthew Baqueriza-Jackson is an Independent Policy Advisor who has undertaken work around local economic development, regeneration and local governance for the last 18 years. Matthew spent 13 of those years working for the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (most recently as Deputy Chief Executive), before setting up his own policy advice business in May 2018.

Matthew joined the Board of CEIS because the values associated with his advisory work are very well aligned to those of CEIS. He wants to challenge the orthodoxy of historical approaches to economic development to develop local economies that truly work for people and communities.

Matthew operates across the UK and Europe from Elgol, the Isle of Skye and is l working with the CEIS Board and Staff Team to shape a better future for all in Scotland.

Rose is Social Innovation Manager in the Research and Innovation Office at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).

She is responsible for promoting Social Innovation throughout GCU. She does this by engaging with and showcasing internal Social Innovation activities, projects and research; showcasing the work of social enterprises; and brokering relationships with local & international stakeholders within GCU.

Rose joined the Board as she thought it would be interesting to bring her university/research perspective, as well as her focus on social innovation.

Linda is Group Finance Director for BiP Solutions.

She joined the business in 2011 as Finance Director, bringing with her a proven track record of managing finance functions in the UK and overseas, including with NCR Corporation and the AIM -listed Maxima. She moved to the role of Chief Financial Officer in May 2012 and in May 2016 was appointed to the position of Group Finance Director, with responsibility for the Group Portfolio.

Linda’s remit includes developing strategies for future growth, including acquisitions.

From Aotearoa New Zealand to Edinburgh, Scotland, Anna has seen how people create real change through business. She recently completed her Masters in Strategic Communication and Public Relations at Queen Margaret, focusing on how businesses drive social and environmental impact by getting their employees involved and on board with new sustainability strategies. Currently working in the marketing team at loveelectric, Anna is excited to bring her skills to the CEIS Board and bridge gaps between the social enterprise and tech start-up sectors.

Gillian Fyfe works with the Technology Enabled Care Programme at Scottish Government, part of the Digital Health and Care Directorate. She is their Transformation Lead and works with telecare providers across the country to support them in the redesign of their services.

She has spent most of her career in the Third Sector, often in social enterprises or supporting them, in roles which have allowed her to put the citizen firmly at the centre of the design of services. She has developed and delivered projects and services as diverse as digital platforms and social enterprise restaurants, working with a rich cross sector of our community including.  Through all of these roles, the unbroken thread has been a passion for using technology in an equitable and ethical manner as a vehicle to improve lives.

David Kelly is Director for Scotland at the Community Transport Association (CTA).

David leads CTA’s advice & support, community development and policy & public affairs activities in Scotland with a team of Development Officers. He represents CTA on the Transport Minister’s Bus Taskforce, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s Regional Transport Strategy Board, Transport Scotland’s MaaS Investment Fund Working Group and the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Groups on Poverty, Social Enterprise and Sustainable Transport.

Dr. Sreevas Sahasranamam is a Professor at the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. His research focuses on understanding the strategic and ecosystem enablers of innovations/start-ups tackling UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

His research on ecosystems and social entrepreneurship has been published in leading management journals. He regularly writes blogs for the World Economic Forum and was shortlisted for the Financial Times – McKinsey Bracken Bowen Prize in 2018.

Sreevas is also the co-creator of an open social movement – SDGZero – that envisions creating bottom-up approaches to solving SDG challenges by enabling local communities.

Shahnila is an Information Professional, working as a Customer Services Supervisor in Glasgow Life Libraries.

She manages multiple venues, inspiring everyone by sharing her passion for literacy development and community partnerships & building relationships with internal & external stakeholders within Glasgow Life.

She has written for CILIPS Scotland and Museum Association. She has a Health and Social Welfare degree, diploma in Art History & an Executive MBA which evaluated how the Scottish Executive’s Digital Strategy was implemented within Glasgow Libraries with extensive experience of management in the private sector including strategy and innovation. She was an Equality and Diversity Champion at Scotland’s largest College.

Darah is Social Economy Manager at Scottish Enterprise. She is a strategy and policy professional with extensive senior experience across the public, third and private sectors. Expertise in strategy and policy development, creative partnerships, social and economic development, employability and stakeholder management.

Experience of delivering change management in a complex environment. Expert networker. Passionate ambassador of mission-led business models.

Specialties: Strategy and policy development, stakeholder engagement, partnership and relationship management, change management, public and third sector, skills and education, programme design and development.

Hannah joined CEIS in May 2023, initially as Marketing Officer primarily for the national Just Enterprise Programme before moving into her current role as Communications Designer in late 2025.

With a particular interest in inclusive communication, she enjoys combining her skills in strategic messaging, visual design and data-led storytelling to deliver impactful and accessible communications solutions that engage, inform and add value to diverse audiences.

Outside of work, Hannah is a keen gardener and a novice creative metalworker.

Emma joined CEIS in 2008 as the Administrator for the Enterprise & Communities Team. She is responsible for providing general administrative and programme management support for the team and assisting the Operations Manager in ensuring the smooth day to day running of the department. Previously employed within the private sector, Emma has several years experience working in a variety of administrative and project management roles.

Tommy joined the Enterprise and Communities Team in March 2023 as Senior Business Adviser. Tommy has worked for over 35 years within the Third and Public Sectors and has held a range of positions at Advisor, Project Manager and Senior Management level. Tommy has managed a range of projects and departments within the Regeneration, Enterprise, Childcare, Property and Sports Development sectors and is able to offer support and advice on a wide range of strategic and operational activities.

Claire joined CEIS in 2021 as a Business Adviser within the Enterprise and Communities Team. Claire specialises in providing public sector tendering support, advice and training to social enterprises, supporting them to win work through effective tendering. She is also experienced in supporting and advising social enterprises to form consortia & partnerships to bid for public sector tenders. Claire is an experienced Business Adviser (15 years plus) who provides support with business planning and strategy development. An experienced trainer Claire has developed and delivers a wide range of business skills training.

Mohamed brings 18 years of experience in finance and treasury operations. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) with a strong background in managing complex financial products.

Previously, Mohamed served as Finance & Administration Leader at Kinning Park Complex-Glasgow, managing budgeting, cash flow, and financial reporting. At Sharjah Islamic Bank-Dubai, he oversaw FX/MM deals, Sukuk, and mutual funds, ensuring regulatory compliance. Earlier roles included managing foreign currency portfolios at the Central Bank of Sudan-Khartoum and financial analysis at Higleig Petroleum Services & Investment Co.-Khartoum.

With a Master’s degree in International Trade & Development and an MBA, Mohamed offers a robust understanding of financial management and strategic planning to support CEIS’ clients effectively.