Sandy Kennedy

In a briefing to stakeholders, Entrepreneurial Scotland chairman Colin Robertson said the group will be recruiting from within its senior team for a replacement.

The business charity’s aim is to have a new chief executive in post by this summer, with Mr Kennedy to leave after a three-month handover period.

The succession plan has been under discussion since 2019, but was put on hold through the pandemic “to enable 100 per cent focus on the organisation’s future”.

Entrepreneurial Scotland operates a variety of programmes to promote entrepreneurial skills across business, Government and higher education.

Announcing Mr Kennedy’s departure, Mr Robertson said: “Today, I am pleased to share with you that we are beginning the process of recruiting a new chief executive to lead the organisation at this next important stage. While Sandy will step down as an employee on September 30, he will remain close to the organisation thereafter, albeit in a different capacity.”

He added: “It is thanks to his vision and passion for helping Scotland to become a beacon of entrepreneurship that we are so well-placed to respond to the enormous challenges facing us as we transform our economy and society in response to the climate emergency and Industry 4.0.”

Prior to the formation of Entrepreneurial Scotland, Mr Kennedy was chief executive of the Saltire Foundation, which now operates as the charitable arm of Entrepreneurial Scotland. A qualified solicitor, he is also currently an advisory board member with Scottish EDGE, a board member of Social Investment Scotland, and a strategic adviser to Communitylab.

The announcement follows the launch last month of a crowdfunding campaign to support the expansion of Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Saltire Scholar internship programme, and to create a new bursary scheme to help fund the organisation’s leadership programme.