Ms Macdonell is CEO of the Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS), the membership body for community-led enterprising organisations. She is also an entrepreneur-in-residence at the University of Edinburgh Business School and mentors a variety of small businesses, particularly those run by women.

Prior to joining DTAS, Ms Macdonell was head of economic development at the Scotland Office, delivering Scotland’s first rural regional growth deal, and worked in energy strategy development at Scottish Enterprise. She has more than 20 years’ experience in business development and entrepreneurship and will support SIS with the delivery of its 2030 strategy.

SIS works closely with social enterprises and community organisations from across Scotland to provide the investment and support needed to help them make a real, measurable, and sustainable impact upon peoples’ lives. In 2019/20, an estimated 1.4 million people benefited from SIS’s activities in the third sector, with active loans and investments totalling more than £28 million across 175 social enterprises.

Commenting on her new position, Louisa Macdonell said: “Scotland has developed an enviable reputation for the depth and breadth of its social enterprise sector, led by a community of social entrepreneurs and leaders focused on delivering significant impact in their communities. I have been mentoring small enterprises for a number of years, so I’m really looking forward to bringing this experience to bear with SIS’s growing customer portfolio at a time when their products and services have never been more needed.”

Ken Barclay, chair of SIS, added: “I am delighted to welcome Louisa to our Board. SIS undertook a strategic review in 2020 and Louisa joins us at an important time in the execution of that strategy which is to facilitate the building of an impact economy, where social entrepreneurs, businesses, consumers, investors and government are aligned, focusing on the delivery of impactful actions and meaningful outcomes.

“If the past year has taught us anything it is that it has highlighted the need for an economy that strives to address much more than GDP. It is testament to the success of SIS over the last few years that we are able to attract someone of Louisa’s calibre. Her experience in coaching community leaders and social entrepreneurs will be invaluable in helping SIS to improve the services and support it can offer its customers to help them grow their impact, whether at a local, regional or national level.”