Who we are – Economic Development Association Scotland

EDAS is Scotland’s independent membership body for economic development practice – the organisation that connects, supports and equips the practitioners shaping Scotland’s national, regional and local economies.

EDAS is a trusted bridge between policymakers and practitioners with an independent and member-led voice, a community hub for Scotland’s economic development practitioners to spark collaboration and innovation.

EDAS drives positive change by improving the effectiveness of economic development in Scotland by strengthening the knowledge, skills and networks of those working across the sector.

Our board

EDAS is led by senior economic development leaders from across the public and private sector in Scotland. Our Board has 16 directors who are responsible for all aspects of strategic direction and financial management. Brightstar (Scotland) Limited provides the executive support for all aspects of EDAS operations; with responsibility for organising the events programme, membership recruitment, handling the finances and coordinating the activities of the Board.

Neil McInroy

Chair

Neil McInroy

Chair

I am the Global lead for community wealth building at the USA based organisation – The Democracy Collaborative. I have been involved in economic development for many years and was for three years seconded into the Scottish Government as a community wealth building adviser within the economic development directorate. My work in Scotland and globally involves advancing an economy that genuinely works for people, place and planet. As Chair of EDAS, I promote and support our work, liaising and meeting with people and organisations, ensuring economic development is at the cutting edge of building Scotland’s wellbeing economy, including a just transition to a decarbonised and fairer economy where wealth is enjoyed by all. Whilst working globally, I also am involved locally in local community economic development in the west highlands, where I live.

Dinker Bhardwaj

Dinker Bhardwaj

As Director of Strategy & Performance at Scottish Enterprise, I work closely with colleagues across corporate functions and our Missions teams to support strategic decision-making and drive economic development across Scotland. Our team plays a central role in shaping SE’s strategic direction, including the development of SE’s Focus on Economic Transformation, which outlines our ambition across three mission areas where Scotland can lead: ‘Accelerating the Energy Transition’, ‘Scaling Innovation’, and ‘Boosting Capital Investment’. We also lead the creation of SE’s 2025–28 Operating Plan, aligning our medium-term priorities with the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy and ensuring robust performance reporting against our objectives.

Esther Black

Esther Black

Esther Black is a sustainability professional at the FTSE-100 energy company SSE plc, with over 20 years’ experience spanning the private, public and third sectors. Her work focuses on the social and economic dimensions of sustainability, including stakeholder engagement, responsible business practice, and supporting a just transition to a low-carbon economy. Esther’s career has included executive and non-executive roles in corporate affairs, policy, human resources, and sustainability. She brings a practical perspective on how large organisations can embed social value and responsible practice into strategy, operations, and long-term investment decisions.

Ishabel Bremner

Ishabel Bremner

As a professional Economist, I currently hold the position as Economic Growth Manager, Argyll and Bute Council. My work remit covers Business Gateway, employability and skills, UK policy and funding, key sector development, such as tourism and food and drink, economic intelligence and appraisal to support investment opportunities, including the Argyll Rural Growth Deal, where I’m the responsible officer for the Rural Skills Accelerator Programme. I have over 30 years’ of experience and a depth of knowledge in the field of Economic Development having worked in the private sector (circa 9 years), Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. At a local level I chair the Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership. I’m a member of the Senior Officers’ Group for the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership and Convention of the Highlands and Islands. At a national level, I chair the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development (SLAED) group and a co-opted Director of the Economic Development Association Scotland (EDAS).

Karen Jackson

Karen Jackson

As Director of Strategy, Partnership and Engagement for South of Scotland Enterprise (the economic development agency for Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders), my focus is on working to ensure the success of the South of Scotland, helping to unlock the opportunities of one of Scotland’s most amazing regions. I help shape SOSE’s response to different areas of our economy, working hard to build and support a partnership approach to delivery.

Elaine Jamieson

Elaine Jamieson

I am a graduate from Robert Gordon University and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I am head of food and drink and life sciences at Highlands and Islands Enterprise and guide HIE’s work in developing these key sectors. This includes leading on a range of significant opportunities and participating in regional, national, and international partnerships. My primary interest is in rural development, and the interrelationships between our natural environment, people and communities, and economic development and prosperity. I am very fortunate through HIE to work with ambitious entrepreneurial and innovative enterprises and partners who ensure we have a diverse regional economy that creates and sustains good quality opportunities in local communities. I am a certified Climate Change Champion by the Royal Geographic Society, and I am proud that my works strives to create a positive environmental legacy by supporting enterprises and communities to be local leaders in the transition to net zero.

Chris Kelly

Chris Kelly

I am a Director in one of Scotland’s leading economic development and social research consultancies, EKOS, and have worked in the private sector since 2006. While consultancy involves working across a broad portfolio of thematic and technical disciplines, my research interests are in the role of regions, place, and infrastructure in supporting/driving economic development and wellbeing.

Alice Masson

Alice Masson

I work as an Economic Development Consultant for Glic with a particular focus on social impact. I often work closely with government bodies, businesses, and community organisations to design and implement strategies that prioritise social outcomes. This involves conducting thorough research to identify opportunities for equitable development and collaborating with stakeholders to create innovative solutions. My expertise extends to areas such as community engagement, social impact assessment, partnership building and strategic planning. I see my primary role as leveraging economic development initiatives to address social challenges, promoting community well-being, and fostering overall societal progress.

David McIntosh

David McIntosh

I am an advisor to the public sector (Scottish Government, agencies, local authorities) on how to fund and finance major economic development projects. I have worked on hundreds of projects stretching from housing and social infrastructure to new dynamic sectors like space technology. The ongoing focus on the transition to Net Zero and Scotland’s abundant potential to produce renewable energy means that my work has recently brought me more into the renewable energy arena including new sectors like offshore wind, hydrogen and industrial decarbonisation. Supporting, funding and financing projects in these sectors is where I spend most of my time.

David Oxley

David Oxley

I’ve worked in economic development for around 20 years, most recently leading on the delivery of some of the exciting opportunities which are coming forward in the Highlands and Islands. This includes the fantastic opportunities which sectors such as Space, Offshore Wind, and Hydrogen will provide for sustainable, high quality jobs in some of the most remote parts of Scotland.

Lauren Pascu

For me, economic development isn’t a single intervention but is a collaborative process that brings together stakeholders, leverages opportunities, and ensures that economic progress translates into broader societal well-being. It’s about understanding how local, devolved and national policy frameworks, resources, funding streams and institutions interact and about how they might all work together more efficiently in order to create thriving communities and improved living standards.

Pauline Smith

As CEO of the Development Trusts Association Scotland, I work at the intersection of community action and economic development. DTAS supports development trusts across Scotland that are community-owned organisations that strengthen local economies through enterprise, job creation, community ownership of assets and the development of sustainable local services. My role involves helping these organisations grow their economic impact by supporting them attract investment, build partnerships and create opportunities to strengthen and grow the development trust movement. Development trusts play an important role in creating more resilient local economies by ensuring that wealth generated locally is retained and reinvested in the community. While their work has a clear economic focus, development trusts also deliver wider social, environmental and cultural benefits with local people are revitalising local buildings and land to supporting community wellbeing and preserving local heritage. Through DTAS I champion the role of community-led organisations as an important and often overlooked part of Scotland’s economic development landscape.

Clare Stoddart

Clare Stoddart

As Mission Support Coordinator at Scottish Enterprise, I work across teams to help deliver our strategic missions, supporting Scotland’s economic development. My role involves analysing progress, managing risks, and providing clear, data-driven insights that inform decision-making and drive mission objectives. I specialise in project coordination, stakeholder engagement, and reporting, ensuring effective communication and continuous improvement throughout our mission activities. By connecting people, information, and ideas, I help shape the delivery of impactful projects that contribute to Scotland’s economic growth. To me, economic development means creating opportunities for people, businesses, and communities to thrive. It’s about fostering innovation, supporting inclusive growth, and building resilience so Scotland can adapt and prosper. Through my work and involvement with the EDAS Future Leaders Network, I’m committed to helping shape a fairer, wealthier, and greener Scotland by supporting emerging talent and sharing best practice.

Lynne Ward

Lynne Ward

I work for Scotland’s infrastructure centre of expertise, focused on improving infrastructure investment decision-making, building the strategic understanding of infrastructure’s role to fulfil policy priorities. I am currently focused on understanding our long-term need for a resilient and future-proofed infrastructure sector, building the evidence-base and collaborating with diverse stakeholders. With more than 25 years economic development experience in Scotland, UK and EU, I have worked across employability, business and infrastructure sectors, from strategy development to delivery. Economic development focuses on making our lives better, proactively supporting people, communities, and businesses to fulfil their economic potential. That means exploiting opportunities but also addressing barriers to achieve the best outcome. For me economic development is essential to a wellbeing economy which supports growth for the benefit of all.

Charlie Woods

Charlie Woods

I am an Associate with Core Solutions, providing independent mediation and facilitation. As an EDAS Board member, I bring extensive experience in economic development, strategy, and policy, having previously served as Director of Strategy and Chief Economist at Scottish Enterprise. I was also Director of the Scottish Universities Insight Institute, where I worked at the interface between academic insight, public policy and practice.

Paul Zealey

I am an experienced executive and non-executive director with 30 years track record across private, public and third sector with international recognition for contribution to outcomes, impact, legacy and community benefits. I have held leadership roles with Skills Development Scotland, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, pza consulting, Scottish Enterprise and CSV, plus non-executive chair and director roles. I am also an independent consultant, advising government, public bodies, funders, academic organisations and the third sector. Paul has specific expertise in economic development; jobs and skills; creative and cultural industries; community regeneration; and social enterprise, innovation and investment. I am currently Skills Planning Lead – part of the leadership team – at the national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, with a portfolio of national and regional responsibilities, including strategic lead for Glasgow City Region and Ayrshire.