Theresa Shearer

Theresa Shearer FRSE is an internationally respected strategic leader and social business pioneer, driving impact with partners from the private, public, social and academic sectors in Scotland and beyond. As the CEO of Enable, she leads a dynamic team of 2,500 dedicated professionals, championing the right of 13,000 individuals to live, work and participate within their communities of choice. Under her leadership, Enable has become an exemplar of transformation and growth and one of the largest employers in Scotland, operating as a social business driven by its charitable aims for the people it serves, demonstrating significant and consistent sector-leading growth.

An award-winning leader, including the Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland Chair’s Award in 2023, Theresa has garnered international acclaim for her contributions to executive leadership. She has held a variety of non-executive positions that bolster strategic vision and governance across the UK and beyond, and in 2024 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Edinburgh Napier University in recognition of her achievements in the fields of human rights and impactful social business leadership.

Her current leadership roles include the Vice Presidency of the European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD), the Advisory Board of the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy and of the Adam Smith Business School, and the governing Council of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She has also been a Commissioner for both the Law Family Commission on Civil Society and the Institute of Directors’ Shinkwin Commission on the Future of Inclusive Business, influential groups which drove UK-wide cross-sectoral collaboration and impact.