Scotland has officially appointed its first ‘Chief Entrepreneur’, with former Skyscanner executive Mark Logan selected for the role.

According to the Scottish Government, the new position has been created specifically to ensure entrepreneurship is “embedded in the economy” and to drive closer collaboration between government and Scotland’s high-growth industries.

Logan is expected to hold the new position for an initial term of two years, and will act as an advisor to the Start-up Nation Programme; established to deliver key recommendations from the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review which he authored.

He will also support the work of the forthcoming Stewart Review of Women in Enterprise.

Commenting on the appointment, Logan said: “I am looking forward to building upon my existing role with the Scottish Government, working in partnership with our business community to boost entrepreneurialism across the economy.

“There are so many innovative, creative enterprises across Scotland, and part of the task ahead is to provide the best possible environment in which they can thrive.”

What will the Chief Entrepreneur do?

Logan’s appointment marks a significant step for the Scottish Government, which has been highly vocal in its ambition to establish Scotland as a leading European tech hub and destination in which to launch and build a business.

The establishment of a Chief Entrepreneur for Scotland was also a key commitment in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. So what will the role entail?

Logan’s remit will include boosting engagement with the Scottish startup community, working closely with founders, entrepreneurship programmes and small businesses to ensure that future policy development is “strongly focused on meeting the needs of business”.

Similarly, he will advise government ministers on fostering an ‘entrepreneurial first approach’ across the public sector, ensure that entrepreneurship is “instilled in the education and skills systems” and establish clearer routes for aspiring founders to set up businesses.

Additional objectives include:

  • Supporting increased diversity and inclusion in business start-up and scaling
  • Acting as a public advocate for the Start-Up Nation Programme, and
  • Advising ministers on the long-term structure and focus of the role based on learning accumulated during the first term

Announcing the appointment during a visit to the Inverness Creative Academy, Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said:

“Mark Logan will be a brilliant asset to the Scottish Government, we’ve already drawn on his expertise in developing the STER report and enhancing Scotland’s tech credentials.

“Now we are ready to take this to the next level and ensure entrepreneurial thinking and skillsets are enshrined in the curriculum and across the public, private and social enterprise sectors.

“As we look beyond the pandemic we must be ready to seize the economic opportunities that come with achieving net-zero and becoming a fairer country. The National Strategy for Economic Transformation is clear – embedding an entrepreneurial mind set across the economy will be key to achieving our economic goals and I look forward to working closely with Mark on this.”