Jackie Brierton MBE

Jackie is CEO of GrowBiz Scotland – a rural enterprise support organisation based in Perthshire, supporting rural businesses and social enterprises across Scotland. She has more than 35 years experience in business, enterprise and policy development, including a period advising the UK Government’s DTi Small Business Service. Passionate about encouraging more people to start and grow businesses, she is also Co-Founder and Vice-Chair of Women’s Enterprise Scotland CIC. Jackie was a member of the Scottish Government’s National Council of Rural Advisers and has chaired the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER programme since 2015. She is UK expert for the EU-wide ‘Smart Rural Areas’ project and is a director of Smart Village Scotland. Jackie is currently a member of the Scottish Government's Advisory Council for Economic Transformation. She was awarded an MBE for services to enterprise and inducted to the Saltire Society’s ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ in 2019. In her spare time she enjoys walking her dogs, dreaming about yoga classes and supporting St Johnstone FC.