Theresa Shearer
Chief Executive of Enable
Theresa Shearer FRSE is an internationally recognised and influential leader in the development of human rights-driven public services.
Theresa is CEO of Enable; Vice President of Inclusion Europe; Chair of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Fellowship Election Process EDI Advisory Group; a member of the Advisory Council of Young Scot; an alumna of the University of Strathclyde and Harvard Business School; Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Professional Development; and served as a UK Commissioner of both the Law Family Commission on Civil Society and the Shinkwin Commission on the Future of Inclusive Business.
As CEO of Enable, an exemplar organisation inspiring public policy development in the fields of equality, diversity and inclusion; Theresa leads 2,500 staff supporting 13,000 people to live, work and contribute as active citizens within their chosen communities. During her time as CEO, Theresa has led transformation and sustained growth at Enable, through the delivery of excellent quality human-rights driven self-directed health and social care; the development of innovative employment and training services; and the advancement of impactful human rights advocacy, policy and campaigning work.
A multi-award-winning international leader, Theresa continues to combine her CEO role with voluntary positions supporting leadership and governance in the third sector across the UK and beyond. She has previously held a number of non-Executive positions, including Chair of Impact Arts and Vice Chair of the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). She provides external counsel to charity boards and executive teams whilst mentoring emerging leaders. Theresa actively develops and maintains strategic partnerships with the private, public, academic and social sectors to build a more inclusive and fairer economy, working collaboratively with a range of organisations on innovative programmes to promote productivity, equity, diversity and inclusion.
The creation of the Centre for Public Policy arrives at an ideal moment. The world faces a range of complex challenges and pressures, with the most vulnerable in our society often hit hardest. We need innovative new ideas, combining academic research, informed practice and partnership working across sectors, if we are going to build an environment where all do not just survive but thrive. I look forward to working with colleagues at the Centre to help shape and deliver this new collaborative and impactful space for public policy in a way that brings real change.