Neil has been the CEO of the Social Enterprise Academy for almost 7 years. During this time the Academy has become the largest Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Centre in Scotland, annually supporting around 1,200 people from across Scotland to develop their leadership and entrepreneurship skills.  The Academy is now expanding internationally.

In addition to adult learning and development, the Academy runs a Social Enterprise in Education programme which is based on a “learning by doing” approach. Social enterprises have now been established in over 600 schools across Scotland, all developed and run by pupils with support from the Academy.

In 2012 Neil won Ernst & Young’s prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Social Enterprise category. In 2011 The Academy was awarded the highest rating ever of any organisation in Scotland’s third sector by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Education (HMIE).