Theresa Shearer FRSE

Theresa Shearer FRSE is an internationally recognised and influential leader in the development of human rights-driven public services for citizens.

Theresa is Vice President of Inclusion Europe; a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Glasgow's Centre for Public Policy; an alumna of the University of Strathclyde and Harvard Business School; Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE); Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development; and served as a UK Commissioner of both the Law Family Commission on Civil Society and the the Institute of Directors' (IoD) Shinkwin Commission on the Future of Inclusive Business.

As CEO of Enable, she leads 2,500 staff, supporting 13,000 people to live independently in their community. Theresa has led transformation and growth at Enable, an exemplar organisation inspiring public policy developments; driving and delivering human rights advocacy and influencing; building sustainable employment and training solutions, and delivering best-in-class human-rights driven self-directed health and social care through its sector leading PA Model.

A multi-award-winning leader recognised for her contribution to executive leadership internationally, Theresa continues to combine her CEO role with voluntary positions supporting leadership and governance in the third sector across the UK. She has previously held a number of non-Executive positions, including Chair of Impact Arts and Vice Chair of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). She provides external counsel to charity boards and executive teams whilst mentoring emerging leaders. She is particularly passionate about social care workforce development, and empowering young people to realise their potential. She co-founded the ambitious Breaking Barriers programme with ScottishPower and the University of Strathclyde Business School. Theresa actively develops strategic partnerships with the private and social sectors to drive a more inclusive and fairer economy, working collaboratively with organisations such as EY, the IoD and the RSE on a variety of innovative programmes and initiatives.

In October 2024, Theresa Shearer was awarded an honorary doctorate by Edinburgh Napier University for devoting her career to improving the life chances of people with learning disabilities.