New CEO for Scots based, female entrepreneurship focused AccelerateHER

AccelerateHER, which describes itself as Scotland’s dynamic network for female-founders, has appointed a new chief executive – saying she will help continue its “upward trajectory”.

The Edinburgh-based organisation, which adds that it empowers UK female-founded businesses to scale for growth and is behind the AccelerateHER Awards, says Elizabeth Pirrie – its chief operating officer for the past four years – is taking the reins as it expands its team and operations across the UK.

Founder and current CEO Jackie Waring will now become its chair, which will see her focus on launching a fund for female-founded companies in Scotland, and she will continue to work alongside her successor on the ongoing strategic growth of the organisation.

Ms Pirrie has spent the past four years as chief operating officer for both AccelerateHER and its sister company Investing Women Angels (IWA), and they say that during this time they have seen “significant” development, with the introduction of mentoring services, UK-wide expansion of its awards programme, multiple international missions for founders, and a nationwide partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs that are focused on fostering start-ups.

The newly appointed CEO is a qualified chartered and certified accountant, and was finance director of “one of Scotland’s largest independent care home providers”. AccelerateHER and IWA added that in the five years before she joined them, she used her experience in finance and “avidity for entrepreneurship” to support business-owners and start-ups in the North-east of Scotland, delivering the Business Gateway service within Elevator. The latter’s remit is catalysing entrepreneurship in Scotland.

Ms Pirrie then joined Highlands and Islands Enterprise as account manager where she also served as acting head of business growth, and she brings first-hand entrepreneurial experience into her latest role, having run her own company for four years.

AccelerateHER explained that it is now a 5,300-strong network of female founders who can “access all the necessary tools” to grow and scale their businesses and raise investment.

Elizabeth Pirrie takes on the role as the organisation says it supports more female-founded companies in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Picture: contributed.

It added that the 24 previous AccelerateHER Awards finalists have raised more than £45 million in investmen, and the network has become a “supportive and thriving” community. “Elizabeth’s appointment continues this upward trajectory and will enable further work that responds to the needs of female founders across the UK,” it stated.

Maximise

Ms Pirrie said: “I’m delighted to take on this new challenge at AccelerateHER. I look forward to carrying Jackie’s legacy forward to help more female founders maximise their business growth potential.

“In the past few years, AccelerateHER and IWA has expanded and flourished into an engaged and dynamic community, and we in turn have been able to support more female founders, in more diverse ways.

"The clear feedback from the network is that AccelerateHER is a supportive and empowering organisation. We will aim to build on these virtues by recognising and celebrating female-led businesses that are doing good to tackle key challenges in society and promoting economic growth.”

Ms Waring said: “Over the last four years Elizabeth has been a cornerstone of our operation and a driving force behind the UK growth of AccelerateHER. I am therefore delighted that she will be taking over the role of CEO and I’m excited to be working with her as we continue to build our presence, supporting greater numbers of female-founded companies in Scotland and across the UK.”