Update: Two new appointments for former SE chief Lena Wilson

Former Scottish Enterprise chief executive Lena Wilson has been appointed as a director of a recently listed foreign exchange service provider.

Lena Wilson was chief executive of Scottish Enterprise until 2017. Picture: Alan McAteer

Wilson, who was the head of Scotland’s economic development body from 2009 until 2017 and is one of the country’s best-known business leaders, will serve as senior independent director and chairwoman of the nominations committee at UK-based Argentex Group.

Wilson currently serves on the board of Royal Bank of Scotland Group and a number of its subsidiaries, Intertek Group and ScottishPower Renewables.She will join a high-profile board at Argentex, which includes former CBI director-general Lord Digby Jones as non-executive chairman.

Harry Adams and Carl Jani, the co-chief executives of Argentex Group, said: “We have long admired Lena’s impressive career and are delighted to announce that she is joining our board of directors.

“Her international experience and outlook will be extremely valuable as we embark on our next stage of growth as a listed company.

“Our ability to attract market leading talent to Argentex is core to our growth strategy, and Lena’s appointment is testament to this approach.”

Wilson added: “I am excited to join Argentex’s board. I was immediately impressed by the management team and its entrepreneurial approach and I look forward to working with the board to help Argentex build on its excellent track record, successful IPO [initial public offering] and exciting growth strategy.”

Meanwhile, Scottish start-up Turtle Pack, which has created a swimming aid for young children, has appointed Wilson as chair.

The idea for the aid came from swimming instructor Michael Harkins from Livingston. He started developing the product idea whilst studying a masters in pharmaceutical chemistry at Heriot-Watt University in 2015.

He then took part in a sports innovation programme run by the University of Stirling. He was also awarded one of the highest cash awards of £110,000 from the Scottish Edge programme.

Made up of a neoprene vest and a set of three stacked foam shells that decrease in size, the Turtle Pack aid is worn in the pool with shells being removed as the child grows more confident in the water.

Wilson said: “Ryan Carenduff, chief executive, Michael Harkins, founder, and the team at Turtle Pack have made great progress turning an initial idea into a patented product which has great potential and is loved by parents and children alike. Turtle Pack is working to help children around the world learn this key life skill in a way that’s fun and efficient.

“I am excited to be working with a start-up business with global potential where I can make a real and tangible difference.”