Carole Leslie of Ownership Associates Joins the WeDO Executive Team

We were recently delighted to welcome Carole Leslie of Ownership Associates as a member of our Executive Team.

Following a diverse career in telecoms, sales, marketing, recruitment, IT and wine, Carole became involved in business ownership and succession planning when the business where she was Commercial Director became one of Scotland’s first wave of employee buyouts. Convinced of the benefits for business, the employees and customers of employee-owned firms, she joined a specialist consultancy in 2005 becoming Managing Partner. In 2010, she set up her own consultancy, Ownership Associates, advising business owners on their succession options and supporting companies through the transition to employee ownership.

Carole is viewed as one of the UK’s leading experts on employee ownership, having advised approximately 60 businesses as well as running many training courses for lawyers, accountants and banks. She has held a number of board positions and is currently non Executive Director of audio-visual specialists, Mediascape. She also chairs several Trustee Boards.

Commenting on Carole’s appointment, Belinda Roberts, CEO of WeDO said:

“We are thrilled to have Carole join our Executive Team. We are extremely fortunate to have a phenomenal team, all of whom share our ethos of peer-to-peer learning, sharing knowledge and ideas and supporting the WeDO membership community. Carole brings many years of working with a wide variety of businesses and sectors, and, in her present role, she has been instrumental in advising and growing the number of employee owned businesses, not just in Scotland, but also throughout the UK. Her expertise is a highly valuable addition to our team and we are all enjoying working with her.”

Carole commented:

“I am delighted to be part of the WeDO Exec Team. It’s a great organisation where business people genuinely support and help others make the best of their business. The businesses involved run the entire spectrum from start up to maturity and cover such a diversity of sectors that there is something for everyone. WeDO is for people who are serious about their business but know how to have fun, too!”

WeDO Chairman Gordon White of Fatbuzz said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Carole as a member of the WeDO Scotland Exec. Carole’s knowledge and reputation in the Employee Ownership sector is unrivalled, she truly is an expert and a leader in her field. I think her expertise will be particularly beneficial to many of the members and I know her professional approach will be a huge benefit to the WeDO Scotland Executive Team, I look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.”