Happy to be marking a milestone
Sue Dawe, Scotland managing partner at EY and Chair of the SFE board looks back on an eventful 40 years of operation
We have all become ever-more accustomed to change. Organisations and governments change, public opinion sways, and even the principles which bind people together morph through the years. It takes a special kind of resilience to remain relevant while the very foundations of society shift beneath your feet.
So, it is quite an achievement that Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) – of which I have the privilege of being Chair – has reached the milestone age of 40.
To put this achievement into context, the organisation has been around to witness ten prime ministers, the formation of the Scottish Parliament, seven first ministers, the opening of the Iron Curtain, the dot-com bubble, the financial crash, leaving the European Union, a global pandemic, and the ongoing artificial intelligence revolution.
We have seen the transition from ledger books and physical trading floors to a digital-first economy where Scotland punches well above its weight on the global stage.
I guess it is fair to say that it’s been an eventful 40 years, but during that time, SFE and our industry has certainly not stood still.
I started my career 38 years ago in professional services in Scotland – the world I entered back then would be in many ways unrecognisable to those joining our firms today. For example, when I began my career there were no female partners and women couldn’t wear trousers – and, as laughable as that seems in 2026, we never thought anything of it.But now, as Scotland managing partner at EY and Chair of the SFE board, I look around our sector at the strong female leaders in positions of prominence –and I’m not just proud but convinced we’re going in the right direction. The dynamism and vibrancy of SFE’s Gender Equality Network is testament to this.
Changes in how our industry uses technology are also remarkable. From the roll out of PCs to the use of digital payments and the march of artificial intelligence, our industry has a long history of both responding to and leading the way on innovation.
Through the expertise of individuals and firms across our sector, I am delighted that this tradition continues and is the very reason SFE’s Scottish Financial Services Awards is so special.
The past four decades demonstrates that we are at our best when we can adapt to change, and SFE exists to help our industry navigate those changes.
They say that life begins at 40, and I am confident that is also true for SFE. While we celebrate how far we have come, the technological, economic, political and geopolitical backdrop means our role remains as important as it was in 1986.
These shifts require the same boldness that those who founded our organisation four decades ago possessed. A financial environment where our collective voice is greater than our individual clout, where talent, diversity and innovation drive progress, and where success for our industry means prosperity for the customers and communities we serve.