Ana Stewart will continue as Scotland's Chief Entrepreneur until September 2027 after the Scottish Government extended her contract. Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn confirmed the extension at an event celebrating the first Sunday Times Scotland Fast 50 list of fast-growing businesses.

Stewart was first appointed in April 2025 for a term running to June 2026. She chose not to be paid for the role, and the Scottish Government said that arrangement would continue during the extension.

The Chief Entrepreneur acts as the government's chief adviser on growing Scotland's start-up and scale-up economy. The role was created in 2022 as part of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, and the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report found entrepreneurial activity in Scotland at a record high.

Mr Flynn said the government was delivering a record £45 million this year to drive innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship across the country, and praised Stewart's knowledge of the business community. Ms Stewart said Scotland needed to build lasting momentum so more ambitious businesses could emerge and grow, and that she was pleased to keep working with entrepreneurs, government and partners on a strategy to help firms scale up from Scotland.

The Fast 50 list, developed with input from the Chief Entrepreneur earlier this year, includes Edinburgh life sciences firm RoslinCT, which secured a £7.25 million Scottish Enterprise grant to digitalise its manufacturing, and Amiqus, which took part in the government's CivTech programme in 2019. The Scottish Government published details of the extension on 5 November 2026.