CEO Ewan Aitken wins Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award

This well-deserved recognition is a testament to Ewan’s dedication, leadership, and the lasting impact he has made in the voluntary sector and beyond. His vision and commitment continue to inspire those of us who have the privilege of working alongside him.

I stand here on the shoulders of giants - the people who I work with, the people we support and the colleagues across the city who ensure what we do can get done. Because we do nothing alone. This is an extraordinary award for me to receive, and I receive it knowing that everything happens because of the partnerships we create, the relationships that we build, and the communities that we nurture in everything we do. 

Ewan Aitken has led a lifetime of notable achievements over more than three decades in the public and third sectors.  He had been the Leader of Edinburgh Council, a Convener of Education and CoSLA spokesperson on Education. He founded the National Prison Visitor Centre Steering group, The Ripple, and two Credit Unions. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Chair of SHAPE, the Edinburgh collaborative of homelessness organisations, a Council member of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, a Board member of The Ripple and a member of the Scottish Government’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans Delivery Group and the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transition Delivery Board.

We’re proud to have someone whose tireless commitment to strengthening communities and enacting positive, long lasting change in Edinburgh as our CEO, and are thrilled to see him recognised with this award.

It is a huge honor, and I am absolutely gobsmacked... but I want to remind us that it’s the city we build that builds the future for our children, and the commitment we make to each other - especially those who have not had the chances that we have -  means we will all flourish. And if this award is for anything, it is for a city that flourishes, and for the people within it.

Hear Ewan's speech at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce awards ceremony here.