The people behind SGP

Compassionate by nature. Grounded in purpose.

Paul is Founder and Managing Partner of Sustainable Growth Partnership. He has been described as a “compassionate disruptor” whose career-long strength has been to create simple solutions to complex challenges.

He co-founded Community Renewal Group and helped it grow from a start-up to over 75 staff in 4 years. Paul then led the organisation as CEO for nearly 20 years, supporting over 5,000 people in marginalised neighbourhoods into sustained work. Paul also co-founded the social enterprise Caledonia Cremation, which as well as offering affordable funerals, led to reductions in funeral prices across the industry within days of launch. Paul was commissioned by Scottish Enterprise to develop and deliver The Sustainability Programme which supported over 60 charities to move from grant funding to contracts. He was part of the original business planning team that created the Social Enterprise Academy and he also led on the development of the Scottish School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Paul has been a passionate advocate of Disability Equality for over thirty years and has recently supported several Deaf-led organisations through major change programmes, including mergers and acquisitions. At the Sustainable Growth Partnership, Paul works across all three service pillars. He leads on sustainable growth audits, strategic planning and wellbeing, drawing on his own experience as a charity CEO, business leadership and health coach.

“Paul helps leaders uncover the opportunities to move towards sustainable growth.”

Steady leadership. Sound judgement. Healthy cultures.

Tricia Donnelly is a Partner in Sustainable Growth Partnership, bringing more than 30 years of senior leadership experience, including 13 years as Chief Executive of The Mungo Foundation, which she grew from £10 million to £20 million turnover with a workforce of around 700. From a position of organisational strength she led the merger with Enable to secure long-term resilience, then served as Chief People Officer focused on cultural alignment and post-merger integration.

What makes Tricia distinctive is the way she combines three perspectives rarely found in one leader: a Chief Executive who has carried accountability under scrutiny; a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with deep expertise in workforce strategy and people governance; and a Registered Mental Health Nurse and Cognitive Behavioural Practitioner with insight into the human dynamics that shape performance. She combines warmth with rigour, and is willing to say what needs to be said, thoughtfully and well.

Tricia works across all three service pillars with a particular contribution within Build Your Growth Plan and Lead Well Through Growth. She leads SGP’s work on Organisational and People Development. Tricia also provides a critical friend role to board Chairs and CEOs navigating high-stakes change.

Sharper strategy. Stronger commercial thinking. New opportunities for impact.

James Finnie is a Partner in Sustainable Growth Partnership, bringing more than 35 years of business development experience. His career combines 16 years in a multinational corporation up to European management level with over two decades helping social enterprises across Scotland and beyond. As lead of the International Social Enterprise Observatory, he shaped Scotland’s first inward investment strategy for global social enterprises and supported the Scottish launch of international models including Humanitix.

James brings a blend of strategy, innovation, commercialisation and internationalisation that few practitioners combine, always grounded in practical delivery. He doesn’t treat growth as something abstract. He helps organisations think carefully about what is viable, what is distinctive, and where the strongest opportunities really are, connecting vision with market reality and ambition with a sensible route forward. Clients value his strategic eye, calm commercial judgement and ability to see opportunity where others see only constraint.

James strengthens our work particularly around Clarify Your Growth Potential. He leads on Insight-Led Innovation and supports clients through the Sustainable Growth Audit and Strategic Planning, helping organisations clarify where growth can come from, shape a stronger business model, define a clearer offer or route to market, and think ambitiously about partnerships, expansion or new forms of income.

Clearer systems. Better delivery. More space for what matters.

Sarah Stewart is a Partner in Sustainable Growth Partnership, bringing more than 19 years of project and programme management experience. A former pharmacist with a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, she spent many years in senior global roles in the pharmaceutical industry leading cross-functional teams through complex, high-stakes initiatives: a grounding in delivery, systems thinking and execution in environments where quality, pace and coordination really matter.

Sarah brings analytical rigour alongside a calm, practical understanding of how people work. She is especially helpful when teams are stretched, priorities are competing, and people know something needs to become simpler but are too close to the day-to-day to see how. Clients value her for the way she makes things feel clearer very quickly. She does not overcomplicate.

Sarah’s contribution sits strongly across Build Your Growth Plan and parts of Lead Well Through Growth. She leads on Implement Your Growth Strategy (Annual Operating Plans, Operating Rhythms and Accountability, and Project Management Support) and brings hands-on facilitation through consultancy, workshops and LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® work, helping teams turn strategy into steady, deliverable practice.