Following the announcement of Colin Jess’ retirement after ten years of dedicated leadership, the Board and staff team of Social Enterprise NI extend our sincere thanks for the outstanding legacy he leaves behind.
Under Colin’s leadership, Social Enterprise NI has grown into the recognised voice of the sector—championing social enterprises as businesses that generate profit, create jobs and deliver measurable economic and social value across Northern Ireland. He has been instrumental in positioning the sector as a vital contributor to the wider economy, strengthening its influence and visibility at every level. His passion and unwavering commitment have laid strong foundations for the next phase of growth.
As we look to the future, Social Enterprise NI enters this next chapter from a position of strength.  SENI’s ambition remains clear: to be the leading voice of a confident, enterprising and economically significant social enterprise sector—one that plays a full and recognised role in driving Northern Ireland’s prosperity.
With the support of our highly skilled and passionate team, we are focused on leading the organisation through a period of growth, transformation and opportunity. The team will now be led by Amanda Johnston, who has been with SENI since its inception and who is taking on the Interim CEO role for a 12 month period commencing September 2026.
Later this autumn, we will launch our new three-year strategy, setting out a clear and ambitious roadmap for the sector. Our focus will remain firmly on:
- Growing the social enterprise movement as a thriving part of the NI economy
- Transforming systems to unlock opportunity and remove barriers to business growth
- Enriching communities through sustainable, profit-generating models that deliver impact
We will continue to strengthen the capability, resilience and commercial sustainability of social enterprises; support them to scale and compete; and enhance their contribution to economic growth, job creation and innovation across Northern Ireland.
At a time when businesses are central to addressing economic, social and environmental challenges, social enterprises stand apart—trading competitively while reinvesting their profits to deliver lasting change. Social Enterprise NI will continue to champion a strong, unified voice for this dynamic part of the economy, creating opportunities for investment, collaboration and influence.