Kerry Sharp, who for a decade has led Scottish Enterprise’s investment in early stage and scaleup companies, is moving to a new role at the agency.

She will become its first chief finance and investment officer, focusing on the organisation’s finances, strategy and performance.

Ms Sharp will be replaced by director of scaling innovation Derek Shaw, a former banker in Bank of Scotland corporate, who becomes director of entrepreneurship and investment.

“I’m looking forward to bringing an investment and commercial mindset and focus to our traditional Chief Financial Officer role,” said Ms Sharp in a blog.

“I will work with colleagues to ensure we are strategically focusing our skills, assets and expertise in the most effective way possible to maximise investment flowing into Scotland.”

Ms Sharp first joined Scottish Enterprise to set up the Scottish Venture Fund, one of its core equity co-investment funds. She has since led the agency through a number of innovative initiatives aimed at growing Scotland’s early-stage risk capital market and creating the right environment for ambitious start-ups, spin outs and early-stage scaling companies to achieve their potential.

She was head of the Scottish Investment Bank, which was the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise before the government launched the Scottish National Investment Bank as a separate entity. SIB became the agency’s growth investments operation.

“Scotland’s early-stage market now punches above its weight in a UK context – something I’m proud to have played a part in supporting,” she said.