Andrew Wilson

Andrew Wilson has had a varied career as an economist, politician and now as a strategic adviser to businesses, charities and a variety of other organisations. He studied at the universities of St Andrews and Strathclyde and began his career in the civil service, before working as a researcher and economist for the SNP and as a business economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland. 

He was elected as a member of the first Scottish parliament in 1999, serving as shadow minister for, variously: finance, economy, transport and lifelong learning. In 2003, Andrew re-joined RBS, working in a number of roles including as deputy chief economist. During the banking crisis, he served as head of group communications and was intimately involved in the bank’s high-profile engagement with the City, UK government and the media during those tumultuous times. In 2012, he joined global marcomms group WPP in a client strategy role, before co-founding Charlotte Street Partners in 2014. 

Andrew is a board member and trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland, The John Smith Centre for Public Service at the University of Glasgow, the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, Sistema Scotland, Motherwell Football Club and Frame PR. In March 2020, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In September 2016, he was appointed chair of the Sustainable Growth Commission, which reported to Scotland’s first minister in May 2018. He was also a member of the Independent Commission on Referendums, based at UCL’s Constitution Unit, reporting in July 2018. He is a regular contributor to both print and broadcast media on economics, business, and politics.