Lesslie Young is Chief Executive Officer of Epilepsy Scotland, a charity founded in 1954 that supports people living with epilepsy across Scotland. Bringing experience from a range of sectors, she has reshaped the charity's operating culture, running it with more entrepreneurial discipline while staying focused on its core mission of reducing stigma and improving access to care for the tens of thousands of people in Scotland affected by the condition.
Young has led several initiatives to close gaps in epilepsy support, including a collaborative funding arrangement with pharmaceutical companies to establish specialist epilepsy nurse services in underserved health board areas, and the creation of one of Scotland's few epilepsy-specific welfare rights services, which has secured millions of pounds in financial support for clients. She also worked with Police Scotland and prosecutors to help prevent people from being wrongly treated as criminal suspects because of seizure-related behavior.
During the pandemic, her trust-based approach to leadership allowed the charity to digitize services quickly while protecting its income streams. She also founded #SWOT (Strong Women Out There), an initiative celebrating women's resilience and leadership.
