Jonathan Bland, Founder and Managing Director of Social Business International (SBI), is a global expert on social enterprise with 30 years of experience working in the field. He excels at bringing a diverse range of people and organizations together, having won widespread, cross-party political support for social enterprises and established the distribution of industry information internationally through SBI. First as Executive Director of Social Enterprise London – now Social Enterprise UK – and then as CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition, Jonathan helped the British Government create a highly innovative policy framework for social enterprise, and supported the development of some major programs in the field of public service innovation, enterprise, and employment. He continues to drive public sector innovation as the Director of the Public Service Transformation Academy.

Jonathan’s career extends across Europe. He helped develop the European Commission’s Social Business Initiative as well as served as an expert advisor. He promoted social enterprises in Finland and lived in Spain for five years in the 1990s, developing and managing a series of innovative European projects for the Valencian Co-operative movement.  He also worked with co-operatives in London and Wales.