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Bridget McConnell

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Scottish cultural administrator (born 1958)

Bridget McConnell
Official portrait, 2022
Personal details
BornBridget Mary McLuckie
(1958-05-28) 28 May 1958 (age 66)
Glasgow, Scotland
Spouse(s) Richard Brown ​(until 1987)​
Jack McConnell ​(m. 1990)​
Alma materUniversity of St Andrews
Dundee College of Commerce
Stirling University

Bridget Mary McConnell, Lady McConnell of Glenscorrodale, CBE (née McLuckie; born 28 May 1958) is a Scottish public sector administrator specilising in the arts. She was the chief executive officer of Glasgow Life from 2007 to 2022, the charity and arms-length body responsible for delivering culture and sport in Glasgow. McConnell was particpated in Glasgow’s successful bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, serving as a member of the organising committee and as the Director of Ceremonies and Culture, while overseeing infrastructure required for the games. McConnell was responsible for a major overhaul of the city’s sports, leisure, arts and cultural facilities.

Since 2022, McConnell has been a non-executive member of a number of arts related boards in Scotland. McConnell is the wife of former First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell.

Education and career

McConnell was educated at Our Lady's High School, Cumbernauld, going on to graduate from St Andrews University (MA hons, 1982), Dundee College of Commerce (DIA 1983) and Stirling University (MEd, 1992; EdD, 2009). McConnell worked as the first curator of a local authority travelling art gallery with Fife County Council in 1983, then taking up the first ever jointly funded Local Authority/Scottish Arts Council Arts Officer post in Stirling District Council in 1984, followed by ten years in Fife Council firstly as Principal Arts Officer then Arts, Libraries, Museums and Recreation Manager. She joined Glasgow City Council in 1998 as Director of Cultural and Leisure Services.

As CEO, McConnell oversaw an annual budget of c.£108 million and leading a staff of 2,600 people working across nearly 100 culture and sport facilities, events and festivals. She served a number of national committees and boards, including Unboxed2022, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and Arts and Business Scotland.

Glasgow Life

During the COVID pandemic, McConnell oversaw the redesign of the organisation, advocating for its role in the economic and social recovery of the city, as well as chairing the Health and Wellbeing group of the National Events Industry Advisory Group (Member) set up by the Scottish Government to give advice during the pandemic and in recovery planning.

Projects

McConnell has overseen multiple major infrastructure projects, including the £35 million refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (2006), an upgrade of the Mitchell Library, the £74 million Zaha Hadid designed Riverside Museum (2012), which was named European museum of the year 2013, the £113 million Emirates Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome (2012), £35 million phase 1 Kelvinhall development as a world class centre for heritage, learning, culture and sport (2015). The Burrell Collection, the c.£70 million project to refurbish and redisplay one of the world's finest single art collections, reopened in 2022.

Board memberships

McConnell was appointed as non-executive director of ScottishPower Renewables in 2022. She has been a Trustee of National Museums Scotland since 2023. McConnell has been a council member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council since 2022.

McConnell has been a trustee of Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland since 2020. In 2022, she was appointed chair of the Hunterian Strategic Development Board at The Hunterian museum and art galleries in Glasgow.

Personal life

While studying at University of St Andrews, McConnell met and later married musician Richard Brown, and they had a daughter and a son. They divorced in 1987. She married politician Jack McConnell in 1990, who would become First Minister of Scotland in 2001.

Honours

McConnell was made a CBE in 2015 in recognition of Services to Culture.

She has been awarded four honorary doctorates: University of Aberdeen (DHC, 2008), University of St Andrews (DLitt, 2008), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (DHC, 2013), and University of Glasgow (DUniv, 2014).

As a wife of a peer, she is entitled to the courtesy style of Right Honorable and the courtesy title of Lady McConnell, but she does not use them in public.

References

  1. "Chief Executive of Glasgow Life retires after 24 years". Glasgow Times. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  2. "Executive Team Glasgow 2014". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Dr Bridget McConnell Who's Who entry". Who's Who UK. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U25411. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  4. "Glasgow Life annual review 2020-21". Glasgow Life. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  5. "Glasgow's cultural assets need to be re-prioritised to help aid nation's recovery". HeraldScotland. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  6. "King reopens Burrell Collection after £68m refurbishment". Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  7. "Board of Directors - Bridget McConnell" (PDF). ScottishPower Renewables. 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  8. "Dr Bridget McConnell, CBE". National Museums Scotland. 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  9. "Council members". Arts and Humanities Research Council. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  10. "Dr Bridget McConnell". Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  11. "Boards". The Hunterian. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  12. "McConnell talks of marriage 'betrayal'". BBC News. 15 June 2003. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  13. "Queens New year Honour's list 2015". Scottish Government. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  14. "World's greatest chef among Aberdeen's honorary graduates". University of Aberdeen. 9 June 2008.
  15. "Archive of honorary graduates". University of St Andrews.
  16. "Glasgow Life chief honoured". The Herald. 19 June 2014.
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