Bridget McConnell

1958-

Cultural Administrator

Bridget McConnell was educated at Our Lady's High School, Cumbernauld, St Andrew's University (MA Hons 1982), Dundee College of Commerce (DIA 1983) and Stirling University (MEd 1992). Bridget married Jack McConnell (First Minister of Scotland from November 2001 to May 2007) in 1990.

Through her ongoing involvement with CoSLA (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), as Link Arts Adviser (1997-2001) and Joint Chair of the COSLA/VOCAL Culture Strategy Task Group (2005), McConnell has been instrumental in developing guidance on local authority implementation of the National Cultural Strategy, which she had been a member of the Focus Group to develop in 2000.

Bridget now represents Glasgow City Council on the Glasgow 2014 Board.

As Chief Executive of Culture & Sport Glasgow, she leads a staff of 2,600, with an annual budget approaching £100 million, in the delivery of cultural and sports activities on behalf of the city. In her 10 years in charge of the sector, highlights have included the £35 million refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, a revamp of the Mitchell Library and a radical overhaul of the city’s sports and leisure facilities.

She was an integral part of the Bid team which won the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, chairing the All of Glasgow Group and a key adviser to the All of Scotland groups. Bridget is now focused on delivering a substantive legacy for the Games.

Vice Chair of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and a member of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for Scotland, Bridget is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has been awarded honorary doctorates from both St Andrews and Aberdeen universities.

Bridget McConnell