Bridget McConnell

Bridget McConnell Chief Executive of charity Glasgow Life

Bridget Mary McConnell, Baroness McConnell of Glenscorrodale, CBE (born 28 May 1958) is a Scottish cultural administrator and current Chief Executive Officer of Glasgow Life, the charity responsible for delivering culture and sport in Glasgow. McConnell was instrumental in Glasgow’s successful bid for and subsequent hosting of 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. Since being in charge of Glasgow Life, McConnell has been responsible for a major overhaul of the city’s sports, leisure, arts and cultural facilities.^[1] McConnell is the wife of former First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell. In 2006, she was voted #15 in The Scotsman’s power 100 list.

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).^[2] McConnell worked as an arts officer in Fife Council, before joining Glasgow City Council in 1998 as Director of Cultural and Leisure Services.^[2] In 2006 when the financial situation required Glasgow City Council’s Cultural and Leisure services to be restructured, McConnell led the formation of the arms length executive organisation (ALEO) charity, Glasgow Life.

As CEO, McConnell oversees 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.^[3] She has served on numerous national committees and boards, including Unboxed2022, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and Arts and Business Scotland. McConnell was made a CBE in 2015 in recognition of Services to Culture.^[4]

Glasgow Life[]

As a charity, Glasgow Life works for the benefit of the people of Glasgow to enable the city's diverse communities to experience the life-changing benefits of participating in culture and sport at all levels, from grassroots to world-class.^[5] McConnell’s additional focus is culture and sport generated tourism as a means to increase revenue for the city.

During the COVID pandemic, McConnell has been steering the redesign of the organisation and 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.^[6]

Key projects[]

McConnell has overseen multiple major infrastructure projects, including the £30 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, reopens in 2022.

Personal life[]

While studying at St Andrew's University, McConnell met Procol Harum lead guitarist Richard Brown, and they had a daughter, Hannah, and a son, Mark, three years later. In 1987 McConnell filed for divorce from Brown, eventually marrying politician Jack McConnell who would become First Minister of Scotland in 2001.

References[]