Jack McConnell was First Minister of Scotland 2001-2007. From 1999 to 2011, he was a Member of the Scottish Parliament serving as Minister for Finance 1999-2000 and Scotland’s Cabinet Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs 2000-2001. He was UK Special Representative for Peacebuilding 2008-2010, and was appointed to the UK House of Lords in 2010. 

Lord McConnell is Chancellor of the University of Stirling, UK Chair of the UK/Japan 21st Century Group, Honorary President of the Labour Foreign Policy Group and Chair of the McConnell International Foundation. He is Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the UN Global Goals and the All Party Group on Conflict and Peacebuilding, He advises the Bangsamoro peace process in the Philippines and mediates for the World Bank and CHD.

Jack McConnell grew up on a sheep farm on the Isle of Arran. He worked as a High School Mathematics teacher and he has served with many organisations supporting vulnerable young people including as Vice President of UNICEF UK and a Champion for the Global Partnership for Education. He has a keen interest in sport, now serving as Honorary President of Scottish Athletics. and Chair of the Commonwealth Games Scotland Endowment Fund. He is Chair of the policy think tank Reform Scotland and has honorary degrees from Stirling and Edinburgh Universities.