SAHA Conversations

We continue our podcast series with a conversation with Dr Bridget McConnell. Dr Bridget McConnell has a track record of achievement in the cultural and sport sector. She has been Chief Executive of Glasgow Life since 2007 where she leads a team of over 2,500 people. During her time there, she has overseen the development of the Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum, which won the 2013 European Museum of the Year; the Emirates Area; and Sir Hoy Velodrome. She was a member of the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid team and organising committee. In 2015 Bridget was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours for Services to Culture. Bridget has links with several SAHA member institutions. An alumna of the University of St Andrews and the University of Stirlling, Bridget was also awarded honorary doctorates from the Universities of St Andrews, Aberdeen, Glasgow and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Our SAHA Conversation focuses on arts and culture and Bridget reflects on her career trajectory and the importance of culture to support our post-covid recovery. 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Glasgow Life

COP26 – event held in Glasgow 31 Oct to 12 November 2021

The episode transcript is available on the SAHA website.

Our first guest for the SAHA Conversation series is Dr Clark McGinn. Clark is a leading consultant in the global mission-critical helicopter industry, based in London but advising international clients. He was educated at the University of Glasgow, where, in addition to graduating MA (Hons) in Philosophy, he was a noted student debater, founding the World Student Debating Competition, winning the Observer Mace and selected to represent the UK in the annual ESU Debate Tour of the USA. After university, he embarked on a thirty-year career in corporate banking and capital markets in London and New York, which pivoted in 2004 into helicopters. After creating RBS’s rotary wing business, he built the Captive Dublin lessor for the largest helicopter operator (CHC) and later, the global sales and relationship team for Waypoint Leasing. He has worked as an independent subject matter expert and consultant to leading investors and operators since 2018. Clark holds the Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. He is also known as a speaker and writer on Robert Burns, having earned his PhD from Glasgow on the history of the Burns Supper. He is currently an Honorary Research Fellow of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies and was awarded Fellowship of the University of Glasgow for his charitable support of its alumni Burns Supper programme over many years. 

In this SAHA Conversation Clark reflects on the value of an education in philosophy today and he explains how this degree has helped him in his career in the banking sector. We discuss his passion for Robert Burns also and the bard’s role in bringing people together the world over also.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow 

Interactive map of Burns Suppers 

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

Announcing our new podcast series, SAHA Conversations!