Former MP Douglas to lead Unicef UK
Douglas Alexander, the former MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, has been appointed as chair of Unicef UK.
The Labour man served as the area’s MP for 18 years before losing his seat to Mhairi Black of the SNP in 2015.
He served in Gordon Brown’s Labour government as secretary of state for international development and is now the chair of board of trustees to the international children’s charity.
Mr Alexander said: “I am delighted to be joining Unicef UK as chair of an incredibly talented and diverse Board of Trustees.
“Tackling extreme poverty is, for me, both a cause and a calling and having worked alongside and witnessed first-hand the lifesaving work Unicef undertakes in developing countries across the world, I am excited to work alongside an exceptional leadership team and dedicated staff to build a world fit for all children.”
Since he lost his seat as part of the 2015 SNP landslide, Douglas has worked as an adviser to U2 rockstar Bono, is a senior fellow at Harvard University, a visiting professor at Kings’ College London and is a trustee for the Royal United Services Institute.
The married dad-of-two was brought up in Bishopton and still lives locally.
Mike Penrose, executive director, Unicef UK said: “I am delighted to welcome Douglas Alexander as Unicef UK’s chairman of the Board of Trustees. His exceptional experience across business, development, law and politics will add a huge amount to our organisation.
“We welcome Douglas’s ongoing commitment to find sustainable solutions to the biggest challenges of our time, from embracing technological change to partnering with businesses to improve their impact in the developing world.
“His dedication and innovative approach to reducing global poverty will be a great asset in our work to protect the rights of every child.
“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank our outgoing chair Ilse Howling, who has done an outstanding job for the last five years
Tackling extreme poverty is, for me, both a cause and a calling Douglas Alexander