Image: Susan Deighan (Glasgow Life)
Susan Deighan will step down from the culture charity which looks after The Burrell Collection, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA).
The Chief Executive of sport and culture charity Glasgow Life, Susan Deighan, is to retire from the organisation after 18 years.
Deighan has been involved in the charity since helping to create it in 2007. She has since served as Deputy Chief Executive and Director of City Marketing and External Relations. More recently, in 2022, she was appointed Chief Executive.
She will step down on Friday 27 June 2025. A spokesperson told Advisor: “Susan has achieved what she set out to when she took on the role three years ago, and feels the time is right to retire in June and spend more time with her family.”
Her tenure included the redeveloped Burrell Collection, a five-year, £68.25m project which saw it reopen in 2022. It has since welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors, received the 2023 Art Fund Museum of the Year award and the 2024 RIAS Andrew Doolan award for Scotland’s best building.
Deighan said her time at the charity was “the greatest privilege of my career and the past three years have shown, more than ever, the scale and significance of Glasgow Life’s social and economic contribution to Glasgow.
“We could not begin to achieve our mission that everyone deserves a great Glasgow Life without the commitment of our incredible colleagues and volunteers as well as the generous support of our partners, funders and donors.”
“Establishing a financially sustainable long-term future for Glasgow Life has been fundamental to my role as Chief Executive. I am particularly proud of the work that has gone into balancing our budget during a period of global and local financial pressures, and that our participation and income continue to grow.”
A search for a successor is expected to begin shortly.
