Scottish Venezuelan Society Membership

The following were appointed as the founding members of the Society when it was formed in 2007.

RT HON. BRIAN WILSON 
Former UK Trade Minister, then Energy Minister and also Prime Minister's Special Representative on Overseas Trade; since leaving politics in 2005, he has maintained close links with the energy sector in particular; also a director of Celtic, the leading football club in Scotland; long-standing friend of Cuba and a Trustee of the Cuba Studies Trust.  Brian visited Venezuela on several occasions as a Minister and hosted a reception for the Vice-President at Lancaster House during her visit in 2002. He continues to visit Venezuela on a regular basis.

LORD PROVOST ROBERT WINTER
first citizen of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city.  In his professional career before becoming an elected politician, he was Director of Social Work in Strathclyde, then the largest local authority in Europe. As Lord Provost - the Scottish equivalent of Mayor - he acts as the leading ambassador for Glasgow both at home and abroad.  Councillor Winter is a Labour politician with a long-standing interest in Latin America.

DR RICHARD HOLLOWAY
Richard Holloway is a writer and broadcaster. He is the author of twenty eight books, including Godless Morality, Doubts & Loves, and Looking in the Distance. His new book, Between the Monster and the Saint: Reflections on the Human Condition, was published by Canongate in August 2008.

He was Bishop of Edinburgh and Primus (Archbishop) of the Scottish Episcopal Church till he stood down in 2000. He was Gresham Professor of Divinity in the City of London 1997-2001. He was a member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority from its inception in 1990 till 1997, and chaired its ethics committee.

He was a member of the Broadcasting Standards Commission from 2000-2003. He became Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council in 2005 and was appointed Chairman of the Joint Board of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen in December 2006.

A frequent broadcaster, he has presented a number of television series, including Holloway’s Road, The Sword and the Cross and Art and Soul. He presented BBC Radio Scotland’s flagship book programme, Cover Stories for three years. He is Chair of Sistema Scotland, the organisation which is bringing the values of El Sistema, the famous Venezuelan youth orchestra system, to Raploch in Stirling.

IAN TAYLOR
President and Chief Executive Officer of Vitol Services, the oil trading company. He has extensive commercial experience in Venezuela and throughout Latin America as well as maintaining high level relations with Cuba where the role of Vitol in supplying oil following the Soviet pull-out is well remembered.  Ian is married to a Venezuelan and his charitable foundation is involved in projects there with assistance from the Mayor’s office in London.

PROFESSOR JOHN HARPER
Senior Vice Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, the institution which has the closest links with Venezuela in the oil and gas sector and has conferred an Honorary Degree upon President Hugo Chavez.  Professor Harper is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His responsibilities at Robert Gordon University include the recruitment of overseas students.

IAN DAVIDSON MP
is the Labour Member of Parliament for Glasgow Govan and an active member of the All Party Group on Venezuela

JOHN COLQHOUN
Former professional footballer who is well-known in Scotland both as a commentator on sporting issues and also as a supporter of progressive political causes. Although from a non-academic background, his popularity led to him being elected by staff and students as Rector of Edinburgh University from which he holds an Honorary Doctorate.  He brings particular expertise on potential sports collaboration between Scotland and Venezuela.

ALASDAIR MORRISON
Until May 2007, he was a Member of the Scottish Parliament representing the Western Isles which is the most rural constituency in Scotland.  Alasdair is also a native speaker of Gaelic, the indigenous Scottish minority language. He has a particular interest in land reform and renewable energy.

RACHAEL ROBERTSON
Head of Government Affairs for Diageo GB

IN ADDITION
It is intended to encourage the establishment of an All-Party Group on Venezuela in the Scottish Parliament which will then be invited to nominate a member to the council of the Scottish Venezuelan Society.