Ken Thomson, Director-General Strategy and External Affairs
Ken Thomson is currently Director General for Strategy & External Affairs.
Ken has been the senior lead on constitutional policy since 2005, at times in combination with other policy areas, and prior to that was involved in work to prepare for devolution in 1997. His other experience includes work in private offices, on public health, managing legislation, on secondment to the Scottish Prison Service and to the financial services sector, and on transport, natural heritage and economic development policy.
From 1997 to 1999 he was Principal Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Donald Dewar MP MSP, as Secretary of State for Scotland and then as First Minister of Scotland, having been private secretary to Scottish Office Ministers in the early 1990s.
Ken has degrees in music and business. His interests include negotiation, programme and project management and systems thinking and practice.