Bishops of Scotland appoint first laywoman as General Secretary

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has announced the appointment of Luisa Campbell as its next General Secretary, marking the first time a layperson and the first woman will hold the post. She will assume office in February 2026, succeeding Fr. Gerry Maguiness, who completes his second term.

Campbell, who retired early in 2020 to devote herself to voluntary service in the Church, has long been active in parish and diocesan life across Scotland. Her involvement includes youth work, parish administration, liturgy, evangelisation, RCIA and finance.

With Master’s degrees in Engineering and Business Administration, Campbell brings nearly four decades of professional experience, including more than twenty years as chief executive of a Scottish company. Her background spans leadership, governance, strategy, commercial finance, mergers and acquisitions, and organisational development. She has also served as a trustee of several charities, a non-executive director, and trustee of a major pension scheme.

Having grown up in the Diocese of Galloway and lived in the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the Diocese of Aberdeen, Campbell’s work has taken her to every diocese in Scotland — a breadth of experience the bishops say will serve the Church well.

Responding to her appointment, Campbell said: ‘I look forward to serving the Bishops of Scotland in my new role as General Secretary, bringing together my experience in the Church and in the world of business.’

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference, welcomed her acceptance of the role, saying:
‘The bishops are delighted that Luisa has accepted this post and will continue the good work carried on by Fr. Gerry Maguiness over the past years. Luisa brings a wealth of experience both as a committed laywoman in the Church who has served our parishes and dioceses loyally over the years and who also has vast experience of life in the world and where she has made a fruitful contribution. We look forward to working with her in the service of the Church in Scotland in the years ahead’.

He also expressed the bishops’ gratitude to Fr. Maguiness for his “wise, effective and tireless stewardship” of the General Secretariat over the past six years. Fr. Maguiness will now take up the role of parish priest of St Bride’s in Cambuslang.