Politician. Born in Glasgow and raised in Bishopton, Alexander was educated at Park Mains High School in Erskine and the University of Glasgow, where she read Economic and Modern History. Her younger brother is Labour politician Douglas Alexander (b.1967) and her clergyman father was a close friend of Donald Dewar (1937 - 2000), who became her political mentor. She was in the first tranche of MSPs elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, representing Paisley North, and served as Minister for Communities, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, and Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning. Out of government, she served briefly as the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party (2007-08). She set in motion the review of the Scottish devolution settlement, known as the Calman Commission. She was awarded an honorary degree by University of Strathclyde in 2007. Alexander retired from politics in 2011, turning her talents to academia. Following time as Associate Dean for Global Business in the London Business School, she joined the University of Dundee in 2015 as their first Vice Principal for International Relations.
