Susan Aitken has been Leader of Glasgow City Council since May 2017 and is the first SNP Leader of the Council. She was elected as Leader of the Council for a second time in May 2022. For her work to deliver equal pay justice for thousands of women in the city, she was awarded Scottish Local Government Politician of the Year. Under her leadership Glasgow has been named the host of COP26, a Global Green City, and the European Capital of Sport for 2023. She is an advisory board member of the Cities Climate Investment Commission, which is addressing the challenge of financing Net Zero transition in major cities across the UK. Susan has worked in a variety of policy and research roles in the Scottish Parliament and the third sector, and as a freelance writer and editor specialising in health and social care policy. She is a graduate of both Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities.