Baroness Young of Old Scone
Areas of Interest
Business, Health Care, Politics and GovernmentHonorary Award
Honorary Doctor of Science, 2008Biography
Baroness Young of Old Scone was born in Perth in 1948. She spent her formative years in Scotland, receiving her early education at the Perth Academy before studying Classics and Business at the Universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde. After working in health service management at the Glasgow Health Board, she moved to London to pursue more senior positions, including a number of health service Chief Executive posts and first woman President of the Institute of Health Services Management.
In 1991 she left the health sector to become Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. She was created a Life Peer in 1997 as Baroness Young of Old Scone and became Chair of English Nature, in 1998, before joining the Environment Agency in 2000. It was her appointment as Chief Executive of the Environment Agency that led to her becoming a cross bencher in the House of Lords, previously she had taken the Labour whip. Baroness Young has also served as Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the BBC and taken senior roles in various bodies concerned with wildlife, the environment and sustainable development. Described as 'bright, vibrant and energetic,' she is an extremely successful leader and manager.
Baroness Young stood down as Chairman of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with effect from 1 January 2010.
In 2008 Baroness Young received the Honorary degree of Doctor of Science.
Citation
"Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the Citation for Baroness Young, for the award of Honorary Doctor of Science.
Barbara Scott Young, or Baroness Young of Old Scone as she is known, cut her teeth in the health service before 'weathering' the recent storms of the Environment Agency. She is someone who loves a challenge and who is 'driven' to succeed in everything she does which is why she has achieved so much over the years of her career.
She has two facets to her work. She is an extremely successful leader and manager. She also sits on the cross benches of the House of Lords. Most recently as Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, she has faced tough questioning herself, over the devastating effects of recent storms, however, this did not stop her from feeling justifiably proud of the many and varied achievements she accomplished as the 'woman in charge'.
Baroness Young, was born in Perth in 1948, not far from 'Old Scone' which as some of you may know is a real place just outside Perth and the home of the Baroness. She spent her formative years in Scotland, receiving her early education at the Perth Academy before turning to higher education at the Universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde. She studied Classics and Business.
After a period of working in health service management at the Glasgow Health Board, she moved South to London to pursue more senior positions, including a number of health service Chief Executive posts and first woman President of the Institute of Health Services Management.
In 1991, by way of a fairly dramatic career change, she left the health sector, to become Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. She was created a Life Peer in 1997 as Baroness Young of Old Scone and became Chair of English Nature, in 1998, before joining the Environment Agency at the dawn of the new millennium. It was this appointment that led to her becoming a cross bencher in the House of Lords, previously she had taken the Labour whip. Baroness Young has also served as Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and taken senior roles in various bodies concerned with wildlife, the environment and sustainable development. In April, this year, Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the appointment of Baroness Young as shadow Chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is the new body that regulates health and adult social care. Barbara Young is described as 'bright, vibrant and energetic' and so she was welcomed into the environmental sector by those who would normally be sceptical of a government administrator. She is known for getting on with the job which for her is usually harnessing organisations with her strong leadership to deliver benefits for people or the environment - and she is focused on everything she does.
We salute her for her outstanding achievements and would like to honour her for managerial, environmental and political successes.
Baroness Young, I hereby invite the Vice Chancellor to confer upon you the award of Honorary Doctor of Science."