Featured speaker: Response to The Day An’ A’ Wha Honour It

John J. Devine, LVO, OBE , Head of the Scottish Government in Canada

John has represented the Scottish Government in Canada since 2022. Before this, he spent most of his career in the UK Diplomatic Service.

His main overseas postings have included New Delhi, Tallinn, and Abu Dhabi. Additionally, John served as a 'floater,' spending three years in over a dozen diplomatic missions for short periods in countries such as Russia, China, Mexico, and the Falkland Islands. At the Foreign Office, he worked on CoP26 in Glasgow, NATO policy, and led the Civil Nuclear Team, focusing on exports and investment campaigns in major markets like France, Japan, and the US.

John's previous roles also include working in the Counter Terrorism Department (as Lockerbie Desk Officer), the United Nations Department (on Balkans issues), the Europe Directorate (as Baltic States Desk Officer), and the Consular Directorate (as Head of Special Cases, including kidnaps and high-profile cases).

In his leisure time, John enjoys cycling and has recently completed hiking sections of the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain, finishing the 800 km journey just before arriving in Canada.