Professor Norman Drummond CBE, FRSE

Norman Drummond, Founder of Columba 1400, currently serves as a Columban Tutor on our Headteachers’ Leadership Academy (HTLA), on our Families and Children’s Services (FCLA) and on our Senior Leaders (SLA) Leadership Academies.

A Graduate in Law of Fitzwilliam College Cambridge and of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh he began his working life studying law until he discovered his true vocation working amongst young people from tough realities amidst the gangs of Easterhouse in Glasgow and of West Pilton in Edinburgh. Norman traces the origins of Columba 1400 right back to these earliest days which his years of ministry and service since have more than confirmed.

Norman and his wife Elizabeth founded Columba 1400 on 9 June 1997, St Columba’s Day, some 1400 years to the day of the death of Saint Columba on the Isle of Iona.

A former Padre to The Parachute Regiment and to The Black Watch (RHR) he has also been Headmaster of Loretto School, BBC National Governor and Chair of the Broadcasting Council for Scotland, Chair of BBC Children in Need, Founder Chair of Drummond International, the leading international coaching and leadership consultancy, and for over 20 years he has served as a Non-Executive Director of J&J Denholm Ltd and of Denholm Energy Services within the Denholm Group, his 5th generation family company.

A former Chair of Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland he has also served on the Court of Heriot Watt University, as a Governor of several schools wherein he has cherished the Round Square tradition of service within Gordonstoun School and of Aiglon College, Switzerland whose Board he chaired for several years.

 From 2013 to 2019 Norman chaired WW100 Scotland and the Scottish Commemorations Panel and was the Special Representative for Scotland on the Prime Minister’s UK WW1 Centenary Committee.

 In 1993 he was appointed a Chaplain to the late Her Majesty The Queen in Scotland in which capacity he served for 30 years before being appointed an Extraordinary Chaplain to His Majesty The King on his succession.

 In 1999 he became an International CEDR Accredited Mediator and in 2008 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Norman has also been recognised as Visiting Professor of Leadership in Education at the University of Edinburgh.

 In The Queen’s Birthday Honours List of June 2014 Norman was honoured to be appointed a CBE ‘in recognition of his Public and Voluntary Service particularly to Young People’.