Stephen Gethins is a member of the Scottish National Party and served as Special Adviser to Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond for four years until 2012. Prior to this, Mr. Gethins has worked on democratization and peace building in the former Soviet Union, particularly in the Caucuses and Balkans. He has also served as a Political Advisor with the Committee of the Regions in the European Union, a position in which he worked with local authorities from across Europe. In his work at the Scottish Europa, he helped Scottish organisations gain influence in the EU.