Janet Lowe CBE retired as Principal of Lauder College in August 2005. Her career has been mainly spent in further and higher education, including a period as Secretary to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art (where she was heavily involved in the process of merger with the University). She has contributed to the development of education in Scotland, having been a member of the Garrick Committee, the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum, the Board of Management of SFEU, the Board of Scottish Enterprise, the Court of Heriot-Watt University, the Board of the Association of Scottish Colleges and the Board of the Interactive University. She is a graduate of the University of Dundee (MBA).

In 2000, she chaired the national Joint Lifelong Learning Group which produced a significant report advocating collaboration amongst Scottish Enterprise, HIE, SHEFC and SFEFC to promote lifelong learning. In 2004 she was appointed to the Independent Review of Local Government Finance.

In 2005 she was appointed as a member of the new Scottish Funding Council for Further and Higher Education. She Chairs the Council's Skills Committee. In 2008 she was appointed to the Board of Skills Development Scotland, and in 2009 she was appointed as a Commissioner of the UK/US Fulbright Commission.