Frank McAveety will succeed Gordon Matheson as the leader of Glasgow City Council. He was chosen at a meeting of Labour councillors on Wednesday.
He previously served as council leader from 1997 until 1999 when he was elected to the newly-formed Scottish Parliament.
He represented Glasgow Shettleston until the SNP won the seat in 2011.
Mr McAveety served as deputy minister for Local Government, deputy minister for Health and Community Care and Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in the early years of devolution.
He will officially become leader of the council when Mr Matheson formally stands down on Thursday.
It is believed Mr Matheson wishes to stand as a candidate for next year's Scottish Parliament elections.
Labour, which has had overall control of Glasgow City Council since 1980, had 45 of the city's 79 councillors at the last election in 2012.
A former Labour MSP and Scottish Executive minister is to be the new leader of Scotland's largest council.