the wellington college year book 2010/2011
literature at Warwick University, followed
by a post graduate diploma in journalism at
City University. I secured a year’s graduate
traineeship at The Times and then moved
into the trade press, working for a maritime
information group.
I travelled extensively
with assignments around Europe and South
America, and ended up running the group’s
regional office in Singapore.
After years spent documenting international affairs and trade issues, I jumped at an
opportunity to help formulate foreign policy
by joining the Foreign Office at middle-management level in early 2001. I was still waiting
for all my security clearances to come through
when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were attacked on 11th September that year.
So I
joined the diplomatic service shortly after this
at a pretty pivotal time. I was initially placed,
somewhat unimaginatively, in the Press Office,
before serving as Hea B?bF?Rg&?6?w&V@???W26V7F????F?V?F?RV7Bg&?66V7F?????f????vVB'?7F??B2F?Rf?'7B?VB?`?6???V??6F???2f?"?W"?WrV?vv??rv?F??F?R?6??2v?&?Bw&?W??v2?7FVBF??&WF?&???V&?#rF?6W'fR2F?R?VB?`?F?RW?FW&????F?6?6V7F????6?fW&??r6?WF??g&?6 ( ?2f?&V?v???7??B&Vv?????77VW2??@?FWWG???v?6???76???W"F?F?R???vF??0??b?W6?F???B7v????B?vR6??6VB?W ??76???2??&?F?6?V?G&?W2??#R?????@?#???6WBF?F?R?fW"2'&?F?6???v??6???76???W"F?F?R&WV&?2?b??&???6??6R??????rF?Rf6????6?v?B?'&?VB??@?F?&VR6???G&V??Gv?v?&?2?B&?????F?v??f?"vV???wF????B7V?&VB7G&?6?WF??g&?6?6B6??VBv??vW"?v??6??2v??FR??vP?&R??fW'?W?6?FVB&?WB?W"????V?B??fP?F?v??F??V??v??6??2&?f??rF?&R??&R?`???F'??W&F???F?????v??VB6???P?????R6?V?G'?F?F?RvW7Bv?V?B&R?????????rf?'v&BF?F?R6???V?vR?b77V??p???&P???VFW'6?? ???@??&W&W6V?FF??????&W7??6?&??F?W2??B&W7V??rw&VFW ?6???W&6??f?7W2F??v?&????66?G??2&???F??rV?G&FR?B??fW7F?V?B???v?&?2F????B?2&?fV?F?&R??7&VF?&??f&?VB?B6???V?v??~(?( N(??B??F???gV?F?@??V6??bF?Rw&?V?Gv?&?F?B?2V?&?VB?P?F?V?FW'F?R7V6?&Wv&F??r6&VW"v2??@?GW&??r??V'2BvV???wF???P??