Simon McDonald (diplomat)

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Sir Simon McDonald
KCMG KCVO
File:Germany- Simon McDonald (8484625313).jpg
Permanent Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, & Head of the Diplomatic Service
Assumed office
September 2015
Prime Minister David Cameron
Minister Philip Hammond
Preceded by Sir Simon Fraser
Personal details
Born (1961-03-09) 9 March 1961 (age 63)
Salford, England
Nationality British
Spouse(s) Olivia Wright
Children 4 (2 sons, 2 daughters)
Alma mater Pembroke College, Cambridge
Occupation Diplomat

Sir Simon Gerard McDonald KCMG KCVO (born 9 March 1961) is a British diplomat who is Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service.

Career

McDonald was educated at De La Salle College, Salford and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1982 and served in Jeddah, Riyadh, Bonn and Washington, D.C. as well as in London. He was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary 2001–03; Ambassador to Israel 2003–06; Director for Iraq at the FCO 2006–07; Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister and Head of the Overseas and Defence Secretariat at the Cabinet Office 2007–10; and was appointed Ambassador to Germany in October 2010.[1][2]

In September 2015, McDonald became Permanent Under-Secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, replacing Sir Simon Fraser.[3][4][5] As of 2015, McDonald was paid a salary of between £180,000 and £184,999 by the Foreign Office, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[6]

Honours

McDonald was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2004 New Year Honours[7] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy and British interests in Germany.[8][9] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) during the Queen's state visit to Germany in June 2015.[10]

Family

In 1989 Simon McDonald married Olivia, daughter of Sir Patrick Wright, later Baron Wright of Richmond, who had also been Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCO (1986–1991). Simon and Olivia have two sons and two daughters.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 McDONALD, Simon Gerard, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press Dec 2013
  2. ↑ Simon McDonald CMG, British Ambassador to Germany, gov.uk
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57155. p. 3. 31 December 2003.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60895. p. b4. 14 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 2360003. p. 2742. 30 June 2015.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Principal Private Secretary
to the Foreign Secretary
2001–2003		 Succeeded by
Sir Geoffrey Adams
Preceded by British Ambassador to Israel
2003–2006		 Succeeded by
Sir Tom Phillips
Preceded by British Ambassador to Germany
2010–2015		 Succeeded by
Sir Sebastian Wood
Government offices
Preceded by Permanent Under-Secretary at the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
2015–present		 Incumbent
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