Sergey Batsanov served as USSR, then Russian Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva after working on arms control, non-proliferation, outer space and nuclear energy issues in the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 14 years. He was later a senior member of the secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague and is now with a Geneva-based NGO dealing with key issues of global stability and conflict. He is well versed in the politics and governmental traditions of states in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Sir Stephen Brown KCVO is an adviser on the Far East and Australasia. He served as Group Chief Executive of UK Trade and Investment and before that served as British High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. He works with international companies operating in China, Singapore and Korea.
Sir Dominick Chilcott KCMG served as Britain's ambassador to Turkey from 2018-22, Ireland 2012-16 and (briefly) Iran 2011. He was the UK's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and The Maldives in 2006-7 and deputy head of mission at the British embassy in Washington (2008-11). His previous postings were to the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU, Lisbon and Ankara. Sir Dominick now works as an independent consultant, making use of his network of commercial, administration and other contacts in Turkey, Ireland and Sri Lanka. He is also the President of the British Institute of Archeology in Ankara.
Sir Richard Gozney KCMG CVO served as Governor of Bermuda; as British High Commissioner to Nigeria; as Ambassador to Indonesia; and as High Commissioner to Swaziland. He was the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man from May 2016 to August 2021. He has extensive commercial experience in many fields including energy and insurance.
Peter Jenkins CMG was UK Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency and UN organisations at Vienna after serving as UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN and the World Trade Organisation in Geneva. He also served in Paris, Brasilia and Washington. His nuclear non-proliferation work in Vienna required him to develop a keen awareness of the culture and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran; a major problem-solving assignment has given him opportunities to become familiar with doing business in Tajikistan.
Ian Kemish AM is a former senior Australian diplomat. His Government career included service as Charge d’Affaires in Laos, Head of the Consular and South East Asia divisions of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Head of the Prime Minister’s International Division, Ambassador to Germany and High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea. He was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for his leadership of Australia’s response to the 2002 Bali bombings. He joined the private sector in 2013, taking on different leadership roles in the internationally focused resource sector, located in Washington and then Melbourne. He now divides his time between strategic advisory work, international development and commentary, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific.
Paul Madden CMG is an Asia Pacific and trade expert. He was British Ambassador to Japan, High Commissioner to Australia and Singapore, and Managing Director at UK Trade & Investment, the British Government’s trade agency. He is an adviser to several leading Japanese multinational corporations, and some smaller consultancies in the UK and Australia, and a Visiting Professor of International Relations at Keio University, Japan.
Boyd McCleary CMG CVO served as Governor of the British Virgin Islands, British High Commissioner to Malaysia and as UK Director of Trade and Investment in Turkey and Germany. He also has served in Korea and Canada. He has a wealth of experience in emerging markets, with extensive knowledge of financial services and higher education.
Mark Runacres served in HM Diplomatic Service from 1981-2006, with postings in Paris, New York and twice in Delhi, latterly as Deputy British High Commissioner. Since 2006 he has pursued a successful business career, setting up firms in headhunting, education, public affairs and sustainability. He has served as a Board Member for and advised firms across sectors, including finance, security, education, information technology and energy. He was the India Adviser to the CBI from 2008-2015.
Sir Richard Stagg KCMG served as British Ambassador to Afghanistan (2012-2015), High Commissioner to India, and as Ambassador to Bulgaria. He was Chief Operating Officer of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Chairman of Rothschild India and Chairman of FCO Services.
Sek Wannamethee was Thai Ambassador to Belgium and accredited to Luxembourg as well as Head of the Thai Mission to the EU (2021-2023). He served previously as Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva (2017-2021), plus two earlier postings in Geneva. He also served as DCM/Minister in Washington DC (2009-2011). At headquarters, he was Director-General of Information and spokesperson for foreign affairs (2013-2017); and Director-General of the American, Latin America, Pacific Dept (2012-2013). He is currently in the private sector as a Board member of several Thai companies including a leading Thai conglomerate in food; a logistics company in utility and power; and council member of a Thai university.
Sir David Warren KCMG is an expert on Japan, having served three times in the British Embassy in Tokyo from the 1970s to the 2000s, finally as British Ambassador to Japan (2008-12) before his retirement from the FCO in 2013. At an earlier stage in his career, he also served as Head of the FCO’s China Hong Kong Department (in London), and was one of the founding Directors of what is now UK Trade & Investment, where he was in charge of different aspects of sector and market-oriented international trade development.
