Clare Filshie and John Fox
Biography
Clare Filshie and John Fox have been Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Norway since August 2021, working as a job-share. They are partners and have job-shared together since 2009, when they served as Political Counsellor in Rome. They have also job-shared as Consular Regional Director in Singapore and Deputy Head of Human Rights and Democracy Department in the then Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Clare and John have previously been posted to Beijing and both speak Mandarin Chinese. Clare has served in the Counter Terrorism Department and Overseas Territories Department of the FCO. In addition to working as Hong Kong desk officer and Spending Review lead for the FCO, John spent two years as a Senior Policy Fellow for Asia at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Clare and John joined the FCO in 2000 and 1997 respectively. Before that Clare studied Law with German Law at Balliol College, Oxford, and John studied Chemistry at St John’s College, Oxford.
Deputy Head of Mission, Norway
The Deputy Head of Mission is a senior diplomat and typically a key advisor to the Ambassador or High Commissioner. The Deputy is responsible for the daily management of an overseas Embassy or High Commission. They will represent the UK’s interests in the absence of the Ambassador as Chargé d’Affaires. A senior ranking Deputy may also take the title Minister. Smaller missions may not have a Deputy Head.