Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Tunisia
Mr Hamish Cowell has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia.
He will succeed Mr Christopher Paul O’Connor, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Cowell will take up his appointment during July 2013.
Mr Cowell joined the FCO in 1987 and has spent much of his career on Middle East and North African issues, including in Cairo, Tehran and covering Middle East and North African issues in Paris and Brussels. He is currently Head of the North Africa Department in the FCO. He has also served as Speechwriter to the Foreign Secretary and Private Secretary to the Minister of State.
On his appointment as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, Mr Cowell has said “I am honoured and delighted to be appointed Ambassador to Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, at this important moment in Tunisia’s political transition. I look forward to working closely with the government and people of Tunisia to strengthen and deepen further the relations between our two countries”.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: (Andrew John Hulke) Hamish Cowell
Married to:
Shadi Akhtar
Children:
Three daughters
May 2012 - present
FCO, Head, North Africa Department
2011 - 2012
FCO, Head, Libya Unit
2010 - 2011
FCO, Private Secretary, Minister of State
2005 - 2009
Paris, First Secretary, later Head, International Policy
2004 - 2005
Secondment to Quai d’Orsay
2001 - 2004
UKRep Brussels, First Secretary, Middle East/North Africa
2000 - 2001
Secondment, International Institute for Strategic Studies
2000
10 Downing Street Press Office
1999 - 2000
FCO, Foreign Secretary’s Speechwriter
1996 - 1999
Cairo, Head, Political & Economic Sections
1994 - 1996
FCO, EU Directorate, Common Foreign & Security Policy
1992 - 1994
Tehran, Deputy Head of Mission
1989 - 1992
Colombo, Second Secretary, Political and Press
1987 - 1988
FCO, Middle East Department, Iran/Iraq