News story

Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Tunisia

Mr Hamish Cowell has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

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

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

Updates to this page

Published 25 October 2012