Mark Newton
Biography
Mark Newton currently holds the role of Minister Defence (Director USA) at the British Embassy in Washington DC. As the most senior civilian in the British Defence Staff he works alongside the Defence Attache to maintain and further the UK-US defence relationship, across a range of policy issues including AUKUS, nuclear, acquisition and technology.
Mark stepped into this role from his previous position as Counsellor Defence Policy & Nuclear, bringing 17 years of experience in international defence, security and diplomatic policy. This role marked his return to the MOD after a short period as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at DC think tank the Center for a New American Security, where he worked on transatlantic security issues.
Prior to these positions, Mark was the Deputy Director for Operations Policy at the Ministry of Defence, where he was responsible for policy for British military operations both in the UK (including the defence role in counter terrorism) and overseas, with a focus on the Middle East and Africa.
Previously, Mark was the UK Government’s Regional Conflict Advisor for Sub Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa. From 2015 to 2016 he worked for the United Nations as Senior Special Assistant to the Special Representative of the Secretary General in the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, providing policy advice to the Somali Federal Government on peacebuilding and state-building in the areas of governance, security sector reform and the rule of law.
Mark started with the MOD in 2000. During his time in the Department, he served as the Chief of Staff for the MOD Permanent Secretary (2009 to 2012), where he worked on the spectrum of defence outputs, from nuclear deterrent to the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
From 2006 to 2009, Mark was the First Secretary for Defence Policy at the British Embassy in Washington DC and is very pleased to have returned.
Minister Defence (Director USA)
The Minister Defence (Director USA), previously known as the Minister Counsellor Defence, is the senior MOD Civil Servant in the Embassy. This position is responsible for aspects of the bilateral defence relationship, paying close attention to:
- acquisition and trade
- operational policy matters
- strategy and defence transformation
Previous roles in government
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Minister Counsellor Defence, USA