Martin Walley

Biography

Martin was Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Ashgabat between September 2023 and February 2024.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1978 following a short time with HM Inspector of Taxes. He has a management degree and an advanced diploma in procurement & supply.

Martin has served in a number of different roles overseas covering corporate services, international development, bilateral trade, economic, and political work in eleven different countries, starting overseas in Turkey, then Mexico, Hungary, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand and Russia.

Home tours have included roles helping set up what is now the Department for Business & Trade in the early 1990s, Policy Adviser to the Secretary of State for International Development, Head of Ministerial Support Unit and Head of HR & Professional Services in Commercial Procurement Department.

Overseas more recently, he was Deputy High Commissioner to Brunei, opened the new British Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, headed up the UK Regional Passport Processing Centre in Hong Kong, and was Deputy Consul General Wuhan.

Curriculum vitae

Dates Role
2022 to 2023 Deputy Head Ukraine Grain Cell, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate, FCO
2018 to 2022 BCG Wuhan, Deputy Consul General
2014 to 2017 Head Professional Services and HR, Commercial Procurement Department, Finance Directorate, FCO
2012 to 2014 BCG Hong Kong, Head Asia Regional Passport Processing Centre
2011 to 2012 Bishkek, Project Manager
2008 to 2011 Head Ministerial Support Unit, Private Offices, FCO
2007 to 2008 Business Analyst, Oxford Business Group
2003 to 2007 Bandar Seri Begawan, Deputy High Commissioner
1999 to 2003 Moscow, First Secretary & Senior Management Officer
1978 to 1999 Communications Department FCO, Ankara, Mexico City, Finance Department FCO, Budapest, BHC Dhaka, FCO/DIT Joint Directorate, Manila, Bangkok, Policy Department ODA/DFID

Previous roles in government

  • Deputy Head of Mission to Turkmenistan
    • 2023 to 2024