Sarah Taylor
Biography
Sarah Taylor was appointed Director for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in summer 2022. Before that, Sarah worked on the UK government’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
From 2019 to 2022 Sarah was Europe Director, responsible for the UK’s bilateral relationships across Europe and overseeing the FCDO’s European network of embassies. Before that, Sarah was responsible for overseeing continuity of international agreements as the UK left the EU.
Sarah joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 2016 as Cyber Director. In that role she oversaw the UK’s international negotiations to promote a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace, was the UK’s Expert on the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and led international efforts to call out state sponsored cyberattacks. Sarah was awarded 2018 Marie Clair ‘Future Shaper’ award for her work on the application of international law in cyberspace.
Sarah has held roles in the Cabinet Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, working on social exclusion, and in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport working on:
- gambling regulation
- sponsoring the creative industries
- online safety
- leading the department’s international work
- international internet governance
Sarah has also spent time in local government on secondment to the London Borough of Hackney while it hosted the 2012 Olympic Games, and in international government at UNHQ New York, as Special Assistant to the Director of the United Nations Security Council.
Previous roles in government
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Director, Europe
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International Agreements Director