Sarah Tiffin
Biography
Sarah Tiffin was appointed UK Ambassador to the Association of South East Asian Nations in April 2023.
Sarah previously served as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Dublin, and before that as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Warsaw. In London she was Head of East Africa, Great Lakes and Somalia Department. She joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) in 1988. Her career includes postings to New Delhi and to Paris, work at the EU’s representation to the EU, and 2 secondments to the Irish Government. Much of her career focuses on EU policy, but her work has also spanned many other areas including strategic policy planning, human rights policy, development and human resources.
Sarah has an MA in French and Russian from Pembroke College, Cambridge. She is married to Pádraig, an Irish diplomat, and they have 3 children. While pursuing their dual careers, Sarah has undertaken many forms of flexible working (job-sharing, part-time, remote working, project work). She is a strong advocate for ensuring that the workplace culture is family-friendly and supports flexible working, as a necessary underpinning for diversity and inclusion.
Ambassador, UK Mission to ASEAN
The Ambassador’s role is to represent the UK to an international organisation, engaging with the countries or organisations that belong to or observe that body. The Ambassador is also responsible for the direction and work of the Mission.
Previous roles in government
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Deputy Head of Mission, Dublin, Ireland
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Deputy Head of Mission, Poland