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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

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30th November 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Promoting Australian investment in UK infrastructure

One of the British Government’s top economic priorities is promoting international investment in the  infrastructure needed to support growth and prosperity, such as transport and energy. So I addressed the annual Australian Super Fund Association conference (ASFA 2012) in Sydney to set out the opportunities for Australian superannuation funds.  In my speech I described the […]

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27th November 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

On Her Majesty’s (not particularly secret) Service

James Bond is an iconic British global brand. So we have been keen to associate ourselves with it as part of our Public Diplomacy activities. Over the last week, we have hosted very successful Skyfall screenings and networking events in five Australian cities (Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth), together with commercial partners including Virgin, […]

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20th November 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Public Sector Reform – the Australian experience

Advanced modern economies face similar challenges. How can governments respond to rising consumer expectations and ageing populations, against a backdrop of financial pressures? Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude came to discuss some of these issues with Australian counterparts. He visited a CentreLink in Sydney, the shopfront offices where Australians go for Medicare, social security and […]

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14th November 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to Australia

TRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall paid a Jubilee visit to Australia last week. He had visited many times before and is very fond of the country. For the Duchess it was her very first visit. They had a full programme travelling all over Australia, taking in the outback in Queensland, […]

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5th November 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Australia in the Asian Century: mutual challenges and opportunities

The Australian government published a White Paper last week setting out strategic directions for “Australia in the Asian Century”. It outlined things Australia needs to do to increase its orientation towards the rising Asian countries, and things it needs to do domestically to improve its economic competitiveness in the face of ever more intense competition. […]

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22nd October 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Australia wins seat on UN Security Council

Australia has just been elected to join the UN Security Council for two years from January. This is excellent news. William Hague called Foreign Minister Bob Carr to congratulate him. We look forward to having such a strong partner on the UNSC. This will keep my political team in Canberra busier than ever, coordinating on the […]

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16th October 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Supporting business back home

SME exporters in Leeds, big corporates in Canary Wharf, Australian inward investors in Manchester. I’ve spent a busy few days supporting the UK economy, which is the top priority for our overseas network. At an export seminar in Leeds hosted by the big international law firm DLA Piper, I spoke about the many export opportunities […]

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2nd October 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

A Grand Final to Remember

In Australia, sport doesn’t get any bigger than the AFL (Aussie rules) Grand Final. In British terms it’s like the Premiership and FA Cup rolled into one.  99,683 of us were gathered in the cauldron of the Melbourne Cricket Ground -“the G” – last Saturday. I had been invited by my friend Paul Sheahan, former […]

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28th September 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

A new portrait of Her Majesty

Australian painter Ralph Heimans has just produced a wonderful new portrait of Her Majesty, depicting the Queen standing in the spot in Westminster Abbey where she was crowned. I was delighted to attend the launch of this spectacular painting at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, by Her Majesty’s representative in Australia, Governor General HE […]

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19th September 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

A busy week in Parliament

Canberra is “a game of two halves” as the football (soccer) commentators put it. For about 20 weeks a year, the parliamentarians descend on it from all across this vast continent, in a whirl of activity. The rest of time it is somewhat quieter. With Parliament sitting last week, I was up there twice speaking […]

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About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.