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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

10th December 2012

New Australian High Commissioner in London

Australian High Commissioner Mike Rann

Mike Rann, former Premier of South Australia, has just arrived in London as Australia’s new High Commissioner. For ambassadors, your counterpart in your home country is an important partner and ally. Luckily I had got to know Mike during my regular visits to Adelaide, and before he set off for the UK I hosted a dinner for him to meet Brits involved in business, academia, tourism and the arts here. It will be good working with him.

I’m sure Mike is going to do a great job. He was really looking forward to it. There is a neat symmetry to the appointment as he emigrated from England with his parents, exactly 50 years ago, first to New Zealand, then to Australia.

Australia has more of a tradition of political ambassadors than we do, regularly sending them to a small number of key posts. Canberra has been a bit of an exception for the FCO, as my three immediate predecessors here were all former cabinet ministers (one Tory and two Labour). I don’t think you can say one species is better than another; both politicians and career diplomats bring different strengths and experience. For me here, my background in Asia has been particularly useful as Australia increasingly orientates itself towards the region.

Mike’s predecessor, John Dauth, is retiring at the end of a long, distinguished diplomatic career. He was a member of the famous “class of 69” – a group who joined DFAT in that year, and went on to hold many of the top jobs in Australian foreign and security policy. John obviously enjoyed his time in the UK: together with his British partner he is staying on in London.

2 comments on “New Australian High Commissioner in London”

  1. The Times, Tues 14th Jan, noted that Mr.Mike Rann seemed to be not too happy about the negative report on the upward inflection used in copying the Australian accent. He could be quietly pleased that someone has done him the honour of trying to be like him. Certainly I would.

  2. i would like to know can i apply for illegal or any ongoing false investigations in spain by australian authorities and their european counterparts to an english court as i can in Australia.

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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.

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adelaide australia Australia House Australian High Commissioner london Mike Rann South Australia