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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

4th August 2014

Commonwealth Games: well done Glasgow, over to Gold Coast

So, a very successful Commonwealth Games draws to a close in Glasgow. The city showed itself off to great effect, helped by some wonderful weather. The organisers and volunteers can take great pride in the welcome they provided. Scottish and English athletes shared triumphs together as part of Team GB at London 2012. Here they were competing with each other. But I think people all around the UK were cheering for all the British competitors. And indeed fans everywhere applauded some great performances like Usain Bolt in the 4x100m relay.

Australia did very well as usual, with strong showings by the swimming and cycling teams. And team captain Sally Pearson retained her gold in the 100m hurdles. But they were pushed into second place by England for the first time in 24 years. It was good to see Tom Daley, from my home county of Devon, getting his diving gold.

Australia can seek their revenge on home soil in four years’ time, as now it’s over to the Gold Coast in Queensland, to host the next Games in 2018. I’ve been up there a couple of times and met some of the people involved in organising it, and I’m sure it’s going to be another fantastic Games.

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HE Paul Madden with Sally Pearson

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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