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Simon Fraser (diplomat)

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Sir Simon James Fraser GCMG (born 3 June 1958)[1] is a British former diplomat who served as the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from August 2010 to July 2015,[2] having served as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from May 2009 to August 2010. Sir Simon is a Trustee of the Patchwork Foundation, founded by Harris Bokhari.[3] Sir Simon is currently Chair of Chatham House, having previously served as Deputy Chair from 2016 to 2022. He is also a Founding Partner of Flint Global.[4]

Sir Simon Fraser
GCMG
Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Head of HM Diplomatic Service
In office
August 2010 – July 2015
Sec. of StateWilliam Hague
Philip Hammond
Preceded bySir Peter Ricketts
Succeeded bySir Simon McDonald
Permanent Secretary of Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
In office
May 2009 – August 2010
Preceded byHimself as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Succeeded byMartin Donnelly
Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
In office
2009–2009
Preceded byBrian Bender
Succeeded byHimself as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Director-General, Europe of the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
In office
2008–2009
Preceded byMartin Donnelly
Succeeded byNick Baird as Director-General, Europe and Globalisation
Chef de Cabinet for Commissioner Mandelson European Commission
In office
2004–2008
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byJulian King
Fraser speaking at Chatham House, September 2015

Early life

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Fraser was educated at St Paul's School, London, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he gained an MA in Classics.[5]

Diplomatic career

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Fraser welcomes Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London on 8 May 2015.

Before going to the Business Department, Fraser's career had centred on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He joined the Office in 1979, from where he was sent to the United Nations to help the lead UK delegation to the 5th Committee of the General Assembly.[6] Following this, he served in Iraq, Syria, Paris and Brussels. Having been seconded to the European Commission he worked as Chef du Cabinet for Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson in September 2004; he returned to the FCO in February 2008, where he took up the role of Director-General, Europe and Globalisation.[7]

In July 2010, the Prime Minister announced that Fraser would become Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to replace Sir Peter Ricketts.[8][9] In July 2015 it was announced Sir Simon was leaving the public sector, to be replaced as Permanent Secretary by Sir Simon McDonald, previously serving as British ambassador to Berlin.[10]

The annual remuneration for his role at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was between £160,000 and £165,000 in June 2010.[11] In March 2013 his annual salary at the Foreign Office was between £180,000 and £185,000.[12]

He is a member of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network.

Honours

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Fraser was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2009 Birthday Honours,[13] Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2013 Birthday Honours,[14] and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2016 New Year Honours.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014. Mr Simon Fraser, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Head of the Diplomatic Service, 55
  2. ^ "Sir Simon Fraser". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Trustees – Patchwork Foundation". Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Simon Fraser".
  5. ^ "Sir Simon Fraser (m1976 Classics) awarded GCMG in the New Year Honours". University of Cambridge. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  6. ^ "BDOHP Interview Index and Biographical Details" (PDF). www.chu.cam.ac.uk. Sir Simon James Fraser. 16 November 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  7. ^ BERR (3 April 2009). "New Permanent Secretary at BERR". Archived from the original (Press release) on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  8. ^ "David Cameron focuses on foreign trade policy". BBC News. 22 July 2010.
  9. ^ Wintour, Patrick (21 July 2010). "Business to drive foreign policy as PM announces diplomatic reshuffle". The Guardian. London.
  10. ^ Parker, George (31 July 2015). "Top Foreign Office mandarin cautions on hollowing out UK diplomacy". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Top civil servant salary list published". Directgov. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  12. ^ "Senior Staff and salary data March 2013 – Resources". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Government of the United Kingdom. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  13. ^ "No. 59090". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 3.
  14. ^ "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 3.
  15. ^ "No. 61450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2015. p. N3.
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