Mark Kent

{{Short description|British diplomat}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:Mark Kent - 2017 (cropped).jpg

Mark Andrew Geoffrey Kent {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CMG}} (born Spilsby 14 January 1966){{cite web |title=Kent, Mark Andrew Geoffrey |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U246687 |website=Who's Who |publisher=A & C Black |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U246687 |access-date=10 October 2024}} is a British businessman and former diplomat{{cite news |title=Former ambassador to lead Scotch whisky body |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-59432105 |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=BBC News |date=26 November 2021}} who served as UK ambassador to Argentina from 2016 to 2021.{{cite news |title=UK ambassador in Argentina presents credentials: new chapter in relations? |url=https://en.mercopress.com/2016/07/25/uk-ambassador-in-argentina-presents-credentials-new-chapter-in-relations |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=MercoPress |date=25 July 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Grainger |first1=James |title=God save the King of the Redes: Ambassador Mark Kent bids farewell to Argentina |url=https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/god-save-the-king-of-the-redes-ambassador-mark-kent-bids-farewell-to-argentina.phtml |access-date=19 October 2024 |work=Buenos Aires Times |date=26 June 2021}}

Kent was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle before he read law at Lincoln College, Oxford, graduating in 1986.{{cite news |title=The changing face of diplomacy and Covid-19 |url=https://lincoln.ox.ac.uk/asset/imprint-2020-web.pdf |access-date=19 October 2024 |work=Lincoln Imprint |publisher=Lincoln College, Oxford |date=September 2020}} He joined Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service in 1987. He served in Brasília, Brussels, Mexico City and Casteau before being appointed Ambassador to Vietnam in 2007.{{cite news |title=New British Ambassador in Argentina |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-british-ambassador-in-argentina |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=gov.uk |date=25 July 2016}} From 2012 to 2016 he was Ambassador to Thailand.{{cite news |last1=Chotechuang |first1=Nuthatai |title=UK envoy tackles the local lingo |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30192311 |access-date=19 October 2024 |work=The Nation |date=14 October 2012}}{{cite news |last=Wedel |first=Jinda |title=Tongue Thai-ed: Ambassador Mark Kent |url=https://www.prestigeonline.com/id/people-events/tongue-thai-ed-ambassador-mark-kent/ |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=Prestige |date=30 December 2015}}

Kent was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy.{{London Gazette|issue=63135|supp=y|page=B4|date=10 October 2020}}

In 2021, Kent was appointed the ninth Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association.{{cite news |last1=Findlay |first1=Keith |title=Multilingual former ambassador to Argentina taking up the reins at Scotch Whisky Association |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/business/scotland-business/3703053/multilingual-former-ambassador-to-argentina-taking-up-the-reins-at-scotch-whisky-association/ |access-date=19 October 2024 |work=The Press and Journal |date=26 November 2021}}{{cite web | url=https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/swa-announces-mark-kent-as-new-chief-executive/ | title=SWA announces Mark Kent as new Chief Executive }} He has been Executive Chair of the Vietnam-UK Network since April 2023.{{cite web |title=Meet the team |url=https://vietnamuknetwork.org.uk/meet-the-team/ |publisher=Vietnam-UK Network |access-date=10 October 2024}}