Thomas Drew (diplomat)

Born at Haslemere in 1970 to Peter John Drew[https://www.saxbam.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AC-Canvas-2022-1.pdf www.saxbam.com] and Rosemary Jane Beverley née Sach, he was educated at Charterhouse in Surrey, before going up to read Classics at Trinity College, Oxford, where he graduated BA (with First-Class Honours).[https://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/news/knighthood-tom-drew-new-year-honours www.trinity.ox.ac.uk]

Drew started his career at McKinsey & Company, the management consultants, before joining Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service in 1995. After serving in London and a period of full-time Russian language training, he was posted to the British Embassy, Moscow in 1998 as Second then First Secretary heading the Embassy's economic team.{{Who's Who|title=Drew, Thomas|id=U255569|volume=2013|edition=2013 online|access-date=21 August 2013}} In 2002, Drew returned to the FCO in London to head the EU Intergovernmental Conference Unit, the team negotiating what became the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Once the conference concluded in 2004, Drew continued in London heading the EU Enlargement and South East Europe Group until 2006, when he was posted as the Political Counsellor to the British High Commission in Islamabad.

In 2008, Drew was seconded to the Home Office as Director of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism. He returned to the Foreign Office in 2011 as National Security Director. He was then appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary in 2012, serving both William Hague and Philip Hammond.

In 2015 Drew returned to McKinsey & Company on secondment, as Visiting Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/thomas-drew |title=Thomas Drew CMG, British High Commissioner to Pakistan |website=gov.uk}} In the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2015 he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) "for services to British foreign policy interests".{{London Gazette |issue=61256 |date=12 June 2015|page=B4 |supp=y}}

From February 2016 to November 2019, Drew served as British High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/change-of-british-high-commissioner |title=Change of British High Commissioner |publisher=British High Commission Islamabad |date=11 February 2016}} He returned to London as Director-General, Consular and Security at the FCO, becoming Director-General, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan upon the merger of the FCO and Department for International Development in September 2020. From 2022 until 2023, he served as Director-General, Defence and Intelligence, where his responsibilities included leading the FCDO's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.{{Cite web |title=Thomas Drew CMG |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/thomas-drew |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}

A Trustee of the British Council from 2020 until 2024,{{Cite web |title=British Council – Board of Trustees |url=https://www.britishcouncil.org/about-us/how-we-are-run/board-trustees/thomas-dre}} Drew was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2024 New Year Honours "for services to British foreign policy and national security".{{London Gazette|issue=64269|supp=y|page=N3|date=30 December 2023}}

Appointed HM Ambassador to the French Republic in succession to Dame Menna Rawlings, Sir Tom will take up residence at the Hôtel de Charost, Paris, in August 2025.[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-his-majestys-ambassador-to-france-sir-thomas-drew-kcmg www.gov.uk]

In 2016, Drew married Joanna Roper, also a career diplomat, currently serving as British Ambassador to the Netherlands.[https://www.gov.uk/government/people/joanna-roper www.gov.uk]

• British Embassy in Paris

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{{s-ttl|title = Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary|years = 2012–2014}}

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{{s-ttl|title = British High Commissioner to Pakistan|years = 2016–2019}}

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{{s-ttl|title=British Ambassador-designate to France|years=2025}}

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Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Charterhouse School

Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford

Category:British diplomats

Category:Principal Private Secretaries to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to France

Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to Pakistan

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George