Simon Gass
Sir Simon Gass CVO | |
|---|---|
 Gass in June 2011 | |
| Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee | |
| In office 2019 – July 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May Boris Johnson Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Charles Farr |
| Succeeded by | Madeleine Alessandri |
| British Ambassador to Iran | |
| In office 2009–2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Sir Geoffrey Adams |
| Succeeded by | Dominick Chilcott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 November 1956 |
| Spouse | Marianne Enid Stott (1980–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Reading |
Sir Simon Lawrance Gass
Career
- 1977 – Joined the FCO
- 1979–83 – Lagos
- 1984–87 – Athens
- 1987–90 – FCO in London
- 1990–92 – Assistant Foreign Secretary, London
- 1992–95 – Rome
- 1995–98 – Counsellor, FCO
- 1998–01 – Deputy High CommissionerSouth Africa
- 2001–04 – Director, Resources, then Finance, FCO
- 2004–09 – Ambassador to Greece
- 2009–11 – Ambassador to Iran
- 2011–12 – NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan
- 2013–16 – Political Director, FCO, and Prime Minister's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
- 2017–present – Chair of the FCDO ServicesBoard
- 2018–2019 – Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies[1]
- 2021–2022 – Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Afghan Transition[2]
- 2019–2023 – Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee[3][4]
Ambassador to Iran
He was
Following these events Gass posted his views from Tehran on the social networking site Twitter, commenting on the Iranian regime's record on human rights, political prisoners and freedom of speech. His 'tweets' are shared widely by Iranian reformists and diaspora across the web as well as being featured in mainstream media.[5] In January 2011, Gass passed the 1000 follower mark, making him one of the most followed diplomats on Twitter.
In December 2010, Gass's digital activities caused mild uproar among Iranian politicians, who called for his expulsion after he highlighted the case of human rights lawyer
NATO and FCO
In February 2011 Gass was seconded to NATO as Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan.[7] After serving in this post for 18 months he returned to the FCO in London as Director General, Political, and the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.[8] He retired from the FCO in 2016.
FCDO Services
In 2017, Gass was appointed Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board of
Honours
Gass was appointed
References
- ^ "Sir Simon Gass appointed as new Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies". Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Sir Simon Gass". gov.uk. Cabinet Office. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Joint Intelligence Committee Chair appointed: Sir Simon Gass". gov.uk. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ^ "Joint Intelligence Committee Chair appointed: Madeleine Alessandri CMG". gov.uk. UK Cabinet Office. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of Madeleine Alessandri CMG as the new Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and head of the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO). Madeleine will replace Simon Gass who is stepping down after four years in the role.
- ^ Britain's Ambassador sends angry Tweet ..., Metro Online, 13 August 2010
- ^ Iranian politicians call for UK ambassador recall, BBC News, 13 December 2010
- ^ NATO Secretary General appoints new Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, 9 February 2011
- ^ Simon Gass, gov.uk
- ^ "No. 59647". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2010. p. 3.
- ^ "No. 64082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2023. p. B3.
External links
- Gov.uk profile
- British Embassy in Tehran
- UK in Iran Facebook Page
- Article by Simon Gass: International Human Rights Day, British Embassy Tehran, 10 December 2010, via archive.org