Sir Peter Westmacott was British Ambassador to the United States from 2012-16.
Prior to his position in the United States, Sir Peter served as Ambassador to France from 2007-12, and Ambassador to Turkey from 2002-06 where, in 2003, he dealt with a suicide bomb attack directed at the British Consulate in Istanbul, killing 15 people; thereafter he was closely involved in negotiations attempting to bring Turkey into the EU.
Sir Peter's 40-year career in the British Diplomatic Service also included four years in Iran (before the Revolution) and an interim deployment to the European Commission in Brussels. Previously, he was the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Director for the Americas from 1997-2000, before taking a seat on the board as Deputy Under Secretary.
From 1990-93, he was Deputy Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. He is currently a Fellow at IOP and Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center at the Kennedy School at Harvard University.
TESTIMONIALS
“Peter is a very effective, impressive and interesting speaker. He is knowledgeable, thoughtful and analytical while at the same time, very good at taking the broader view. His command of French and his beautiful British English offer the opportunity of both analogies and comparisons, which, coupled with an exquisite sense of humor and a degree of self-criticism, keep any listener awake even after lunch or a long dinner. I have seen it firsthand and can only recommend him warmly!” Director, the IMF
“There are few ambassadors who can match Sir Peter’s breadth of vision…It’s his ability to see the whole picture—to take into account the economic, cultural, political and security dimensions of any issue and solve problems before they hit fever pitch—that defines his legacy.” John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State
“A tremendous ambassador to the United States and a great bridge between our two counties with our wonderful historic partnership and special relationship. We could not have wished for or asked for a better ambassador during some very important and telling times.” US National Security Advisor
“I have had the pleasure of listening to and learning from Ambassador Westmacott for a number of years. He is a wonderful speaker—always informed, equally comfortable talking about the East or the West, always original, always with a dash of fun.” Foreign Affairs Columnist, The New York Times
