Christopher Patten

Christopher Patten is widely known for his impact as a British and international politician. Having had a substantial impact in both England and Hong Kong, Christopher has been highly commended for his work, named Life Peer Baron Patten of Barnes and Companion of Honour in respect of his achievements. With a distinguished political career behind him and has also worked a small collection of business roles too, Christopher is now booked as a speaker on emerging markets, politics and international affairs.

Best known for his time spent as a politician, Christopher was formerly the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong. Also the former Chairman of the Conservative Party from the 1990s to 1992, Christopher has had a substantial impact on the governance of national and international politics. He is also widely remembered for his part in orchestrating the Good Friday Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland and was the Chair of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland. Christopher also had a substantial impact as the former Chancellor of Newcastle University and the current Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

After achieving a second-class honours degree, Christopher moved to the USA where he worked on the campaign for the former Mayor of New York, John Lindsay. He later went on to become the youngest Director of the Conservative Research Department, before becoming a politician as a Conservative Party Candidate for Lambeth Central. Standing for election in the 1974 general election, Christopher unfortunately failed to be elected but continued to act in politics until he became a Member of Parliament for Bath in 1979. From that point on, Christopher had a crucial impact in politics, with his first major role seeing him be appointed as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Northern Ireland Office.

A succession of prominent roles followed, with his next seeing him appointed as the Minister of State in the Department of Education and Science. He has also been appointed as the Minister of Overseas Development at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and acted as the Secretary of State for the Environment. Christopher has also acted as the Co-chair of the International Crisis Group, a member of the Global Leadership Foundation, the Commissioner for External Relations and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Also the former Chairman of the BBC Trust and a Non-Executive Director of Cadbury, Christopher has worked an impressive and successful career. Appointed a Companion of Honour, Commander of the Legion of Honour and created Life Peer, Christopher has also been able to publish his own books such as the titles of Not Quite the Diplomat and What’s Next? Surviving the Twenty First Century. Now booked as a speaker for corporate events, Christopher is sought to share anecdotes of his time in political power, along with topics of emerging markets and international affairs. An eloquent speaker with a diverse career behind him, Christopher Patten is the ideal speaker for political-themed events.