Sir John Sawers

A leading authority on security, Sir John Sawers is best known for his tenure at the forefront of British security with MI6. Having enjoyed a career as a leading intelligence officer, civil servant and diplomat, John has brushed shoulders with many of the country’s leading officials and worked at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in many prominent roles. With a distinguished career behind him, John is now booked as a speaker for a range of corporate events where he discusses topics such as geopolitics, the state of the world, global investments and the impact of Brexit.

Best known for his career in security, John formerly worked as the Chief of MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service. Serving in this position from 2009 to 2014, John played a prominent role in Syrian warfare and was also appointed both KCMG and GCMG for Services to National Security. John is also widely known for the time he spent as the former British Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the Director-General for Political Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Before rising to fame at the forefront of MI6, John studied Physics and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham and later spent time studying at the University of St Andrew, the University of the Witwatersrand and Harvard University. He began working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1977, where he went on to lead a successful career in several of the office’s most prominent roles. Working for a short period as a Political Officer in Damascus, John held his first prominent role at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as the Private Secretary to the Minister of State and the Desk Officer of the European Union Department. This was followed by roles as the Head of the European Union Presidency Planning Unit and Director-General of Political Affairs.

Other prominent roles of John’s include the time he spent as the Principal Private Secretary to Douglas Hurd and HM Ambassador to Egypt. He has also worked as the Foreign Affairs Adviser under Prime Minister Tony Blair and spent time as a Governor of the Ditchley Foundation and a British Government Special Representative. Throughout his career, John has worked on many of the world’s most pressing issues, including the likes of the Kosovo War, the Northern Ireland Peace Process, Iraq sanction policies and the Good Friday Agreement. Since retiring from MI6, John has worked as a Partner and Chairman of Macro Advisory Partners, the Executive Chairman of Newbridge Advisory and a Non-Executive Director of BP Global. He has also enjoyed the time as a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, working in the Department of War Studies.

With an established career behind him, John is now often booked as a speaker for corporate events. When booked as a speaker, John is sought to share his experiences at the forefront of security and shares his insight into the topics of geopolitics, the impact of Brexit and global investments. Having advised the UK Foreign Secretary on politics and security and shared his expertise on foreign and defence policy with Tony Blair, Sir John Sawers is a leading authority and the perfect choice as a speaker for events themed on security and politics.