Diane Corner CMG OBE has extensive experience in Africa. She served as British High Commissioner to Tanzania (2009-13), Ambassador to the DRC (2013-14) and as Deputy Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic (2014-17), and had earlier postings to Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone. In Tanzania and DRC Diane worked on major complex commercial issues. In 2019 Diane headed the foreign and security policy team at the British Embassy in Washington which covered all aspects of US foreign policy. She then served as British Consul General in Jerusalem from 2021-24. Diane’s other postings include Berlin and Malaysia. In London Diane headed up major corporate change programmes, and was Chief Assessor for the Civil Service Fast Stream. Separately, she has provided senior mission leadership training at UN HQ in New York.
Sir Stewart Eldon KCMG OBE (also Defence and Security) is an adviser and commentator on international defence and security issues. He served as UK Permanent Representative to NATO; Ambassador to Ireland; and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. He works with private and public sector clients in Africa and has led executive workshops in negotiation and diplomatic skills.
Patrick Hayford led the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa and was director for African Affairs in the Office of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Before joining the UN he served with Ghana’s Foreign Service, including as High Commissioner to South Africa, Acting High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Deputy Chief of Mission in Cairo. (based in Accra)
Tony Leon served as South Africa’s Ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay from 2009 – 2012. For nearly 20 years Tony had been a Member of Parliament in South Africa, leading the Democratic Alliance for 13 years until 2007. Nelson Mandela said of Tony on his retirement from political leadership in 2007 “Your contribution to democracy is enormous, you have more support for all you have done than you might ever read about.” Tony then held a Fellowship at the Institute of Politics, John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, following which he was visiting professor of political practice at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, IDC, Herzliya, Israel. He is currently Chairman of Resolve Communications and consults to business in South America and South Africa. (based in Cape Town)
Tim Morris was British Ambassador to Morocco, Mauritania, South Sudan and Head of Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo. His last posting was as Senior Trade Advisor for Africa in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where he built links between the private sector and Government development policy. His earlier career was spent largely in Western Europe and on international organisations, and eleven years on Japan, one task of which was running the UK’s inward investment programme from Japan. Tim is now a private sector consultant specializing in investment in Africa.
Douglas Scott Proudfoot (also North America) is a former Canadian Ambassador who served as head of mission in Bamako, Juba and Ramallah. He was previously posted in Vienna (where he represented Canada at the IAEA, CTBTO and UNODC), London, Delhi and Nairobi. At headquarters he headed the Afghanistan and Sudan Task Forces. Most recently he headed the Canadian mission to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He is currently based in Ottawa. Areas of expertise include Africa; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; fragile states & post-conflict situations; non-proliferation, arms control & disarmament; aviation; and, of course, Canada. (based in Ottawa)
