John is a career diplomat, currently serving as the UK Envoy to the Commonwealth. He was British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam from 2020 to 2024 and previously served in British diplomatic missions in Jakarta, Nairobi and Canberra.

Over the course of his career, he has worked extensively on South-East Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific, as well as on geopolitics, international strategy and anti-corruption. Outside government, John was South-East Asia Director for the conflict-prevention NGO, International Crisis Group from 2007 to 2009.

John has an MA in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) from Princeton University, USA. Outside work, his passions include choral singing, opera, cooking and gardening.