Jon Benjamin (diplomat)

Jon Benjamin as ambassador to Chile

Jon Benjamin (born 19 January 1963) is a British diplomat who is High Commissioner to Ghana.

Background and education

Jon Benjamin was brought up in Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, attending Slough Grammar School. He read German and Swedish at the University of Surrey.^[1]

Diplomatic career

• 1986: Desk Officer for Pakistan
• 1986–1987: Desk Officer for Burma and Laos, South East Asian Department
• 1988–1991: Jakarta, Third, later Second Secretary (Political)
• 1992–1993: Head of Section for Central Asia and the Caucasus, Eastern Department
• 1993–1995: Chief-of-staff to Minister of State responsible for EU/Europe and Latin America
• 1996–1999: Ankara, First Secretary, Head of Political and Public Affairs Section
• 2000: Head of Zimbabwe Emergency Unit
• 2000–2002: Deputy Head, Drugs and International Crime Department
• 2002–2005: Head of Human Rights Policy Department
• 2005: Washington, D.C., Counsellor (Counter-terrorism and Human Rights)
• 2005–2008: New York, Deputy Consul General & Deputy Head of Mission,subsequently Acting Consul General
• 2008–2009: New York, Secondment to Eurasia Group (political risk consultancy), Adviser to the president^[2]
• 2009–2014: Ambassador to Chile^[3]
• 2014: High Commissioner to Ghana^[4]

Personal life

Benjamin has described himself as a fan of West Ham United F.C. and a Jewish atheist.^[5]

References

• BENJAMIN, Jonathan, (Jon), Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013
• Jon Benjamin, gov.uk