Darren Paul Boyling

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British intelligence officer; Head of Strategic Communications in the HMG Russia Unit (2019–2022), leading the Counter Disinformation and Media Development programme (successor to Andy Pryce); later Senior State Threats Adviser in the Joint Funds Unit attached to the FCDO National Security Directorate; posted to Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; named in Russian intelligence material as a member of the HMG Russia Unit


Darren Paul Boyling, British intelligence officer in 2021.

Darren Paul K Boyling (born 7 October 1979, Brentwood, Essex.[1]) is a British intelligence officer. He served as Head of Strategic Communications in the HMG Russia Unit (Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate, FCDO) from 2019 to 2022, leading the unit’s Counter Disinformation and Media Development programme as successor to Andy Pryce. He was subsequently Senior State Threats Adviser working for the Joint Funds Unit and attached to the National Security Directorate of the FCDO. He has been named as a member of the HMG Russia Unit in material released by Russian intelligence.[2][3]

Family

Boyling was born in Brentwood, Essex to Paul J D Boyling and Carol L Boyling (nee Emmerton). His parents married Jan-Mar 1977 in Brentwood, Essex.[4] He has a younger sister called Gemma Carol Boyling (born 1983[5])

Career

  • 2022 - 2025 Senior State Threats Adviser working for the Joint Funds Unit and attached to the National Security Directorate of the FCDO. In this role he provides advice on programming and understanding state threats and is building the FCDO’s global state threats network. The Joint Funds Unit (Cabinet Office) oversees the CSSF and its successor the Integrated Security Fund.
  • 2019-2022 Head of Strategic Communications, Russia Unit, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Directorate, The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). Darren leads the unit’s Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme which supports independent media, CSOs and partner governments across Europe. His team also provides strategic communication capability to the FCDO on Russia related issues. Successor to Andy Pryce as head of the programme.
  • 2015-2019 (approx) Posted to Serbia and to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • 2011-2018 - Boyling was registered on the Electoral Roll at an address in London, N22. The four bedroom terraced house was last sold on 25 June 2010 for £380,000. It was previously advertised for rental between February and November 2015. The same person who was on the Electoral Roll with Boyling at his previous address was also listed here between 2011 and 2016.
  • 2008-2010 Boyling was on the Electoral Roll in a Flat Top Floor flat, 16 Crossley Street, London, N7 8PD, with one other occupant registered on the Electoral Roll at the time.
  • 2006-2007 (approx) - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  • 2002 (approx) - 2019 - ‘Over the past 20 years he has worked on various international development and national security issues including whilst posted in Ethiopia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia’.
  • 2002-2005 - Boyling was listed on the Electoral Roll at an address in Basildon, Essex, SS13 between 2002-2005 when he was between 23 and 25. Also registered there were his parents and sister in the same period and also in at least some of the years between 2013 and 2016. The house was bought for £150,000 (30 Sep 1999).

Biographical details

In a 2021 biographical note on the Aspen Institute UK website:

Darren Boyling – Head of Strategic Communications, Russia Unit, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Directorate, The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). Darren leads the unit’s Counter Disinformation and Media Development programme which supports independent media, CSOs and partner governments across Europe. His team also provides strategic communication capability to the FCDO on Russia related issues. Over the past 20 years he has worked on various international development and national security issues including whilst posted in Ethiopia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia. He holds an MA in Public Policy and Management.[6]

In 2022 he was described as follows:

Darren Boyling, a Senior State Threats Adviser working for the Joint Funds Unit and is currently attached the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s National Security Directorate. Darren provides advice on programming and understanding state threats and is building the FCDO’s global state threats network. He was previously Head of Strategic Communications in the HMG Russia Unit in the FCDO. Over the past 20 years he has worked on various international development and national security issues including whilst posted in Ethiopia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia.[7]

Elsewhere on the page the Joint Funds Unit is described as being in the Cabinet Office. Given that it oversees the CSSF and its successor the UK ISF, it is clear that Boyling continued to work - in this post - in the intelligence community.

He has been named as a member of the HMG Russia Unit by Russian intelligence.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ https://www.freebmd2.org.uk/69fee30b8655741ca1a7cc2b/entry-information/264057263/darren-paul-k-boyling-birth-essex-brentwood-v9-p2053?locale=en&record_hash=%2Bz3OAtgGXp9FmP2y4%2BFeTw&search_entry=264057263
  2. ↑ Aspen Institute UK biographical note, 2021.
  3. ↑ Broderick McDonald / Aspen Institute note on Boyling as Senior State Threats Adviser.
  4. ↑ https://www.freebmd2.org.uk/69feed70b18f7c63507f61c3/entry-information/258702939/paul-j-d-boyling-marriage-essex-brentwood-v9-p1160?locale=en&record_hash=KRkm7hl63ZvPTf19x%2BF27Q&search_entry=258702939
  5. ↑ https://www.freebmd2.org.uk/69feeee3b18f7c41b0776423/entry-information/272385423/gemma-carol-boyling-birth-essex-brentwood-v9-p1852?locale=en&record_hash=BDIWhgEmOae1fMfRP4s1kQ&search_entry=272385423
  6. ↑ https://www.aspenuk.org/events/eu-uk-cooperation-against-foreign-disinformation/
  7. ↑ https://www.broderickmcdonald.com/broderick-mcdonald-aspen-institute
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