Andrew Burns

Sir Andrew Burns is a former British diplomat who in 2005 became a BBC International Governor with responsibility for the BBC Global News Division (i.e. BBC Monitoring in Caversham, BBC World Service and BBC World TV). Burns replaced Dame Pauline Neville-Jones. The main role Burns will have is to oversee the BBC World Service's role in "public diplomacy

From his BBC biography

Sir Andrew Burns KCMG is Chairman of the Council of Royal Holloway, University of London, and a Non-Executive Director of JP Morgan Fleming Chinese Investment Trust, which focuses on China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Sir Andrew held a number of positions during his career with HM Diplomatic Service, with a strong interest in India and South Asia. Most recently (from 2000 to 2003) he was British High Commissioner to Canada. From 1997 to 2000 he was British Consul-General to the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau; and between 1995 and 1997 was Deputy Under Secretary of State, responsible at the FCO for the Government's bilateral relations outside Europe and for the UK's worldwide trade and investment promotion. From 1992 to 1995 Sir Andrew was British Ambassador to Israel. He was Head of the FCO News Department between 1988 and 1990 and from 1983 to 1986 was Press Counsellor and Head of British Information Services in the United States, at the British Embassy in Washington.
He has resigned as Chairman of the Anglo-Israel Association, a post he has held since 2003, and will step down on 30 June.
Sir Andrew has a number of other interests, being a Fellow of the Portland Trust and a Member of the British-North American Committee.
Born in 1943, Sir Andrew is married with two sons and a step-daughter.

Career

2005: BBC International Governor

2000 to 2003:British High Commissioner to Canada

1997 to 2000: British Consul-General to the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau

1995 to 1997: Deputy Under Secretary of State, responsible at the FCO for the Government's bilateral relations outside Europe

1992 to 1995: British Ambassador to Israel

1992 to 1995: Chairman of the Anglo-Israel Association

1990 to 1992: Under-Secretary for Asia

1988 and 1990: Head of the FCO News Department; Press Secretary to three successive Foreign Secretaries (Sir Geoffrey Howe, John Major and Douglas Hurd)

1983 to 1986: Press Counsellor and Head of British Information Services in the United States

Affiliations

• Anglo-Israel Association – former Chairman
• BBC – International Governor (beginning 2005)
• British Consultants and Construction Bureau
• British-North American Committee – member
• Portland Trust – Fellow
• Abraham Initiatives UK - Patron

External Resources

• Number 10, Official notice of the appointment of Sir Andrew Burns to the BBC Board of Governors, 8 June 2005. (accessed 10 March 2007)
• Pro-Veritas Commentary, The missed opportunity of Sir Andrew Burns's visit to BBC Monitoring, 1 July 2006. (accessed 10 March 2007)
• Lord Carter of Coles and Andrew Burns, BBC's response to the Carter Review - the Government's review of public diplomacy, 15 December 2005. (accessed 10 March 2007)
• Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Third Report on Public Diplomacy, 9 March 2005. (accessed 10 March 2007)
• Lord Carter of Coles, Public Diplomacy Review, British Council, December 2005. (accessed 10 March 2007)