William Ehrman
Sir William Geoffrey Ehrman KCMG (born 28 August 1950) is a retired British diplomat and former Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.[1][2]
Sir William Ehrman KCMG | |
---|---|
British Ambassador to China | |
In office 15 March 2006 – January 2010 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
President | Hu Jintao |
Prime Minister | Tony Blair Gordon Brown |
Preceded by | Sir Christopher Hum |
Succeeded by | Sir Sebastian Wood |
British Ambassador to Luxembourg | |
In office 1998–2000 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
Preceded by | Nick Elam |
Succeeded by | Gordon Wetherell |
Personal details | |
Born | 28 August 1950 |
Spouse(s) | Penelope Anne LePatourel |
Children | 4 |
Parents | John Patrick William Ehrman (father) Susan Blake (mother) |
Alma mater | Eton College Trinity College, Cambridge |
Early life
Ehrman was born on 28 August 1950 to the historian John Patrick William Ehrman and Susan Blake. He was educated at Eton College, followed by Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a first class degree in Chinese.
Career
Ehrman joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1973 and had postings in Beijing, New York and Hong Kong. He was Principal Private Secretary to three Foreign Secretaries from 1995 to 1997 and the British Ambassador to Luxembourg from 1998 to 2000.
He was the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Director General for Defence and Intelligence between 2002 and 2004,[3] before becoming Chairman of the United Kingdom's Joint Intelligence Committee from 2004 to 2005 and British Ambassador to China from 2006 to 2010. Ehrman gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry in November 2009.[3]
Personal life
Ehrman is married to Penelope Anne Le Patourel (daughter of Brigadier Wallace Le Patourel VC), and the couple have three daughters and a son.[1]
References
- "New JIC chair William Ehrman profiled". BBC News. 20 July 2004.
- A & C Black (2012). "EHRMAN, Sir William (Geoffrey)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- "Inquiry told Iraq could not 'use' chemical weapons". BBC News. BBC. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
External links
Diplomatic posts | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Sir John Sawers |
Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary 1995–1997 |
Succeeded by Sir John Grant |
Preceded by Nick Elam |
British Ambassador to Luxembourg 1998–2000 |
Succeeded by Gordon Wetherell |
Preceded by Lord Ricketts |
Director, International Security of the Foreign Office 2000–2002 |
Succeeded by Edward Oakden |
Preceded by Sir Stephen Wright |
Director-General, Defence and Intelligence of the Foreign Office 2002–2004 |
Succeeded by Sir David Richmond |
Preceded by Sir Christopher Hum |
British Ambassador to China 2006–2010 |
Succeeded by Sir Sebastian Wood |
Government offices | ||
Preceded by Sir John Scarlett |
Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 2004–2005 |
Succeeded by Sir Richard Mottram |