Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom
The FCDO leads the UK’s diplomatic, development and consular work around the world.
We employ around 17,000 staff in our global network of 281 offices worldwide. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street in London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes.
ADVISORY COUNCIL NOMINEE
John Virgoe
Commonwealth Envoy
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development OfficeJohn Virgoe was appointed the UK government’s Envoy to the Commonwealth in June 2025.
John was British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam from 2020 to 2024. Before this, he was Head of South-East Asia and Pacific Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.
A career diplomat, John joined the FCO in 1991. Over the course of his career, he has worked extensively on the Indo-Pacific, economic diplomacy, climate change, strategic finance and geopolitics. As well as Brunei, John has served in British diplomatic missions in Jakarta, Nairobi and Canberra.
John’s previous leadership roles include Head of Policy Unit at the FCO (2013 to 2015) and a senior role in the Cabinet Office leading the UK government’s anti-corruption strategy (2015 to 2017). Outside government, John was South-East Asia Director for the conflict-prevention NGO, International Crisis Group (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.