Christian Turner is a Visiting Public Leadership Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government.

He was appointed UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York in May 2025 and will start the role later this year. Previously, Christian was Political Director at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) from January 2023 to September 2025, and British High Commissioner to Pakistan from December 2019 to January 2023. Before that, he was the UK Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser from 2017 to 2019.

Christian served as the Director General, Political (Acting) and Director General for the Middle East and Africa, leading the UK organisation of the London Syria Conference in February 2016. From 2012 to 2015 he was British High Commissioner to Kenya; and from 2009 to 2012 he was FCO’s Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Between 1997 and 2008 Christian held various positions in the Foreign Office, the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street, including as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, as Secretary to the Economic & Domestic Committees of Cabinet, and as First Secretary in the British Embassy in Washington from 2002 to 2006.

Before joining government, Christian made television documentaries, after completing his PhD.