Quick Facts
Biography
Paul Damian Madden CMG FRGS (born 25 April 1959) is a British diplomat, who has been High Commissioner to Singapore and to Australia, and Ambassador to Japan since January 2017.
Education
Madden was educated at The King's School, Ottery St Mary, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he gained a BA degree in economic geography (later upgraded to MA). He has a Master of Business Administration degree from Durham University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Career
Madden began his career in the Department of Trade and Industry where he was Private Secretary to the Minister 1984–86. He then studied Japanese at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and at Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, before joining the Diplomatic Service. He served at the Embassy in Tokyo 1988–92, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), dealing with EU enlargement and Environmental issues, 1992–96, and at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. 1996–2000. He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore 2000–03, Assistant Director of Information at the FCO 2003–04, and Managing Director at UK Trade & Investment 2004–06. He was British High Commissioner in Singapore 2007–11 and High Commissioner to Australia 2011–15.
Madden was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2013 Birthday Honours.
In April 2016 Madden was appointed British Ambassador to Japan in succession to Tim Hitchens. He took up his appointment in January 2017 as planned.
