Quick Facts
Biography
Sir William Ehrman, KCMG (born 1950), is a British civil servant and former Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.
Education
Ehrman was educated at Eton College, a boarding independent school for boys in Eton in Berkshire, followed by Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, from which he graduated with a first class degree in Mandarin Chinese.
Life and career
Ehrman joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Diplomatic Service in 1973, and has had postings in Beijing, New York, Hong Kong and was British Ambassador to Luxembourg from 1998–2000.
Ehrman was the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's director general for defence and intelligence between 2002 and 2004, before becoming British Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 2006 to 2010. Ehrman gave evidence to The Iraq Inquiry in November 2009.
Personal life
Ehrman is married to Penelope (daughter of Wallace Le Patourel), and the couple have three daughters and a son named Tom.
Offices held
| 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 Sir Peter 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 Sebastian Wood |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir John Scarlett | Chairman (interim) of the Joint Intelligence Committee 2004–2005 | Succeeded by Sir Richard Mottram |