Mark Lyall Grant

His Excellency Sir Mark Lyall Grant KCMG
Mark Lyall Grant speaking at Chatham House in 2011
National Security Adviser
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 September 2015
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	David Cameron Theresa May
Preceded by	Kim Darroch
British Ambassador to the United Nations
In office 1 November 2009 – May 2015
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	John Sawers
Succeeded by	Matthew Rycroft
Director-General for Political Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
In office 2007–2009
Preceded by	John Sawers
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Adams
Personal details
Born	(1956-05-29) 29 May 1956 United Kingdom
Alma mater	Eton College Trinity College, Cambridge

Sir Mark Justin Lyall Grant KCMG (born 29 May 1956) is a senior British diplomat who since 7 September 2015 is the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, and used to be Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations.

Background

Lyall Grant was educated at Eton College and read law at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple, London before deciding to join the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1980.^[1]

His wife, Sheila, is also a diplomat. In April 2012, Lady Lyall Grant, with Huberta von Voss Wittig, made a video appeal to Asma al-Assad, calling on the Syrian first lady to take a stand against violence in her country.^[2] The Lyall Grants have a son and a daughter. Lyall Grant enjoys in his spare time a spot of golf, tennis, or bridge.^[3]

Diplomatic career

Lyall Grant was British Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) from 2009 to 2015.^[3][4] He held the office of President of the United Nations Security Council four times, during the months of November 2010, March 2012, June 2013, and August 2014.

Lyall Grant was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) on 31 December 2002^[5] and a Knight Commander of the same order (KCMG) on 17 June 2006.^[6]

On 7 July 2015, Number 10 announced that Sir Mark would replace Sir Kim Darroch as the United Kingdom's National Security Advisor on 7 September 2015, with Darroch moving to a different diplomatic post.^[7] As of September 2015, Lyall Grant was paid a salary of between £160,000 and £164,999, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.^[8]

Foreign and Commonwealth Office career timeline

• 2015–present National Security Adviser
• 2009–15 British Permanent Representative to the United Nations
• 2007–09 FCO, Director General for Political Affairs
• 2003–06 High Commissioner to Pakistan
• 2000–03 FCO director, Africa
• 1998–2000 Head, European Union department, FCO
• 1996–98 Deputy High Commissioner and Consul General, South Africa
• 1994–96 Seconded to European Secretariat, Cabinet Office
• 1990–93 First Secretary, Paris
• 1987–89 Private Secretary to Minister of State, FCO
• 1985–87 FCO
• 1982–85 Second Secretary, Islamabad
• 1980–82 FCO, worked in Southern Africa department

References

1. ↑ LYALL GRANT, Sir Mark (Justin), Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014
2. ↑ BBC News website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17753841
3. 1 2 ukun.fco.gov.uk: "Permanent Representative - Sir Mark Lyall Grant"
4. ↑ Change of UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 7 October 2014
5. ↑ New Year’s Honours List — United Kingdom - The London Gazette, 31 December 2002, Supplement No. 1 S3
6. ↑ Birthday Honours List — United Kingdom - The London Gazette, 17 June 2006, Supplement No. 1 B3
7. ↑ "National Security Adviser appointment: Sir Mark Lyall-Grant - Press releases - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2015-07-08. 
8. ↑ "Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2016-02-28. 

Offices held

National Security Advisers to the Prime Minister
David Cameron	Sir Peter Ricketts (2010–2012) Sir Kim Darroch (2012–2015) Sir Mark Lyall Grant (2015–2016)
Theresa May	Sir Mark Lyall Grant (2016–present)

External links

• Sir Mark Lyall Grant, gov.uk