Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles Announced as Our Second Keynote Speaker

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles is a Senior Adviser at HSBC Holdings, having retired from full-time employment in December 2023 after ten years with the firm. He joined as a Senior Adviser to the Group Chairman and Group Chief Executive, and for the past eight years has acted as Head of the Group’s Public and Government Affairs functions. He also chaired HSBC’s bank in Oman and sat on the board of HSBC Egypt.

Before HSBC, Sherard worked for two and a half years as International Business Development Director at BAE Systems, and before that enjoyed a 30-year career in the British Diplomatic Service. He served in Cairo, Washington and Paris. He was also Principal Private Secretary to the UK Foreign Secretary, the late Robin Cook, and was Head of the Foreign Office Hong Kong Department from 1994 up to the handover to China in 1997. His final diplomatic jobs were as Ambassador to Israel (2001–2003), Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2003–2007), Ambassador to Afghanistan (2007-2009), and the UK Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (2009–2010).

Sherard is an Honorary Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, has an honorary DLitt from the University of Westminster, and is the author of two books about his diplomatic experiences: Cables from Kabul and Ever the Diplomat.