Sir Alan Stanley Collins, KCVO, CMG (; born 1 April 1948), is a retired British diplomat and former

Consul General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

(2007–11), High Commissioner to Singapore (2003–07) and Ambassador to the Philippines (1998–2002). Collins joined the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...

in 1981 as a Desk Office after working in the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

for around 11 years. He had served in a number of diplomatic positions in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

before he became Head of Aviation and Maritime Department in 1993. From 1995 to 1998, he was Director-General of the British Trade and Cultural Office in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

(predecessor of the British Office Taipei). Between 2002 and 2003, he was seconded to

Royal Dutch Shell Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yo ...

as Vice-President for International Relations. Collins took a keen interest in the welfare of children when he was Ambassador to the Philippines. As High Commissioner to

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, he took part in arranging

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

's third

state visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

to that country in 2006, for which he was made a

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

. In Singapore, he also served in the delegation that won the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

for

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. In 2011, he was further associated with the preparation of the Olympic Games when he was appointed Managing Director of

Olympic Legacy Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

under the

UK Trade & Investment , type = Non-ministerial government department , nativename = , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = UKtrade.svg , logo_width = 190px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = Department for Business, Enter ...

. After retiring from the diplomatic service in 2011, Collins has held a number of directorships, including those of Prudential Assurance Singapore, ICICI Bank UK and JP Morgan American Investment Trust, etc. He has been Director-General of the

Commonwealth Business Council The Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) was an institution of the Commonwealth Family that aimed to use the global network of the Commonwealth of Nations more effectively for the promotion of global trade and investment for shared prosperity. ...

since 2012.

Biography

Early years

Collins was born in

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, on 1 April 1948. He is the son of Stanley Arthur Collins and Rose Elizabeth Gimble."COLLINS, Sir Alan (Stanley)" (2012), p.470. He was educated at Strand Grammar School before entering the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

, where he studied

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. In 1970, he joined the

(MoD), serving in junior positions including those related to personnel, resource management, defence policy and the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

."Change of Her Majesty's British Consul-General in New York" (29 September 2006) Between 1973 and 1975, he was Private Secretary to the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

Career diplomat

In 1981, Collins left the MoD to join the

(FCO)."Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Statement" (23 January 2003) His first position was a Desk Officer for the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

in the Western European Department. Two years later, he became a Desk Officer for

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

in the Middle East Department. Between 1986 and 1990, he was posted to the British Embassy in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

, where he worked as First Secretary, Head of Chancery and Deputy Head of Mission successively. In 1990, he was posted to the British Embassy in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

, the

, where he was Counsellor (Commercial) and Deputy Head of Mission. He returned to the United Kingdom as Head of Aviation and Maritime Department in 1993. In 1995, Collins was selected, among a pool of five to six fellow diplomats, to succeed Philip Morrice, who was to become

in Sydney, Australia, as Director-General of the British Trade and Cultural Office in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

(i.e. the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

)."英駐華代表下月易人牟理士調識、外交部司長柯林斯接任" (26 March 1995) Since Taiwan and the United Kingdom did not have formal diplomatic relations, the Office functioned as a ''de facto'' embassy to represent British interests in Taiwan. After he took office in August 1995, Collins proactively fostered economic and cultural ties between the two countries. During his tenure, United Kingdom-Taiwan bilateral trade reached 5 billion

United States dollar The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...

s (USD), in which US$2 billion was British investment in Taiwan, while the number of Taiwanese visiting the United Kingdom increased to 14,000."致力推動中英雙邊貿易投資，英國貿易文化台北辦事處處長柯安龍獨領C.M.G.獎" (2 February 1998) In recognition of his diplomatic work in Taiwan, he was appointed a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in the

1998 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1998 for the United Kingdom, Barbados, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis were announced on 30 December 1997, ...

list. From 1998 to 2002, Collins was appointed Ambassador to the Philippines, where he got involved in a number of livelihood projects and paid particular attention to children welfare. He worked with

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

, a United Kingdom-based

non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...

, to provide medical services to children by setting up mobile clinics on the streets of the

Malate Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L ...

district in Manila. He also assisted in organising training on handling

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

cases for the

Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...

.Diaz (24 March 2002) In 2002, Collins was seconded to

as Vice-President for International Relations, responsible for the company's global relationships with governments."Board Members" (retrieved on 1 April 2016) Upon returning to the FCO in 2003, he was appointed High Commissioner to Singapore, where he took part in arranging

's third

in 2006. For that he was appointed a

. When he was in Singapore, he also served in the delegation that won the

for

.Briggs (1 February 2012) In September 2006, it was announced that Collins would take up the dual position of Consul General in New York and Director-General of Trade and Investment in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Having assumed the dual capacity in January 2007, he oversaw a team of 250 staff members in the United States and in London and he was responsible for strengthening bilateral relationships between the United Kingdom and

, promoting British export interests in the United States and attracting high-value inward investment to the United Kingdom. In 2009, he also supported

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

's official visit to

. In New York, Collins continued to be associated with the preparatory work of the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2011, he was appointed the Senior Responsible Officer of the London Olympics 2012 Co-ordination Unit to oversee the FCO's contribution to the Games."FCO Public Diplomacy: The Olympic and Paralympic games 2012 – Foreign Affairs Committee" (6 February 2011) He was also Managing Director of

under the

(UKTI) to take in charge of the strategic direction of London 2012 work in the FCO and the UKTI. Collins retired from the FCO in 2011 after serving four years as Consul General in New York, but he continued to hold the offices related to the Olympic Games until 2012.

Post-FCO career

After retiring from the FCO, Collins has held a number of directorships. He is a non-executive director of Prudential Assurance Singapore, ICICI Bank UK and JP Morgan American Investment Trust, as well as a director of Prudential Hong Kong. Since 2012, he has been Director-General of the

Personal life

Collins was married to Ann Dorothy Roberts in 1971. The couple have one daughter and two sons. Their daughter was born in 1985 and their two sons were born in 1988 and 1995 respectively. Collins is a member of

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

and the

Royal Commonwealth Society The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is a non-governmental organisation with a mission to promote the value of the Commonwealth and the values upon which it is based. The Society upholds the values of the Commonwealth Charter, promoting confli ...

. His hobbies include sports, antiques, reading and walking. He is also a supporter of British arts and culture and the Life Patron of the

British Theatre Playhouse The British Theatre Playhouse (BTP) is a professional theatrical and musical production company incorporated in Singapore in 2004. With the motto ''Bringing to the World the Best in British Entertainment'', the BTP is internationally focused with ...

, a Singaporean theatre and live entertainment company.

Honours

(New Year Honours List 1998Supplement to Issue 54993
, ''London Gazette'', 30 December 1997, p.3.) *

(13 March 2006Issue 57953
", ''London Gazette'', 11 April 2006.) *

Freeman of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...

Footnotes

References

English materials

* Diaz, Natalia F., "Her Majesty's Man in Manila", ''Sunday Inquirer Magazine'', 24 March 2002. *
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Statement
, ''Singapore Government Press Release'', 28 January 2003. *

, ''Government News'', 29 September 2006. *
Prince Harry to visit New York City
, ''The Royal Family'', 13 May 2009. *

, ''The Parliament of the United Kingdom'', 6 February 2011. *
Sir Alan Collins appointed to the Amlin plc Board
, ''Amlin'', 29 September 2011. * "COLLINS, Sir Alan (Stanley)". ''Who's Who 2013''. London: A. & C. Black. 2012. * Briggs, Fiona,
Commonwealth Business Council appoints new director general
, ''Retail Times'', 1 February 2012. *
Board Members
, ''ICICI Bank United Kingdom'', retrieved on 1 April 2016. *

, ''London Philharmonic Orchestra'', retrieved on 8 April 2016. *
Births Jun 1948: Collins, Alan S.
, ''FreeBMD'', retrieved on 10 July 2016.

Chinese materials

* "英駐華代表下月易人牟理士調識、外交部司長柯林斯接任", ''United Daily News'', 26 March 1995, p. 2. * "英國新任駐華代表六日抵台履新。柯安龍：推廣經貿交流與兩岸情勢無關", ''United Daily News'', 3 August 1995, p. 4. * "致力推動中英雙邊貿易投資，英國貿易文化台北辦事處處長柯安龍獨領C.M.G.獎", ''Economy Daily News'', 2 February 1998, p. 32.

External links

UK and Taiwan

British Embassy Manila

British High Commission Singapore

British Consulate General New York

A Directory of British Diplomats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Alan 1948 births Living people Civil servants in the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Philippines High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to Singapore Representatives of the United Kingdom to Taiwan British businesspeople Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Alumni of the London School of Economics People educated at the Strand School