Aurélien Lechevallier(born 6 September 1976) is a French

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

. From August 2019 to September 2022, he was the French

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

to the

Republic of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, based in the French Embassy in Pretoria. Ambassador Aurélien Lechevallier was France’s Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

Early life and education

Lechevallier was born in 1976 in Poitiers (Nouvelle-Aquitaine). He holds diplomas from HEC business school, the

Institute of political sciences , motto_lang = fr , mottoeng = Roots of the Future , type = Public research university'' Grande école'' , established = , founder = Émile Boutmy , accreditation ...

in Paris (Institut d’études politiques), and is an alumnus of the

École nationale d’administration École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Sav ...

, promotion "Leopold Sédar Senghor" (2004).

Career

Before his posting to South Africa, Lechevallier has held many positions: Between 2004 and 2007, he served as Deputy, then Bureau Chief, then advisor to the Director of the International Cooperation and Development at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris. Between 2007 and 2008, he was dispatched to the U.S. State Department in Washington. From 2008 to 2010, he served as First Secretary at the Embassy of France in the United States of America. Between 2010 and 2013, he served as Second Counsellor, Counsellor for Cultural Action and Cooperation, Director of the Beyrouth French Institute at the Embassy of France in Lebanon. From 2013 to 2014, he was dispatched to the French Presidency as Diplomatic Counsellor to the Special Envoy for the conservation of the planet of the President of the French Republic. Between 2014 and 2016, he was dispatched to the City of Paris as Diplomatic Counsellor and Delegate General for International Relations. From January to May 2017, he served as advisor at the Center for Analysis and Policy Planning at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris. From 2017 to 2019, he was the Deputy Diplomatic Counsellor to the President of the French Republic

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...

Other activities

French Development Agency The French Development Agency (french: Agence française de développement, AFD) is a public financial institution that implements the policy defined by the French Government. It works to fight poverty and promote sustainable development. This pub ...

(AFD), Member of the Supervisory BoardComposition of the Supervisory Board, 10 May 2023

(AFD).

Personal life

Lechevallier is married with two children. He speaks English and Spanish.

References

French diplomats Living people 1976 births {{france-diplomat-stub