Jonathan Paul (Jon) Wilks (born 30 September 1967) is a British diplomat who was the Ambassador to Iraq from 2017 to 2019, Ambassador to Oman from 2014 to 2017 and Ambassador to Yemen from 2010 to 2011.
Career
Wilks was born at
Callow End
Callow End is a constituent village of the civil parish of Powick in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England. It is located on the B4424 road about to the south of its junction with the main A449 Malvern to Worcester road. The Riv ...
, Worcestershire, and educated at
The Chase School
The Chase School is a secondary school (ages 11–18) in Malvern, Worcestershire, England. The school opened as a Secondary Modern in 1953 under headteacher Mr Garth. It was officially opened by Lord Cobham on 26 March 1955. The Chase became a ...
, Malvern, and
Durham University
, mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1)
, established = (university status)
, type = Public
, academic_staff = 1,830 (2020)
, administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19)
, chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen
, vice_chan ...
where he graduated in 1989 with a
BSc
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...
degree in
natural sciences
Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...
. He was also President of the Durham Union.
After graduation he 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 ...
(FCO). After Arabic language training in London and Cairo 1991–93 he was posted to Khartoum 1993–96 and Riyadh 1996–99. He then returned to Durham University for a MA in Middle East Politics (2000), then went to
St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, economic ...
for a
MPhil
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...
in International Relations (2002). After six months'
secondment
Secondment is the assignment of a member of one organisation to another organisation for a temporary period.
Job rotation
The employee typically retains their salary and other employment rights from their primary organization but they work close ...
at the
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for supporting the prime minister and Cabinet. It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co-ordinate the delivery of government objecti ...
, he was deputy head of the team that reopened the British mission in Baghdad after the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
, from April to November 2003. He was deputy head of the Iraq policy unit at the FCO 2004–05 and of the security policy group 2005–07. In 2007 he was appointed the British government's first regional Arabic spokesman, based in Dubai. He was deputy
head of mission
In diplomatic usage, head of mission (HOM) or chief of mission (COM) from the French "chef de mission diplomatique" (CMD) is the head of a diplomatic representation, such as an ambassador, high commissioner, nuncio, chargé d'affaires, permane ...
in Baghdad 2009–10, then Ambassador to
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
2010–11. In 2012 he did the
Higher Command and Staff Course at the Military Staff College, Shrivenham, then was UK Special Representative to the Syrian Opposition 2012–13, UK
Special Representative for Syria 2013–14 and Ambassador to
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...