Dame Alison Mariot Leslie, (born 25 June 1954), known as Mariot Leslie, is a former British diplomat whose last post was Permanent Representative to NATO. When she was replaced at NATO it was announced that she would retire from the Diplomatic Service. She was formerly director-general for defence and intelligence at the UK's

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 ...

. She began her career in 1977 in the FCO Middle East Department and also held positions in Singapore, Bonn, Paris, Rome and Oslo.

Honours

She was appointed

Commander 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, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

(CMG) in the

2005 New Year Honours New Year Honours were granted in the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the start of 2005. Among these in the UK were knighthoods awarded to Mike Tomlinson, the educationalist; Derek Wanless, who led a review of the National Health Service; and ...

and

Dame Commander 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, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...

(DCMG) in the 2012 Birthday Honours. Leslie received an Honorary Doctorate from

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

in 2013. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2021.

Personal life

Born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1954, as Mariot Sanderson, she was educated at

George Watson's Ladies College George Watson's College is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871, and was merge ...

, Edinburgh,

Leeds Girls' High School Leeds Girls' High School (LGHS) was an independent, selective, fee-paying school for girls aged 3–18 founded in 1876 in Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It merged with Leeds Grammar School in 2005 to form The Grammar School at Le ...

and St Hilda's College, Oxford (1972–75).LESLIE, Dame (Alison) Mariot
''Who's Who 2014'', A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013 Sanderson married Andrew Leslie in 1978; the couple have two daughters.

Diplomatic career (1977-present)

* 1977-1978: Joined the British Diplomatic Service; spent a year in the Middle East Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London (FCO) * 1978-1981: British High Commission, Singapore * 1982-1986: British Embassy, Bonn, as First Secretary with responsibility for the European Communities * 1986-1987: Policy Planning Staff, FCO * 1988-1990: Personnel Operations Department, FCO * 1990-1992: Seconded to the French Foreign Ministry, Quai d'Orsay, Paris * 1992-1993: Head of Environment, Science and Energy Department, FCO * 1993-1995: Scottish Office Industry Department, Edinburgh * 1996-1998: Head of Policy Planning Staff, FCO * 1998-2001: Minister and Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy, Rome * 2002-2006: HM Ambassador, British Embassy, Oslo * 2006-2007: Director, Defence and Strategic Threats and Counter-Terrorism Envoy, FCO * 2007-2010: Director General Defence and Intelligence, FCO * 2010-2014: HM Ambassador and Permanent Representative Joint Delegation of the UK to NATO

References

External links

* http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/16/queens-birthday-honours-diplomatic * http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/movers-shakers/66750.aspx * http://www.cdrex.com/alison-mariot-leslie/2292499.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Leslie, Mariot 1954 births Living people Diplomats from Edinburgh People educated at George Watson's College People educated at Leeds Girls' High School Alumni of St Hilda's College, Oxford Members of HM Diplomatic Service Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Norway Permanent Representatives of the United Kingdom to NATO Dames Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George British women ambassadors Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 20th-century British diplomats