Ian Proud Biography

Ian Proud was a member of His Majesty's Diplomatic Service from 1999 to 2023.

Ian was a senior officer at the British Embassy in Moscow from July 2014 to February 2019, at a time when UK-Russia relations were particularly tense. He performed a number of roles in Moscow, including as Head of Chancery, Economic Counsellor - in charge of advising UK Ministers on economic sanctions - Chair of the Crisis Committee, Director of the Diplomatic Academy for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Vice Chair of the Board at the Anglo-American School.  He oversaw the Embassy’s preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and rebuilt embassy staffing structures following the mass expulsion of staff that followed the March 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack. Following his return to the UK from Moscow in early 2019, Ian authorised around half of all the UK sanctions imposed on Russia including after war broke out in Ukraine.

 

Prior to Moscow, Ian organized the 2013 G8 Summit in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, which marked Vladimir Putin’s last visit to the United Kingdom.   

 

Ian was also one of the Foreign Office’s most accomplished crisis experts. During his career, he was involved in the Foreign Office crisis response to the Gujurat Earthquake, 9-11, the 2002 Bali Bombing, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Arab Spring, New Zealand Earthquake and Japanese tsunami in 2011, the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack, and the global repatriation of British citizens during COVID. 

 

Ian also served in Afghanistan and Thailand.  He is a keen linguist and speaks a number of languages including Russian.