Menna Rawlings CMG

Menna Rawlings was appointed Director-General Economic and Global Issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in March 2019. In this role, she has responsibility for Global Britain, Asia Pacific, Americas, Africa, Overseas Territories, Commonwealth and Economic Diplomacy. She is also Board-level Diversity and Inclusion champion for the FCO.

Menna joined the FCO in 1989 and has served in a wide range of Diplomatic Service roles. She was most recently British High Commissioner to Australia from April 2015 to February 2019. Overseas, she has served in Washington DC, Accra, Tel Aviv, Nairobi and Brussels. In London she has served on the FCO Management Board as HR Director, as Private Secretary to the Permanent Under Secretary, in Press Office and in Africa and EU Directorates.

Menna holds a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the Open University. She was awarded the CMG in 2014.

Patrick Horgan

Patrick Horgan is Director of Global Government Relations for Rolls-Royce. From 2011-2018, he was Regional Director, North-East Asia, based in Beijing. Prior to that, he was managing director of an international corporate advisory firm in China, advising leading multinational corporations on direct investment and on policy issues in China and other Asian emerging markets.

In 2007, he was awarded an OBE for services to the British business community in China. He started his business career with Jardine Matheson, in Hong Kong. Patrick has also held various external roles, board positions and advisory appointments, such as Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China (2004-06), and member of the China Advisory Council for the European Union.

From 2009-2011, he also served as Counsellor for Education at the British Embassy in Beijing and Director of the British Council’s programmes across Greater China.

Seyi Akiwowo

Seyi Akiwowo is the Founder and Executive Director of Glitch, a young not-for-profit organisation determined to end online abuse through education, campaigns and advocacy. Using her lived experienced and expertise Seyi travels the globe developing practical solutions with governments, non-governmental organisations and companies to protect our online public spaces from hate and abuse.

Seyi is this year’s UK Digital Leader of the Year and in 2018, she was name Stylist Magazine’s Woman of the Week. Her many achievements have been captured in books such as Slay in Your Lane and Misogynation. Seyi is Amnesty International’s Human Rights Defender and is part of the #ToxicTwitter campaign to end online abuse against women.

Seyi was elected as the youngest black female Councillor in East London at age 23 and has had nine successful years working in politics and the charity and policy sectors both in the UK and Europe. She is also an expert facilitator in skills, political leadership and inclusion and delivers workshops around the world including London, Montenegro Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Alastair Harper

Alastair Harper is the Head Of Public Affairs at Shelter UK – a non-profit that helps to shelter millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services.

The FD Maurice Lecture- 7 May 2025

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