Matthew Rycroft CBE has been the Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development since 22 January 2018. Matthew was previously the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations from April 2015 to January 2018.
From March 2011, Matthew was the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, he was FCO Europe Director from 2008 and British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2005 to 2008.
Between 2002 - 2004, Matthew was Private Secretary to the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs, covering all foreign, European, Northern Ireland and defense issues in No10.
Matthew joined the British Embassy in Washington, following US domestic politics from 1998 to 2002. And between 1995-96 Matthew was head of the political section of Eastern Adriatic Department in the FCO. In this role he was a member of the British delegation to the Dayton peace talks on Bosnia.
After two years in the FCO's Policy Planning Staff covering European and trans-Atlantic issues and brief secondments to the US State Department and US Congress, Matthew joined the British Embassy in Washington, following US domestic politics from 1998 to 2002.
From 2002 to 2004, Matthew was Private Secretary to the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs, covering all foreign, European, Northern Ireland and defence issues in No10. He received a CBE for this work.
He was British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2005 and the FCO Europe Director from 2008.
Matthew is married to Alison. They have three daughters, born in 1998, 2000 and 2005. Matthew speaks French and Bosnian, plays the double bass, and enjoys soccer and other sports.
