Simon Manley

Simon John Manley CMG (born 18 September 1967) is a British diplomat, recently the UK Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva and previously Ambassador to Spain from October 2013 to August 2019.^[1]

His Excellency Simon Manley CMG
Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva
In office April 2021 – July 2025
Monarchs	Elizabeth II Charles III
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson Liz Truss Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Julian Braithwaite
Succeeded by	Kumar Iyer
Her Majesty's Ambassador to Spain
In office October 2013 – August 2019
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Giles Paxman
Succeeded by	Hugh Elliott
Personal details
Born	Simon John Manley (1967-09-18) 18 September 1967 (age 58) United Kingdom
Children	3
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford Yale University

Early life

Manley was educated at Montpelier Primary School, Latymer Upper School, Magdalen College Oxford and Yale University.^[2]

Career

Manley joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1990. Before his posting to Madrid, he served as Director Europe at the FCO (2011–2013), responsible for policy toward the EU. He has been posted to the UK's Mission to the United Nations in New York City (1993–1998), where he worked on Yugoslavia and UN reform, and has twice been seconded to the European Union: to the European Commission (2003) and to the Council of the EU (1998–2002).

In March 2020 Manley was appointed Director-General for COVID-19 at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, leading and coordinating HMG's coronavirus rollout.^[3]

In June 2023 the World Trade Organisation's Trade and Gender Informal Working Group published its 2023-2024 plan. Manley and Clara Manuela da Luz Delgado Jesus were new, joining El Salvador's Ana Patricia Benedetti Zelaya, as co-chairs of the Working Group. They replaced Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme and Einar Gunnarsson.^[4]