Sierra Leone Gets New British High Commissioner
By: Edward Dictionary Caulker
Josephine Lucy Louisa Gauld LVO has been appointed as the new British High Commissioner to the Republic of Sierra Leone, succeeding Lisa Chesney MBE, who is transitioning to another position within the Diplomatic Service.
Gauld brings a wealth of academic and professional experience to her new role. She studied Italian and Philosophy at Leeds University, pursued an MSc in Development Management at the London School of Economics, earned a Masters in European Public Policy from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and completed a Diploma in Public Administration at l’École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in France.
Expressing her enthusiasm for her new appointment, Gauld shared on X, “Really looking forward to this new role – Change of British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone.”
Outgoing High Commissioner Lisa Chesney also commented on Gauld’s appointment, stating on X, “I am delighted to know that when I leave 🇸🇱, I will be passing the baton to a brilliant colleague with rich and relevant experience. Congratulations Josephine Gauld. I can’t think of a better person for the job!”
Josephine Gauld has a distinguished career within the British diplomatic service. She began her tenure at the British Council from 1997 to 2002 and subsequently joined the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in 2002. Her previous postings include roles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, two assignments in Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. She served as the British Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire from 2016 to 2020.
Having recently held the position of Deputy British High Commissioner to Kenya and Permanent Representative to the UNEP and UN Habitatp, Ms. Gauld is scheduled to assume her new role in September 2024.
