Michael Pakenham

Michael Pakenham   (spook, diplomat)
Born	3 November 1943
Nationality	UK
Parents	Frank Pakenham
Siblings	• Thomas Pakenham • Antonia Fraser • Rachel Billington
Spouse	Mimi Lavine
British diplomat and spook. Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 1997-2000.  Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee In office 1997 - 2000 Preceded by Colin Budd Succeeded by Peter Ricketts  UK/Ambassador/Luxembourg  In office 1991 - 1994  UK/Ambassador/Poland  In office 2001 - 2003  Vice-Chairman of the College Council In office 2009 - 2013 Employer King's College London End date approximate

Sir Michael Aidan Pakenham is a British retired diplomat. He was Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 1997–2000

Background and education

Pakenham is the third son of Labour politician Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, and Elizabeth Harman. He is the brother of Thomas Pakenham, Lady Antonia Fraser and Lady Rachel Billington. He was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was an exchange fellow at Rice University.

Career

Pakenham was briefly a reporter for the Washington Post before joining the Foreign Office in 1965. He was in Nairobi and Warsaw before being seconded to the Cabinet Office 1971–74 as Assistant Private Secretary, then Private Secretary, to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Geoffrey Rippon then John Davies), who at that time had special responsibilities for the co-ordination of British policy towards the European Communities.

In 1974 Pakenham was at the CSCE in Geneva, then was posted to New Delhi 1974–78 and Washington, D.C. 1978–1983. He was Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1983–87; Counsellor (External Relations) to the UK Permanent Representative to the European Community, Brussels, 1987–91; Ambassador and Consul-General to Luxembourg 1991–94; and Minister in Paris 1994–97.

Pakenham was then seconded to the Cabinet Office again as Deputy Secretary for Defence and Overseas Affairs 1997–99, then Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 1997–2000 (also Intelligence Co-ordinator 1999–2000). Finally he was posted to Warsaw as Ambassador to Poland 2001–03. Pakenham was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1993 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2003. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1992.

Since retiring from the Diplomatic Service, Pakenham has been chairman of Pakenvest International; senior adviser to Access Industries; non-executive director of the Westminster Group; a trustee of Chevening House; and a lay member of the governing Council of King's College London (and its vice-chairman 2009 to approx 2013).

 

Event Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)
Herzliya Conference/2009	2 February 2009	4 February 2009	Reichman University Tel Aviv Israel

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References

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