Matt Baugh OBE
Biography
Matt Baugh OBE is Director of the FCDO’s Migration and Conflict Directorate (MCD), responsible for FCDO’s migration and conflict strategy and capability. Before this he was Director for Euro-Atlantic Security (2022 to 2024), responsible for NATO and security policy in the Euro-Atlantic area.
Previous appointments include:
- Political and Security Director (and Ambassador to the EU’s Political and Security Committee until the UK’s Exit) at the UK Mission to the European Union (2020 to 2022)
- Director of Negotiation Coordination and Strategy, as well as Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State, at the Department for Exiting the European Union (2017 to 2019)
Before joining DExEU, Matt held several posts in the FCDO, including Deputy Director for Africa (2013 to 2016) and, for a period, British envoy to the Great Lakes peace process. From 2010 to 2013 he served as British Ambassador to Somalia, the first such appointment for over 20 years.
Matt is a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy (2010). Between 1999 and 2010 Matt worked at the Department for International Development (DFID) in a variety of roles, including:
- Principal Private Secretary to the Development Secretary
- Head of the Iraq Department (2005 to 2006)
- Head of the UK Stabilisation Unit (2004 to 2005)
He was based in Khartoum (2002 to 2004), and ran DFID’s emergency operations (including in Afghanistan and Kosovo) from 1999 to 2002. He joined DFID from the Ministry of Defence.