G3 and Venable LLP Invite You to Hear from Sir John Sawers

Sir John has 36 years of experience in diplomacy and intelligence, culminating in five years as Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). He left public service in 2014.  We are excited to invite you to Venable’s New York office to hear a presentation drawing from Sawers’ personal experience in managing the most challenging foreign and security policy issues of the last 20 years, including the rise of China, the evolution of Russia, the threat of terrorism and cyber attack, the changes in the Middle East, and the nuclear negotiations in Iran.

As MI6 chief, he was a member of the UK National Security Council and the Joint Intelligence Committee, contributing to strategies and policy decisions to promote and protect British interests around the World. He led MI6 through a period of international political upheaval and high terrorist threat, including against the 2012 London Olympics. He also modernized the way the Service works and created a more open approach to public accountability.  

Prior to leading MI6 he was the UK’s ambassador to the United Nations, political director of the Foreign Office, special representative in Iraq, ambassador to Cairo and foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair. In his earlier career he worked overseas in Yemen, Syria, South Africa, and Washington DC, and at home was involved in policy on the EU, Russia, and the Middle East.