Annabelle Malins

Annabelle Malins took up her appointment as Her Majesty’s Consul General in September 2009. She leads a staff working throughout the Southeast on a wide range of issues, including support for British nationals, public diplomacy on the UK government’s policy priorities, scientific co-operation, and trans-Atlantic trade and investment.

Annabelle’s previous position was as the Consul for Science and Innovation at the British Consulate-General in San Francisco. In addition to building UK-US bridges in all aspects of science and technology, she lead broad-ranging exchanges on climate change and energy issues. She facilitated a collaboration with California on climate change and energy launched by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at Long Beach in 2006.

Annabelle joined the UK’s diplomatic service in 1999. From 1999 to 2005 she served in London as a First Secretary leading teams in global issues, geographic, and international organisations departments, including:

• Environment Policy, dealing with many aspects of sustainable development including genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), forests, European Union negotiations, international treaties, and trade and the environment.
• South Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, and the small island countries,  as well as acting as Deputy Head of the Northeast Asia Pacific Department covering also Japan and the Koreas. 
• Commonwealth business
• Council of Europe and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe encompassing human rights, democracy building and security issues.

Unlike many British diplomats, Annabelle had an extensive career before she joined the diplomatic service. She worked in the agriculture industry and in international development.  Her career has lead her to many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean as well as to India and Latin America.  During several years living in the Caribbean Annabelle worked with the banana industry and with high value agricultural exports.  She has provided consultancy and advice to governments, big business, and small farmers.

Annabelle was born in Bradford in the North of England, and earned degrees at Durham University and Reading University. Her husband, James Malins, is an agronomist, whose current work focuses on auditing companies for the quality of their products and for their social and environmental practices. She has a son at Glasgow University in Scotland, and another son living with his parents in Atlanta.