Speaker detail

Stephen Conlon

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary United Kingdom and Northern Ireland in Turkmenistan

Stephen Austin Conlon was born on 1 November 1975 in Bristol, United Kingdom. He received a strong academic foundation in law, languages, and international affairs. From 1994 to 1998, he studied at the University of Surrey, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Russian and Law. During this period (1995–1997), he also studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), focusing on English, European and Russian law, as well as Russian language and culture. He later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Open University Business School (2007–2011). Earlier in his career (1999–2001), he worked with leading international organizations, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the World Economic Forum, serving as a Desk Officer in the Economic Policy Department. He began his diplomatic career at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), where from 2001 to 2003 he worked as a Desk Officer covering EU Environment and Food Safety issues. In 2003, he was posted to Stockholm as a Trade Attaché. In 2004, he served briefly in the EU Department of the FCO before undertaking full-time Finnish language training. From 2004 to 2008, he served in Helsinki as Director of UK Trade and Investment, promoting British economic interests and strengthening bilateral trade relations. From 2009 to 2014, he served in Vilnius in several senior roles, including Deputy Head of Mission, Chargé d’Affaires, and Her Majesty’s Consul. In 2014, he was appointed to the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels as Food Safety and Veterinary Attaché. From 2017 to 2020, and again from 2020 to 2022, he served as Head of the European Parliament Team, playing a key role in managing relations with EU institutions during a critical period in EU–UK relations.