Timothy Torlot

Tim Torlot
Tim Torlot on the right as British Ambassador to Yemen, with Victor Henderson, former British Ambassador to Yemen, and Dr Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, Yemeni Foreign Minister
British Ambassador to Uzbekistan
In office August 2019 – July 2023
Monarchs	Elizabeth II Charles III
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson Liz Truss Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Christopher Allan
Succeeded by	Timothy Smart
British Ambassador to Yemen
In office July 2007 – 2010
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown David Cameron
Preceded by	Michael Gifford
Succeeded by	Jonathan Wilks
Personal details
Spouse(s)	Bridie Morton Jennifer Florence Steil
Children	Two daughters

Timothy Achille Torlot (born 17 September 1957) is a British diplomat serving as the British Ambassador to Uzbekistan since August 2019.^[1]

Education

He attended Worcester College, Oxford and gained a BA (Hons) degree in modern languages.

Diplomatic career

Tim Torlot joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1981. Following Arabic language training at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, he was posted as Third Secretary to Muscat in 1984 and to Wellington as Second Secretary in 1987.^[2] Returning to the FCO in 1992, he served in Personnel Management Department until 1995 and in South East Asian Department until 1997. He was posted to Santiago from 1997 to 2001. He spent a year in the FCO's Counter Terrorism Department before being appointed Director, Advanced Technologies, UK Trade & Investment. From 2005 to 2006, he was Deputy Head of Mission in Baghdad. Two short assignments at the FCO followed before he was appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen in July 2007.^[3] On 26 April 2010, Timothy Torlot survived a suicide bomber's attack,^[4] responsibility for which was claimed by Al-Qaeda's Yemen wing.^[5] He was appointed head of the European External Action Service delegation to Bolivia in 2012.^[6] He was appointed British Ambassador to Uzbekistan in 2019.^[7]

Family

Timothy Torlot married Bridie Morton in 1986. They have one daughter (Eleanor, born 1990). Their marriage was dissolved in 2011. Tim is now married to author and journalist Jennifer Steil (they married in 2012). They have one daughter (Theadora Celeste Steil Torlot, born 2009).

References

• TORLOT, Timothy Achille, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013

1. "Biography - Tim Torlot". HM Government. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
2. The Diplomatic Service List 1989 (page 320), HMSO, ISBN 0-11-591707-1
3. "UK in Yemen: Our Ambassador". Archived from the original on 5 March 2010.
4. "UK envoy in Yemen escapes 'suicide bomb'". BBC News. 26 April 2010.
5. "Yemen al Qaeda arm claims attack on UK ambassador". Reuters. 12 May 2010.
6. "Timothy Torlot es el nuevo Jefe de la Delegación de la Unión Europea en Bolivia". 5 November 2012. (in Spanish)
7. "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Uzbekistan - Summer 2019". 6 September 2018.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Michael Gifford	British Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen 2007–2010	Succeeded by Jonathan Wilks
Preceded by Christopher Allan	British Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan 2019–2023	Succeeded by