Paul Johnston is a British diplomat shaped by conflict, alliances, and political upheaval. Born in Scotland and educated at the University of Glasgow, he joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, starting at the Ministry of Defence before moving to the Foreign Office.

Early roles:

Desk officer for Bosnia

Private secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen

UK delegate to the Kosovo Rambouillet talks

Key postings:

Paris, New York at the UN Security Council, Stockholm, Brussels with NATO

He later served as UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security Affairs during Brexit.

From 2020 to 2025, he was Ambassador to Ireland, managing post Brexit relations, and then became Director General of the Irish Universities Association.exit. He remained in Ireland afterward, becoming Director General of the Irish Universities Association.