This event is open to the BSIA and CIGI community, including all UW and Laurier faculty and students.
Britain’s first Muslim woman appointed as a head of a Diplomatic post as the UK’s Consul General in Toronto covering Ontario, Fouzia is a senior British diplomat with strong leadership, communication, and people skills, including significant experience of building international relationships in the Middle East and South Asia; and managing, coaching and developing multi-cultural and diverse teams.
Fouzia leads a strong team of around 40 staff at the Consulate-General in Toronto covering a broad range of political and trade work including on climate and tech, as well as providing support to British nationals and companies. Fouzia has had diplomatic postings to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and has served across the Gulf Cooperation Council. She has worked across political and economic affairs, bilateral trade and investment, as a UK Government spokesperson, and on the UK Government response to crises.
In addition to these postings, Fouzia has worked on major FCDO change programmes and served on secondment to the Cabinet Office and No10 Downing Street. She is a passionate advocate on diversity and inclusion and won awards for her work leading the FCDO’s Race Network; and was honoured by His Majesty King Charles III for her services to foreign policy in 2023. Hailing from Stourbridge in the UK, Fouzia is an alumna of University of Cambridge and University of Birmingham.
