Matthew Rycroft

ABOUT MATTHEW RYCROFT

English diplomat who became Private Secretary to Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002 and later served as the FCO's Chief Operating Officer.

He began his diplomatic career by serving for four years at the British Embassy in the United States.

He was a British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2005-2008.

He was raised in Southampton and Cambridge, England, and he went on to study philosophy and mathematics at Merton College, Oxford.

As Tony Blair 's private secretary, Rycroft advised the Prime Minister on matters of defense and foreign affairs, including issues relating to Northern Ireland and the European Union.