About Marianne

I have been in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) for almost five years, joining as an “Operational Entrant”. I worked in London for my first three years, 18 months in Human Resources and then 18 months on the Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia desk. Then, after six months of training, I started my first overseas posting as a “world-wide floater” (not the best choice of title!), which means I do almost every job possible in locations all around the world to provide cover for staff in our missions. I have been floating for 16 months and have eight more to go. The countries I have worked in so far are: Panama, Lithuania, Russia, Denmark, Moldova, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Nigeria and the Seychelles.

The travel opportunities and my interest in learning languages initially attracted me to the FCO, but I have done such a variety of things since joining. And nothing particularly related to my degree in Psychology and Sociology. I have worked outside the FCO, including a year with BBC Monitoring, administering accounts for their overseas units.

When I am not working, I am doing all sorts. I am a clarinet and cello player (very rusty now that I have been separated from my instruments for so long). I helped to set up the FCO Ladies Netball team as Treasurer, at the time the only women’s team in our London offices. And whilst floating, I get involved in whatever I can at each post to keep fit or travel round the region to make the most of the experience, more of which you will hear about in my blogs.