Tariq Mahmood Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon,KCMG (born 3 April 1968), is a British businessman and aConservativelife peer.[1][2] He previously served asMinister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Commonwealth and United Nations at theForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office.[3]
Born inLambeth,[4] toPunjabi-speaking immigrant parents from Pakistan. His father was born inGurdaspur and his mother was born inJodhpur inBritish India.[5] Tariq Ahmad was educated atRutlish School,Merton Park, southwest London.[6]
In 1991, he enteredNatWest's Graduate Management programme, eventually working as Head of Marketing, Sponsorship and Branding and in 2000 went to work forAllianceBernstein.[7][8] In 2004, he joinedSucden Financial, where he served on the Executive Committee and as Director of Marketing, Strategy and Research.[8] He is an Associate of the Institute of Financial Services and a member of theInstitute of Directors.[7][8]
From 1999 to 2008 he served as vice-president ofAMYA, a British Muslim youth organisation.[9] From 2001 to 2006, he served as a governor of Wimbledon Park Primary school.[9] He joined theConservative Party in 1994.[10] In 2002, he was elected a Councillor inWimbledon.[10] He contestedCroydon North for the Conservatives in 2005. From 2008 to 2010, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party.[10]
He is a part of theAhmadiyya Muslim Community, and was a national vice-president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association's youth organisation from 2003.[11]
On 13 January 2011, he was made alife peer, and was createdBaron Ahmad of Wimbledon, ofWimbledon in theLondon Borough of Merton.[12] He formally joined theHouse of Lords on 17 January.[13] In 2014, Ahmad was promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State atDCLG. After the2015 general election, he was appointed jointly asMinister for Skills and Aviation Security at theDepartment for Transport andMinister for Countering Extremism at theHome Office. In 2016, he was appointedMinister for Aviation, International Trade and Europe at theDepartment for Transport in thefirst May ministry.
After the2017 general election, Ahmad was appointedMinister of State at theForeign and Commonwealth Office with responsibilities to theCommonwealth, the United Nations, and thePrime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and later South Asia, theMiddle East[6] andNorth Africa.[3]
In the2024 King's Birthday Honours, he was appointedKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) "for services to British foreign policy, humanitarian affairs and the Commonwealth, faith and integration, community and families in the UK.".[14]
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| Preceded by | Gentlemen Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon | Followed by |
