Dame Barbara Logan HayDCMG LVO MBE (born 20 January 1953) is aBritish diplomat who served asConsul-General in Los Angeles from July 2009 to August 2013.[1][2][3]
Educated atBoroughmuir Senior Secondary School inEdinburgh, Hay joined theForeign and Commonwealth Office in 1971 as a visa clerk. Hay had started learning Russian at school and continued her training inRussian by spending a year at the Defence School of Languages in Beaconsfield. Hay was posted to the Embassy inMoscow in 1975 as a Third Secretary, transferring toJohannesburg as Vice Consul in 1978.[1][4]
After some time in London, Hay worked in Montreal from 1985 as Vice Consul and Commercial lead, before returning to Moscow, now as First Secretary for Information in 1988. As theRussian Federation replaced the Soviet Union, theBritish Consulate-General in St Petersburg was re-opened, and Hay was appointed as its first new Consul-General in 1991.[1][4]
In 1992, Hay returned to London, before being appointed asAmbassador to Uzbekistan and concurrently (non-resident)Ambassador to Tajikistan in 1995. She was the first female ambassador inTashkent.[2] In 2000, she returned to St Petersburg for a second stint as Consul-General until 2004.[1][4]
After aterrorist attack in Istanbul killed the Consul-GeneralRoger Short and eleven other Consulate staff, Hay was appointed Consul-General there, a post that also involved serving as Director of Trade and Investment Promotion withUK Trade & Investment. Hay took up post asConsul-General in Los Angeles in 2009.[1][4]
Hay was appointed as a Member of theOrder of the British Empire (MBE) in the1991 New Year Honours list;[5] as a Companion of theOrder of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the1998 Birthday Honours;[6] as a Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in the2008 New Year Honours;[7] and finally as a Lieutenant of theRoyal Victoria Order (LVO) in 2008 following the Queen'sState Visit to Turkey.[8] She is a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Arts (FRSA).[1][4]
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bernard Gilliat-Smith No representation, 1934–1991 | British Consul-General in St Petersburg 1991–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British Ambassador to Uzbekistan 1995–1999 | Succeeded by |
| British Ambassador to Tajikistan (non-resident) 1995–1999 | ||
| Preceded by | British Consul-General in St Petersburg 2000–2004 | Succeeded by George Edgar |
| Preceded by | British Consul-General in Istanbul 2004–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British Consul-General in Los Angeles 2009–2013 | Succeeded by Chris O'Connor |