Meet the mentor: James Kariuki (1989)
Jesus College has an innovative Careers and Mentoring Programme matching current students and recent alumni with experienced alumni and leaders in their fields. One of our mentors, James Kariuki (1989), tells us more about his career, his mentoring experience, and his advice for others about to embark on the mentoring process.
Can you tell us how your experience at University shaped your career?
For many people, university is life-changing. Jesus College certainly was for me. My early childhood - born in Morocco to an English mother and Kenyan father – sounds exotic. But my parents separated before I was two, and I had a fairly unremarkable upbringing in Surrey where I attended the local state primary before winning a scholarship to a nearby private school. Maths and science had been my strengths, but I was drawn to the insight economics promised into human behaviour. I applied to Cambridge like many boys from my school, and chose Jesus because it had a rugby pitch and tennis courts (my two sports) on the grounds. Cambridge broadened my horizons and sense of place in the world. My time at Jesus (1989-92) was one of political and social upheaval in the UK and abroad: the end of Margaret Thatcher’s dominance of British politics; the fall of the Berlin Wall and crumbling of the Soviet Empire (though not “the End of History” Fukuyama promised); the struggle against apartheid in South Africa; the early days of climate consciousness. I pivoted from Economics to Social and Political Sciences for Part II, but stayed clear of student politics: I was too busy partying and playing rugby (on my last visit a picture of our 1989 1st XV team still hung in the St. Rhadegund pub).
What were your experiences entering the world of work?
I graduated in a recession and almost became an accountant: they were about the only people hiring. But the idea of public service and foreign adventure appealed, so I took the Civil Service Fast Stream exams and ticked the box for Diplomatic Service. A year later I was on the Iran Desk dealing with the Salman Rushdie crisis, and a year after that, aged 23, sent to Baghdad on loan to the UN Weapons Inspection team charged with overseeing Saddam Hussein’s disarmament. Last month I completed 30 years in what is now the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. It’s increasingly rare to spend one’s working life in one career. What has kept it fresh for me has been the sharp change in direction, and often location, every 3-5 years. I’m now on my second tour in New York, serving as the UK “Deputy Permanent Representative”: our second Ambassador to the UN.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day could include sparring with Russia in Security Council over Ukraine; addressing the General Assembly on existential risks from Climate Change to AI; or shaping the UN response to development and humanitarian challenges in Africa. I’ve spent half my career overseas: Caracas (where I met Hugo Chavez on the campaign trail) and Washington (where I led the Embassy’s political and economic relationship with Obama’s administration), in addition to New York and Baghdad. The rest of my career has been in London roles: often doing multilateral, EU or economic work, including a loan to Gordon Brown’s economic secretariat during the 2008-09 financial crises.
What sort of challenges do you face in your role?
Like any job, being a diplomat has its challenges and frustrations. It’s hard to shift the dial on the world’s most intractable problems. In a democracy you’re never going to embrace every policy advanced by successive governments. My wife and kids haven’t always appreciated the “great opportunity” that comes with our nomadic lifestyle. But it is an enormous privilege to represent your country abroad; and to try to be a force for positive change. And while it’s not all glamorous cocktail parties, there has been plenty of fun and adventure in the job for me and the family. The office I joined was led almost exclusively by white, privately-educated, heterosexual men. 30 years on it is significantly more diverse in every respect. But we still have some way to go to fully reflect modern Britain. As my own career has progressed – often with the support of strong mentors and role models - I’ve become more involved in efforts to increase diversity in the FCDO and wider civil service.
What can you offer current students?
I would be particularly happy to talk to individuals or groups of students who might otherwise be put off by this career by outdated perceptions of what a British diplomat should look and sound like. As I’ve written in a previous graduate recruitment blog, diversifying our recruitment and progression makes our organisation both fairer and stronger.
James can be contacted on Jesus Connect the College's mentoring and networking platform.
The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to James Kariuki (1989).
