John joined Fipra as a Special Adviser for Maritime Affairs in 2008 having served at the European Commission for 35 years. From 1988, John was Head of Unit, first for relations with the US and subsequently for relations with Japan.
In October 1996 John became deputy head of the Commission’s Delegation to the US in Washington DC and in May 2001, Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the UN in New York. For three years from May 2005, John headed the Task Force which developed the Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU, which was adopted by the European Council in December 2007.
Between 1978 and 1996, John occupied various posts in the External Relations part of the European Commission. John worked on external energy relations, including relations with the Arab states of the Gulf, and negotiations with Eastern European states on bilateral steel agreements. John then became EU negotiator for trade in services during the Uruguay Round as well as secretary of the interservice group on External Aspects of the Internal Market.
Prior to joining the European Commission to work on environmental policy in 1973, John spent 4 years as an economist with Unilever in London and in Hamburg. John was a Board member of the Salzburg Global Seminar for many years and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of Sail Training International and a Senior Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
John maintains a keen interest and an extensive network in both international affairs and maritime and ocean affairs and continues to be fascinated by how cultural differences impact on societies and on world affairs. John has masters degrees in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge and Economics from University College London.
Married to the German broadcaster, Irmtraud Richardson, John has three grown up daughters. John is fluent in German, English and French.