Charles Crawford is a former British diplomat, non-practising barrister, communications consultant, and writer. He serves as an Advisory Chair to the Global Europe Program at the Council for Global Cooperation. 

Crawford joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1979. During his career in FCO, he featured extensive policy work in London and in central and eastern Europe. He served as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Sarajevo, Belgrade and Warsaw. He witnessed with his own eyes the transition in central and eastern Europe from communism to democratic pluralism. He was appointed CMG in 1998 for his ambassadorial work in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He has drafted speeches for members of the Royal Family, Prime Ministers and other senior figures. He gives masterclasses in negotiation technique and public speaking/speechwriting. In 2016 and 2017, he won Cicero Awards for speechwriting. In 2007, he left Warsaw and the FCO to start a new private communications consultancy career. Since leaving the FCO in 2007 he has written articles on diplomacy and current affairs for Radio Free Europe, The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, National Review as well as Total Politics and Diplomat magazines.

He is a founder member of The Ambassador Partnership, a panel of former Ambassadors set up in 2010 offering corporate diplomacy services in consultancy, mediation and training. He holds a BA from St. John’s College, Oxford and MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University