4. Tom Fletcher - UAE, formerly Lebanon

 

Author of the HarperCollins book, Naked Diplomacy: Power and Statecraft in The Digital Age, as well as being the former British Ambassador to Lebanon (2011-2015,) Fletcher has built a life focused on diplomacy, both professionally and academically. 

 

As a previous ambassador, he employed a sense of humor to engage with his followers, especially the millennial generation. In that respect, he understands the importance and role of social media in connecting people. 

 

Fletcher has a deep sense of care for Lebanon and its people. He sees the nation’s struggle but also understands its beauty. 

 

Upon completing his four-year term as Lebanon’s British Ambassador, Tom wrote what can be described as a satirical, truth gripping memo of Lebanon’s reality, in all its glory and all its agony. 

 

In his piece “So... Yalla, Bye,” he urges the Lebanese to remember their dreams and hopes and to stand for a country united. Like many other Lebanese, Fletcher dreams of a “Beirutopia.” For him, Lebanon represents the hope for a better future.

 

Fletcher is currently an Advisor to the Global Business Coalition for Education and Emirates Diplomatic Academy, as well as a visiting professor of International Relations at New York University.