Harriet Cross has been appointed as the new Governor of Montserrat, succeeding Sarah Tucker, who will be transitioning to another Diplomatic Service role. Cross is set to officially begin her tenure in April 2025.
With an extensive and distinguished career in the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Cross brings a wealth of diplomatic experience to her new position.
Most recently, she served as the British High Commissioner in Port of Spain from 2020 to 2024. Prior to that, she was the British Consul General to New England in Boston from 2016 to 2020.
In her diplomatic career Harriet has also served at the British Embassy in Morocco and at the UK Mission to the UN in New York. She has also worked in London on EU trade policy, and human rights policy.
During her career Harriet has taken time out from diplomacy to work as an International Policy Advisor for the UK’s National Crime Squad (now the National Crime Agency). She has also worked in International Relations at the University of York and helped establish a micro-brewery in Yorkshire which is now a thriving business.
Harriet has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University and a First Class honors degree from the University of Warwick in Politics with French. She has an Executive Certificate in Management & Leadership from MIT.
Her experience extends to secondments in law enforcement with the National Crime Squad and contributions to human rights and democracy efforts. Cross began her career in 1997 with the FCDO and has held various posts in Rabat and Brussels, working on political and EU-related matters.
As she prepares to take on the role of Governor of Montserrat, Cross’s diverse diplomatic background is expected to bring valuable insight and leadership to the island.
