Former executive director, Asia New Zealand Foundation
Simon Draper is an experienced diplomat with an extensive international background in negotiation and relationship management.
He joined the Foundation in September 2015, coming from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where he worked in various roles since 1991. He left his role at the Foundation in August 2023.
Before joining the Foundation, he held the role of director United Nations, Human Rights and Commonwealth Division. In this role, he managed New Zealand’s engagement and policy with the United Nations in New York, the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the Commonwealth in London. A key part of the role was to drive New Zealand's successful campaign for a United Nation's Security Council seat.
Simon has held several other leadership positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), including New Zealand’s Consul-General to French Pacific Territories (2008-2011), director of the chief executive' s office (2005-2008) and foreign policy adviser to Rt Hon Simon Upton.
Before joining MFAT, he worked in the banking and consultancy sectors. He speaks working-level Korean, French and Italian.
He is currently New Zealand's Ambassador to the European Union and NATO, based in Brussels.