Leigh Turner is a British civil servant who has been British ambassador to Ukraine, resident in Kiev, since 14 June 2008. As ambassador, he writes a regular blog in English and Ukrainian and publishes interviews and articles on UK/Ukraine relations.

Leigh Turner's previous job was as Director of Overseas Territories at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...

. He was also Commissioner for both the British Indian Ocean Territory

Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory

The Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory is the head of government in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Commissioner is appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office...

 and the British Antarctic Territory

Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory

This is a list of High Commissioners and Commissioners of the British Antarctic Territory , the area of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom....

, equivalent to non-resident governor for both territories.

Born in 1958, he graduated from Cambridge University in 1979 joining the Civil Service as an administrative trainee the same year. After working in the Departments of Transport

Department for Transport

In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...

 and Environment

Secretary of State for the Environment

The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...

, and the Treasury

HM Treasury

HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...

, he joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...

 in 1983 and has since had postings in Austria, Russia and Germany.

Leigh Turner is listed for the first time in the 2008 edition of Who's Who (UK)

Who's Who (UK)

Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...

, under his full name of Robert Leigh Turner. Whilst on unpaid leave, between 2002 and 2006, he wrote travel articles for the Financial Times, The Boston Globe and other newspapers and some fiction