A Sligo woman is set to become Ireland’s new Ambassador to China.
Dr Ann Derwin, who’s currently assistant secretary general at the Department of Foreign Affairs, has been nominated as the State’s new chief envoy in Beijing.
Ms Derwin has had a distinguished government career to date and becomes just the second women to be nominated Ireland Ambassador to China.
Her background is in veterinary medicine.
After graduating from UCD, she ran a small vet practice in her hometown of Sligo – then joined the Department of Agriculture as a veterinary inspector in 1992, and worked in Donegal for six years.
Ms Derwin has served overseas in the past; she was agriculture attaché in Spain before returning to become chief economist at the Department of Agriculture.
Since 2017, she has worked as Director General of Global Irish Services in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where she also leads gender equality and diversity initiatives.
She’ll be moving Beijing at a critical time in relations between the countries when the supply of personal protective equipment is essential to Ireland’s against Covid-19 and as China becomes a more important trading partner and destination for exports.
