{{Short description|British diplomat}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} {{Use British English|date=August 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Her Excellency | name = Jill Gallard | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CMG|CVO}} | image = S960 Jill Gallard photo.jpg | birth_name = Jill Parkinson | birth_place = Omagh, Northern Ireland | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = | spouse = Dominic Gallard | children = 2 | alma_mater = University of Edinburgh | office = British Ambassador to Germany | term_start = 11 November 2020 | term_end = 4 September 2024 | predecessor = Sir Sebastian Wood | monarch = Elizabeth II<br>Charles III | prime_minister = Boris Johnson<br>Liz Truss<br>Rishi Sunak<br>Keir Starmer | office2 = British Ambassador to Portugal | term_start2 = 2011 | term_end2 = 2014 | predecessor2 = Alexander Ellis | successor2 = Kirsty Hayes | monarch2 = Elizabeth II | prime_minister2 = David Cameron | succeeded = Andrew Jonathan Mitchell }} '''Jill Gallard''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CMG|CVO}}<ref name="whoswho"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4484047 | title=CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD &#124; Honours and Awards &#124; the Gazette }}</ref> is a British diplomat who served as British Ambassador to Germany from November 2020 to September 2024.<ref>{{Cite press release|date=17 July 2020|title=Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Germany: November 2020|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-her-majestys-ambassador-to-germany-july-2020|publisher= Foreign & Commonwealth Office|access-date=20 July 2020}}</ref> Previously she was the British Ambassador to Portugal, director of human resources at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and deputy political director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.<ref name=":0" />

==Early life== Born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, and raised in Omagh and County Antrim, Gallard was educated at Ballyclare High School<ref name=BelfastTelegraph>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/ni-woman-jill-gallard-is-uks-first-female-envoy-to-germany-39767826.html|title=NI woman Jill Gallard is UK's first female envoy to Germany|work=Belfast Telegraph|last=Halliday|first=Gillian|date=20 November 2020|access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> and gained an MA degree in French and Spanish from the University of Edinburgh.<ref name=BelfastTelegraph/>

==Career== Gallard joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1991. She has served at Madrid and Prague and in various posts at the FCO,<ref name="whoswho">{{cite book |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-254632 |title=Gallard, Jill |work=Who's Who 2018 |date=1 December 2017|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U254632 |isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 }}</ref> including at the European Commission in Brussels.<ref name=BelfastTelegraph/> She was Ambassador to Portugal from 2011 to 2014<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/our-ambassador/ |title=Our Ambassador |publisher=British Embassy Lisbon |date=2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124223520/http://ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/our-ambassador/ |archive-date=24 November 2011}}</ref> and director of human resources at the FCO from 2014 to 2018.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jill-gallard |title=Jill Gallard |website=gov.uk}}</ref> [[file:First Minister meets UK ambassador to Germany.jpg|thumb|left|with the Scottish First Minister in 2024]] Gallard was appointed CMG in the 2018 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=62310 |supp=y |date=9 June 2018 |page=B4}}</ref>

From 2018 to 2020, she was deputy political director and director of the Western Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean at the FCO.<ref name=BelfastTelegraph/>

In July 2020, Gallard was appointed Ambassador to Germany and took up the position in November.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-her-majestys-ambassador-to-germany-july-2020|title=Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Germany: November 2020|publisher=GOV.UK|date=17 July 2020|access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> She was the first ever woman to hold the position.<ref name=BelfastTelegraph/> In March 2023 she received King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their first outbound state visit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/state-visit-germany|title=State Visit to Germany|publisher=royal.uk|date=29 March 2023|access-date=6 April 2023|archive-date=30 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330004407/https://www.royal.uk/state-visit-germany|url-status=dead}}</ref> In honour of this she was appointed a Commander of The Royal Victorian Order in November 2023, with the appointment backdated to the date of the state visit. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4484047 | title=CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD &#124; Honours and Awards &#124; the Gazette }}</ref> In March 2024 it was announced that her successor would be Andrew Jonathan Mitchell from September 2024, with Gallard transferring to another posting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Change of His Majesty's Ambassador to Germany: Andrew Mitchell |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-his-majestys-ambassador-to-germany |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Andrew Mitchell CMG |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/andrew-mitchell--2 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life== Gallard is married and has two children. She is multilingual.<ref name=BelfastTelegraph/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef | before = Alexander Ellis }} {{s-ttl | title = British Ambassador to Portugal | years = 2011–2014 }} {{s-aft | after = Kirsty Hayes }} {{s-bef | before = Sir Sebastian Wood }} {{s-ttl | title = British Ambassador to Germany | years = 2020–2024 }} {{s-aft | after = Andrew Jonathan Mitchell }} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallard, Jill}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Category:Women ambassadors of the United Kingdom Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Germany Category:People from Omagh Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Category:21st-century British diplomats Category:20th-century British diplomats