Jessica Hand

Early life and education Hand is from South Wales from "a family of teachers, undertakers and butchers". She left school after taking her A-levels and worked as a secretary in Barry for two years before going to study international relations at the University of Aberdeen. Hand was first posted abroad in 1987 to Senegal. At age 38, she was the then youngest-ever female British head of mission. She stayed in the post until 1999, when she was recalled to be the Deputy Head of the Non-Proliferation Department at the FCO.

Hand was posted to Holland in 2002, to work at NATO JFC Brunssum as the UK Political Adviser and two years later was assigned to the Moscow consulate as Consul General and Director of Operations. serving under David Reddaway. Hand stayed there until 2012, when she was recalled to work on various assignments at the FCO, including the Arms Trade Treaty.

From 2014 until her appointment in July 2017 as UK Ambassador to Angola, Hand worked as the Head of the Arms Export Policy Department.

Hand succeeded John Dennis in March 2018 as the Ambassador to Angola and the non-resident Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe. She presented her credentials to Angolan president João Lourenço on 28 June the same year. During her term she supported Lourenço's anti-corruption measures, increased economic ties, and facilitated an official visit by Prince Harry in 2019. She stayed in the post for four years, announcing she was leaving in November 2021. She was succeeded by Roger Stringer the next month.

Personal life Pearce married Robert Hand, a retired defence attache of the US Army, and has three step-children. In a 1996 interview with Decca Aitkenhead, Hand said she considers herself Welsh.