Tristan da Cunha's Governor

Lisa to join RMS St Helena's final visit to Tristan before arriving at St Helena

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced on 20th January 2016 that Lisa Phillips has been appointed Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The Tristan da Cunha community are delighted that Lisa will join the RMS St Helena on its final passage to Tristan da Cunha, departing Cape Town on 14th April, arriving at Tristan to lead the island's bicentenary celebrations on 20th April, and departing Tristan on 22nd April to then arrive on St Helena to formally take up her post of Governor on 26th April.

Lisa is presently working for DFID (Department For International Development) as Head of the Kenya Office. She has a long and distinguished service with FCO, DFID and the ODA. Before 1984 she worked for the ODA, in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, as Programme Manager, and in the Personnel Sections. Further ODA contracts between 1998 - 1996 took Lisa to Barbados, where she was Programme Manager, to India where she was Programme Manager for the Country Team, and to South East Asia, where she was Programme manager in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Between 1996 and 2002 Lisa worked for DFID as Resources Manager, Aid Policy Department and EU & Regional Policy Manager, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Department.

There followed a two year UNICEF appointment as Commonwealth Programme Manager, UN & Commonwealth Department between 2002-2004.

Between 2004-2008 Lisa returned to work for DFID as Deputy Team Leader (Followed by Team Leader) - Fragile States, Policy Division, in the Fragile States Team and Migration Team Leader, Migration Team, Policy & Research Division.

From 2006-2009 Lisa was Returns Reintegration Fund Manager, in the FCO Migration Directorate.

Since 2011 Lisa has worked for DFID in a range of senior posts: Head of Cabinet, Policy & Research Directorate (2009-2011); Head of Department, Governance & Fragile States Department (2011-2012); Anti corruption lead in the Policy Division (2012); Head of Director’s Cabinet, Policy Division (2012-13); Head of the Kenya Office (2013 - 2016).

On her appointment as the 65th Governor of St Helena and the first ever woman appointed to the substantive role, Lisa said:

"I am so excited to be taking up the role of Governor of St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha and cannot wait to be on the islands and to get going.

"With the opening of the Airport, 2016 will be a year of change for St Helena. I am looking forward to working in partnership with the Island and her people to get the most benefit out of that change, while preserving the very special place that is St Helena".

Reflecting on his four years on the Island, Governor Capes added:

"Tamara and I will leave St Helena shortly after over four tremendously busy and satisfying years. Much has been achieved during those years on so many fronts and I am hugely grateful to Councillors and colleagues in St Helena Government for their support and for their commitment to moving the Island forward.

"It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with such a talented and enthusiastic team. Even now it still amazes me how such a small community, with limited resources, has coped so well with the diverse and challenging demands placed on it in recent years as we have prepared to meet the changes ahead."

"Knowing the Island and her people as well as I do now, I have no doubt, as I hand over to my successor, that St Helena is on course for a bright and prosperous future."

Minding the Gap

Governor Mark Capes will return to St Helena on 30th January 2016, following overseas business and leave, and will depart the Island on Friday 18 March 2016 to carry out official business in Paris and Corsica connected with the Napoleonic bicentenary celebrations.

From 18th March, Head of the Governor’s Office, and former Tristan Administrator Sean Burns, will again become Acting Governor until Lisa Phillips arrives at St Helena on the RMS on Tuesday 26 April 2016.

Sean Burns then returns to Tristan da Cunha to serve a second term as Administrator.