Robert N. Peirce

Robert Peirce is a leading corporate adviser and holds a number of board and advisory positions. He was a member of the British Diplomatic Service for 32 years. His last government position was British Consul General in Los Angeles from 2005 until 2009. Currently, he is cofounder of Voice Technology Solutions.

Robert joined the diplomatic service in 1977 and worked in many key positions, serving in China and Hong Kong, at the United Nations in New York and Uganda. He was private secretary to three British foreign secretaries: Sir Geoffrey Howe, Sir John Major, and Lord Douglas Hurd. He served as secretary of external affairs under Governor Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, and was directly involved in negotiations that culminated in the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Robert was the chief executive of the 1998 Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland and then became head of political and public affairs at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. He is also cofounder of BritWeek, a nonprofit organization celebrating British contributions to California.

Robert holds a BA and an MA from Oxford University.