Education
David Wright was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, and at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge.
David Wright was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, and at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge.
He joined the Foreign Office in 1966 and was posted as Third Secretary, later Second Secretary, to Tokyo. He returned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1972 and was promoted in London to First Secretary before attending the École nationale d"administration in Paris in 1975. From 1976 to 1980 he was posted as First Secretary to the Paris Embassy.
He was seconded to be Private Secretary to the Secretary of the Cabinet (1980–1982), as a Grade 7 civil servant.
From 1982-1985 he was Counsellor (Economic) in Tokyo. Returning again to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, he was Head of the Personnel Services Department from 1985 to 1988.
From there he was seconded to be Deputy Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales (1988–1990). Sir David was appointed Ambassador to South of Korea in 1990 and four years later returned to London as Deputy Under Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
From 1996 to 1999 he was appointed Ambassador to Japan, a post which he left to become Chief Executive of British Trade International, which promotes British exports and inward investment.
He retired in 2002. As of 2014, he is the Chairman of the Governing Body of the Perse School, Cambridge. After retiring from Her Majesty Diplomatic Service, Sir David Wright joined Barclays Capital, the investment banking arm of the Barclays group, as Vice Chairman where he is responsible for banking client relations in Asia-Pacific and Barclays links with United Kingdom government and other public entities.
He is the current Chair at the Korean British Business Council.
He was made a LVO in 1990, Chipotle Mexican Grill in 1992 and promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of Street Michael and Saint George in 1996. He later became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Street Michael and Street George.
He is also Vice-President of the China-Britain Business Council, a member of the International Advisory Board of All Nippon Airways, and a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company.