Education
University of Durham.
University of Durham.
In 2011, while serving as the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Malawi, he was declared persona non grata and expelled from the country because of controversial comments he made in a leaked diplomatic cable. Cochrane-Dyet has held diplomatic positions representing the British government in Afghanistan, Australia, Guinea, Indonesia, Libya, Nigeria, and Zambia. His first position as a head of mission was as the British High Commissioner to the Seychelles from 2007 to 2009.
In September 2009, he became the British High Commissioner to Malawi.
After his expulsion from Malawi, he spent a year as Deputy Head of Mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. He was appointed British Ambassador to Liberia in 2013 and was replaced, to transfer to another Diplomatic Service appointment, in April 2015.
Cochrane-Dyet was appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire "for services to British foreign policy" in the Queen"s Birthday Honours of 2015. Cochrane-Dyet has been married to Susie since 1987, with three sons: James, Alex and William.
In April 2011, the Malawian newspaper The Nation published an article quoting a leaked diplomatic telegram from Cochrane-Dyet in which he wrote that Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika was "becoming ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism".
On 27 April, Malawi"s government declared Cochrane-Dyet persona non grata and expelled him from the country. The United Kingdom responded by expelling Malawi"s acting high commissioner, Mississippi Flossie Chidyaonga. British aid to Malawi was also cut official
In October 2011, Mutharika apologised for the expulsion of Cochrane-Dyet and lifted his ban from Malawi.
Mutharika died in April 2012 and shortly afterward the British Foreign Secretary announced that a new high commissioner would be appointed.