John Wood QSO

Queen's Service Order

The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...

 (born 1944), is a former New Zealand diplomat. He was Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the New Zealand Government ministry responsible for promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and international relations....

, and served two separate terms as New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States in Washington.

Wood was educated at the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

, graduating with an MA (first class honours) in 1964. He then studied at Balliol College, Oxford University, earning a BPhil.

Wood joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the New Zealand Government ministry responsible for promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and international relations....

 in 1969, and served as First Secretary in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 in 1974. He then worked as Prime Minister Robert Muldoon

Robert Muldoon

Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...

’s Foreign Policy adviser, and served as deputy chief of Mission at the New Zealand Embassy in Bonn.

Wood was Deputy Chief of Mission at New Zealand’s Embassy in Washington from 1984-1987, and Chargé d'Affaires at the post from 1984-1985, at a key time in New Zealand’s relationship with the United States, including New Zealand’s withdrawal from the ANZUS

ANZUS

The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, though today the treaty is understood to relate to attacks...

 treaty.

Wood was New Zealand’s Ambassador to Iran in 1987, and the first ambassador to Turkey in 1989. He was also high commissioner to Pakistan. In 1991 he became Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs, responsible for trade and economic policy, and one of the key officials driving New Zealand’s role in APEC, and the WTO. Wood headed New Zealand delegations and negotiations to the WTO Ministerial meetings in Seattle in 1999, and Doha in 2001. He was inducted into the Consumers for World Trade Hall of Fame for his services in the promotion of free trade.

In 1994, Wood became New Zealand’s Ambassador to the United States, in Washington. He held this post for four years, before returning to New Zealand again as Deputy Secretary for trade and economic policy. In this post, Wood was instrumental in securing Don McKinnon

Don McKinnon

Sir Donald Charles "Don" McKinnon, ONZ, GCVO is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.-Early life:...

’s posting as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and Mike Moore’s posting as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.

In 2002, Wood was again posted as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Washington, replacing former Prime Minister Jim Bolger

Jim Bolger

James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...

.

Wood retired from the Foreign Service in 2006, to Christchurch, where as an adjunct professor of Political Science. Wood also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

 in 2004. In 2009, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements

Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements have been a significant feature of New Zealand race relations and politics since 1975. Over the last 30 years, New Zealand governments have increasingly provided formal legal and political opportunity for Māori to seek redress for breaches by the Crown of...

 Minister Chris Finlayson

Chris Finlayson

Christopher Francis Finlayson is a New Zealand lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament, representing the National Party. He is a Cabinet minister and the Attorney-General of New Zealand...

 appointed him the Crown's lead negotiator in talks with Wanganui iwi

Iwi

In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...

.

Wood is married to his second wife, Rosie.