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Sporting two eye-catching lapel pins on her jacket depicting the national flags of the United Kingdom (UK) and Portugal, the tall, svelte Lisa Bandari carries herself with grace and dignity. Whether accepting a ceremonial guard of honor, interacting with the heads of state or addressing trade delegations, images of Bandari fulfilling her diplomatic duties with confidence ever since she took over as the British Ambassador to Portugal [Britain’s oldest political ally, now within the European Union (EU)] have been captured in an introductory video posted on Facebook by the British Embassy — Lisbon. She is also serving as Ambassador to Cabo Verde (archipelago of 10 islands off the western coast of Africa). 

"It has been a real privilege meeting so many interesting people and working to advance UK interests in both countries,” stated Lisbon based Bandari whose repertoire of languages includes Portuguese, the official language in both these countries. Although she had taken charge as Ambassador in January this year, when Parsiana established email contact with Bandari in June, she suggested we defer the interview until the following month by which time elections would have been held in the UK. Being representatives of the Monarchy as also the Government, British Ambassadors are recommended for the post by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and then approved by Buckingham Palace.

"I am proud of the merit-based process the FCDO uses to select Ambassadors, looking at motivation, skills and experience, and of the increasing diversity of who represents the UK abroad, which is starting to reflect the diversity of our own population,” declared Bandari.

When we tried to establish whether she was the first Parsi lady to serve as a British Ambassador, Bandari lightheartedly replied, "I don’t think we have any records to prove that for certain but I am certainly the first one I have heard of! I do know some Parsi colleagues in the FCDO. Like other Parsis, I’m always on the lookout for possible Parsi names!”

During the last 20 years since she joined the UK Diplomatic Service in 2004, Bandari has "served in a number of political and policy roles… She brings experience from several Foreign Office departments as well as overseas postings in Afghanistan and Kenya,” notes the official government website gov.uk. 

Strengthening ties

According to the figures shared by the diplomat, there are 45,500 British residents in Portugal, and over 4,30,000 Portuguese residents in the UK. In her first few months in office, overseeing an embassy in Lisbon and a consulate in Portimão, Bandari "really enjoyed getting to know the wide and deep work of the UK in Portugal — supporting British nationals visiting and living in Portugal, helping British companies trade in Portugal and Portuguese companies invest in the UK, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1974 revolution which brought democracy to Portugal, and meeting members of the Portuguese Government, private sector, civil society and the British community all over the country.” 

In the British Embassy — Lisbon video post, Bandari declared, "I will only have a few years as Ambassador here in Portugal but I intend to make them count.” Subsequently, when responding to Parsiana she wrote, "I see a bright future for UK-Portugal relations. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance is the oldest existing political alliance in the world, dating back over 650 years. As well as being ancient allies, we are modern partners, sharing common interests in security and defence as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an intergovernmental military alliance of 30 European and two North American states) members, supporting Ukraine together as it defends itself against Russian aggression, cooperating on the transition to net zero (balancing the amount of greenhouse gases produced and eliminated from the atmosphere), deepening our links in science and technology, education and health, and increasing our bilateral trade and investment.” 

As the non-resident British Ambassador to Cabo Verde, she made her first visit there in February 2024 "to present my credentials to the President. Cabo Verde is a like-minded partner of the United Kingdom, with strong shared values such as democracy, human rights and good governance. We have shared interests in areas such as sustainable development and climate change, tourism, security and defence cooperation. I look forward to visiting again later this year to take our cooperation forward.”

  above (2nd from l): at the Cabo Verde Atmospheric Observatory

Exposure and experience

Prior to her current appointment, Bandari was the Deputy Director for India and His Majesty’s Government India Coordinator. Based in London she supported a virtual summit between the Prime Ministers of the UK and India in May 2021 that led to the "UK India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and a roadmap for the future decade of ambitious collaboration on trade, security and defence, climate, health and people-to-people ties.” Since Lisa’s father Darayus has his roots in India, she was familiar with a small part of this "huge and diverse country through previous travel, but had much more to learn.” As India Coordinator, Lisa "particularly enjoyed visiting Kolkata (Calcutta) and seeing the work of our Deputy High Commission there, and had the great privilege of meeting members of the local Parsi community, some of whom I have kept in touch with. It is striking how great an impact Parsis have had, even as such a small community in India. I found the examples of philanthropy and vision in the community very inspiring.”

Among her other diplomatic assignments, Lisa was part of the Department for Exiting the European Union as Deputy Director for Ongoing EU Business and Third Country Preparation from 2017 to 2020. She will now "be working to implement the reset in relations with Europe that the new Government has announced since coming into office.” Representing all UK Government departments in Portugal, "I am now focused on ensuring we deliver the new UK Government’s five missions in Portugal and Cabo Verde.” These five missions enumerated by the government are: growth, National Health Service, clean energy, safer streets, opportunity.

"I have always loved getting to know countries and languages better,” mentioned Lisa. "I have learnt so much from all my previous postings. I learnt resilience and leadership skills in Afghanistan, and innovation and operational experience in Kenya. I think my heritage has drawn me to work in or on South Asia, and gave me an affinity with Afghan culture when I served in Afghanistan from 2008-2011. I naturally related to the culture of respect for elders and the importance of family.”

Availing of opportunities "to connect with the Indian diaspora wherever I have been posted, and in the UK,” Lisa affirmed, "I am proud of my heritage and draw on it where it’s relevant in representing the UK abroad. Here in Portugal I mentioned to my team that UK-Portugal history probably played a role in my own family history — my father was born and brought up in Bombay (originally called Bom Bahia, or ‘good bay’ in Portuguese), which was gifted to the UK by Portugal as part of the dowry of Catarina de Bragança when she married Charles II in 1662. My father went to an English-speaking school and emigrated to the UK in 1970.” 

  

Thanks to her mother Kay, she has "a large and close English family who have given me strong roots in UK culture. Both my parents strongly emphasized the importance of family when I was growing up, and have invested in keeping our extended family close. I am lucky also to have Greek Cypriot, Swedish and American relatives which is a reflection of the diversity of communities in the UK... I am keen to highlight this in my work.”

Lisa was born and raised in Surrey (south-east England). She studied French and German at Magdalen College, Oxford, subsequently learnt Farsi and Portuguese but regrets she is "quite rusty” when she does not get an opportunity to use these languages actively! "I mainly think in Portuguese now when I try to speak other languages,” she admitted. In the Facebook video she revealed that her two little children speak even better Portuguese than she does; family reasons had made them relocate there prior to her current appointment. "I sadly never had the chance to learn Gujarati, although I understand some words and phrases from hearing them at social and family gatherings. I would still like to learn it one day!” said the linguist.

Having participated in the World Zoroastrian Congress in London in 2005, Lisa considers "the greatest and most urgent challenge before this diverse and unique community…is the demographic one of an aging population and low birth rate. I think bringing young people together is important. I would like to see greater inclusion in the community globally, including for interfaith families, and a focus on our shared religious values.”

Born of an interfaith marriage, Lisa confirmed, "I identify as a Zoroastrian; my navjote has been performed. I pray every day, and was delighted to go to the Atash Behram in Udvada in 2022 (for the second time) to give thanks for the opportunities I have had in my life and career, and to pray for guidance. That was a very special trip for me.”

As reported in an article in the Portugal Resident of March 7, 2024, Lisa is married to a career diplomat. Choosing to maintain her family’s privacy "as they are not in the public eye,” Lisa has been reluctant to divulge information or share photographs of them but was "very happy to talk about Lily, a black Labrador Retriever who we got in Kenya in 2014, and who has come with us to the UK and now to Portugal. She loves living in the Ambassador’s Residence, and is the perfect host — very sociable, friendly to guests, and always ready to play. The only problem is when she gets too comfortable and sometimes starts to snore during seminars — but so far no one seems to mind!”

It is the same level of comfort and security Lisa would like to assure to all those interacting with her and the staff at the British embassy and the consulate.