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Staff

John Phillips

John is the Public Affairs Adviser to the Secretary-General, a post he’s held since March 2006.  He works closely with the Communication and Public Affairs Division on all matters of communicating the work of the Secretary-General and of the Commonwealth. John is also responsible for Secretary-General’s speeches and articles and is the contact person for social programmes, youth and civil society in the Office of the Secretary-General. 

Prior to joining the Secretariat, he was speechwriter for UK Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn, and in charge of EU communications for its political dialogue and technical assistance programmes in the Balkans (2001-2004) and the former Soviet Union (1995-1998).  He started out in communications consultancies in London and Brussels, having read History at Cambridge University.

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6130
Email: j.phillips@commonwealth.int

Derick Ally

Derick joined the Secretary-General’s Office as Executive Assistant to the Secretary-General in August 2005. Before working at the Secretariat, Derick was the Director General for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Presidential Protocol in the President’s Office in Seychelles.

After completing university in Auckland, New Zealand, Derek returned home to teach for four years before his ten year stint as Chief of State Protocol in the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6104
Email: d.ally@commonwealth.int

Shervon DeSilva

Shervon is an Executive Assistant in the Office of the Secretary General.  Before taking-up this post, he has worked in other areas of the Secretariat including the Special Advisory Services Division, the Human Resources Section, and the Hub and Spokes Project.
 A former citizen of Sri Lanka, Shervon has a Bachelors degree in Politics and History from the University of London.

He also worked in the Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK handling information and Protocol and later as Chief Administrator for the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators UK in Sri Lanka.

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6106
Email: s.desilva@commonwealth.int