British Embassy appoints new Consul for Canary Islands and Andalucia
皇冠体育app British Embassy announced that Charmaine Arbouin has been appointed as British Consul for the Consulates covering the Canary Islands and Andalucia.
Charmaine has more than 20 years鈥� experience of managing people and resources in the public and not-for-profit sectors. She was previously a consultant to local and central government organisations in the UK, specialising in public sector performance improvement. She has also developed and managed customer contact services in Nottinghamshire. She has a degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Hull.
Charmaine said:
I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with the British and Spanish communities and authorities in both Andalucia and the Canaries. I am very much looking forward to building on the existing great work undertaken by the Consulates to ensure that Britons living or visiting Andalucia and the Canaries continue to receive excellent support when they most need it.
Charmaine has lived with her family in Andalucia for the last eight years, first in Alpandeire and now in Ronda. Her engagement with the Spanish public health, administrative and education systems 鈥� as an expatriate resident - has given her an insight into many of the challenges and benefits experienced by those visiting or living in Spain.
Dave Thomas, Consular Regional Director for southern Europe, said:
I鈥檓 very pleased that we have managed to recruit such a high calibre new Consul. Charmaine has an impressive background in senior management and will play a strategic role in the further development of our consular services in Spain.
皇冠体育app Consulates that cover southern Spain are among the busiest in the world. 皇冠体育app new Consul will oversee the work of teams in Las Palmas, Malaga and Tenerife, who provide on-the-ground assistance to British nationals.
皇冠体育app region covered by the Malaga office sees some five million British visitors every year, and is home to around 350,000 British residents. 皇冠体育app Consulates in Tenerife and Las Palmas, together with the Honorary Consul in Lanazarote, serve 3.5 million British visitors and some 85,000 residents.
Charmaine Arbouin replaces Steve Jones, who is now managing the Foreign Office鈥檚 global Contact Centre programme.