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Former FCDO whistleblower, Josie Stewart, joins Protect’s Advisory Council

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Josie Stewart

Former Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) whistleblower, Josie Stewart has joined the whistleblowing charity Protect’s Advisory Council. With her expertise and commitment to exposing wrongdoing, Stewart is set to contribute significantly to the organisation’s mission of protecting whistleblowers and promoting transparency. 

Josie Stewart’s experience as a whistleblower herself makes her a valuable addition to the Advisory Council, bringing firsthand knowledge of the challenges and risks faced by those who speak up. 

Sarah Veale CBE, Chair of the Advisory Council said,  

“We are delighted that Josie Stewart is joining our Council. Her passion for justice and upholding ethical standards align closely with Protect’s values, reinforcing our commitment to promoting workplace cultures where speaking up is encouraged and protected. Josie brings with her an impressive pedigree, having held senior positions at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Transparency International. Her perspective and contributions will be critical in helping shape and refine Protect’s strategy and areas of focus.” 

As a member of Protect’s Advisory Council Stewart joins other experts, including oil industry whistleblower Jonathan Taylor, to provide guidance and insight to Protect’s Board of Trustees and staff. Her experience will help ensure the whistleblower perspective guides Protect’s work.  

Josie Stewart said, 

“I am looking forward to getting stuck in and being a critical friend to an organisation I respect and admire. Whistleblowing is mired with hazards and peril and the systems our country has in place are in real need of updating. I am hopeful that our new government will take this need seriously. I am confident that Protect are the right organisation to lead the charge, backed up by their 30 years’ experience working with whistleblowers and advising organisations on their whistleblowing systems. I know from firsthand experience how important Protect’s work is. As part of the Advisory Council, I will draw on my own personal experiences to ensure there is always a whistleblower’s voice at the table.” 

About Josie Stewart 

Josie Stewart is an independent consultant, researcher and advisor, and an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI. She was previously Head of Illicit Finance at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and Director of Transparency International’s global Defence and Security programme. 

Josie became a whistleblower in December 2021, in the wake of the chaos surrounding the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. She had become concerned that the government was putting vulnerable lives at risk by mishandling the evacuation of Kabul, and that those at the top of the department were providing misleading information. After giving an anonymous interview and leaking emails to the BBC she was subsequently dismissed after the BBC accidentally revealed her identity by publishing unredacted emails.  

Josie is campaigning to help change the culture in government so that civil servants can blow the whistle safely and speak truth to power. She is a regular speaker on issues of trust, transparency and ethics within government. Josie is particularly interested in the political economy of illicit finance and the interplays between corruption, illicit finance, and conflict in the developing world. 

Josie is a serving member of the Board of Trustees at Spotlight on Corruption. 

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