Having handled diplomatic duties in countries around the world, Michael S. Owen received his first ambassadorship on the continent of Africa. Owen, a career member of the Foreign Service, took over as ambassador to Sierra Leone on August 16, 2010.
Born September 15, 1951, in Memphis, Owen received his Bachelor of Arts degree in civil engineering from Rice University in 1973 and a master’s in public affairs from Princeton University in 1975.
His early Foreign Service assignments included serving as economic officer in Colombo,
Sri Lanka, as political economic officer in Nouakchott, Mauritania, desk officer for
Rwanda and
Burundi, counselor for economic affairs in Accra, Ghana, and watch officer in the
State Department’s Operations Center. Owen also has served in Karachi,
Pakistan, and Dublin, Ireland.
Eventually, Owen received leadership assignments, such as deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, and as consul general at the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai,
India.
Owen and his wife, Annerieke Owen-Huisman, have a son, Bredan, and a daughter, Sigrid. Owen speaks French and Dutch.