Freya was appointed as Director for Sanctions at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in January 2026. Freya is responsible for the development and delivery of UK Sanctions policy. Prior to taking up the role of Sanctions Director at the FCDO, Freya was the Director for Multilateral and Human Rights in the FCDO, responsible for the setting the UK’s approach to multilateral organisations, including the Commonwealth. Before that she was Director for International Trade in the Cabinet Office, delivering the Prime Minister’s priorities on international trade and ensuring collective Cabinet agreement on trade policy, including negotiation mandates for new international trade deals.

Freya has undertaken a range of roles in London and overseas spanning national security, development and prosperity. These include: Counsellor and Head of the Global Economic Policy Group in the British Embassy in Washington DC (2016-20), responsible for UK-US relations on trade, economics, climate/environment and science and innovation; Head of the National Security Secretariat Foreign Policy Team in the Cabinet Office (2013-16) and Head of the Environment and Global Economics (UN 2nd Committee) team at the UK’s Mission to the UN in New York (2007-11). Between 1997 and 2007 her roles included postings in Argentina, Morocco, India and New York (UN 5th Committee), as well as policy roles covering Nuclear and Missile Defence and the Great Lakes Region of Africa.