Veteran American diplomat Mike Hankey on Sunday assumed charge as the new Consul General of the United States in Mumbai.
A career Senior Foreign Services officer and a former journalist, Hankey took over the charge of his post from former Consul General David J. Ranz.
“I am honoured to represent the United States of America in Western India at a time when the U.S.-India relationship is stronger than ever. As we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties, we will continue to work to build a more prosperous, free, connected, and secure world,” said Mr. Hankey.
Immediately prior to coming to Mumbai, Consul General Hankey served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Amman. Earlier he also headed the Palestinian Affairs Unit at the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem and his past assignments include postings in countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Nigeria. He was previously deputy to the chief of mission of U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem as well as Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where he led an interagency team promoting commercial and security ties in the heart of the Saudi oil industry.
“Our shared commitment to democratic values, economic partnership, and people-to-people ties is the foundation which ensures greater cooperation into the future. I look forward to exploring all that Mumbai and Western India have to offer artistically and culturally over the next three years,” Mr Hankey added.
Since joining the Foreign Service in 2001, Mr. Hankey has led teams to build deep and productive links with political, economic, and media partners across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. In Egypt before and during the Arab Spring, he advanced engagement with both Muslim and Christian communities. In earlier tours, he promoted economic development in northwestern Iraq, American consular and commercial interests in Yemen, and media professionalism in Nigeria. In Washington, he led worldwide media outreach to promote global security, disarmament, and economic prosperity as well as the team advancing American engagement with South Asia audiences.
Prior to the Foreign Service, Consul General Hankey worked as a newspaper reporter, as an international affairs editor for a news service covering the United Nations, and in support of U.S. government public affairs outreach on Arab-Israeli and South Asian issues. He has written a textbook for learning Nigerian Pidgin English.
