The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office announced on 4 August 2026 that Gill Lever had been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe, succeeding Peter Vowles, who was to transfer to another Diplomatic Service appointment. According to the announcement, Lever was planned to take up the post during September 2026. As of the source date, those dates were forward-looking planning information.

Lever, who holds the OBE, was Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja from 2023 to 2026. Her listed previous roles include Deputy Head of Mission in Juba from 2022 to 2023 and Head of Overseas Health and Welfare at the FCDO from 2018 to 2022. She joined the FCDO, then the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in 1989.