| Honorific-Prefix: | His Excellency |
| Michael Gifford | |
| Office: | British Ambassador to Kazakhstan |
| Term Start: | January 2018 |
| Term End: | March 2021 |
| Predecessor: | Carolyn Browne |
| Successor: | Kathy Leach |
| Office2: | British Ambassador to North Korea |
| Term Start2: | 2012 |
| Term End2: | 2015 |
| Predecessor2: | Karen Wolstenholme |
| Successor2: | Alastair Morgan |
| Monarch2: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister2: | David Cameron |
| Office3: | British Ambassador to Yemen |
| Term Start3: | 2004 |
| Term End3: | 2007 |
| Predecessor3: | Frances Guy |
| Successor3: | Timothy Torlot |
| Monarch3: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister3: | Tony Blair |
| Birth Name: | Michael John Gifford |
| Birth Date: | 2 April 1961 |
| Nationality: | British |
| Spouse: | Patricia Owen |
| Children: | 2 |
| Education: | Hastings Grammar School |
Michael John Gifford (born 2 April 1961) is a British diplomat who was the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Kazakhstan from January 2018 March 2021.[1]
Gifford joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1981. From 2004 until 2007 he served as the British Ambassador to Yemen. He was then the Deputy Head of Mission in Cairo. He became the Ambassador to North Korea in October 2012.[2] He left that appointment in December 2015 and was succeeded by Alastair Morgan.[3] After full-time Russian language training he was appointed to be the Ambassador to Kazakhstan from early 2018.[4] He will leave this post in late summer 2021 and retire from the Diplomatic Service.[5]
Gifford was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to British foreign policy.
Gifford is married to his wife, Patricia, and the couple have one son and one daughter.