During his career, he served as head of mission in Moscow, Santiago, and Hong Kong.
[1][2] He was educated at Christ's College in Christchurch from 1960 to 1964,[3] and completed a Master of Arts degree in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in 1970.
[4] Wilson joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971, and remained in the public service until his retirement in 2006.
[5] Wilson's other postings in Asia were to Bangkok and, from 2001 to 2005 in Hong Kong where he served as New Zealand's consul-general.
[4] After his retirement, Wilson was appointed as a special advisor to MFAT, and was a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum expert and eminent persons group.