John McKinnon (diplomat)

John Walter McKinnon CNZM QSO (born 1950) is a New Zealand diplomat and public servant.

McKinnon was Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2004, responsible for international politics and security (Programme One).

Coupled with his previous role running one of New Zealand's intelligence agencies, he is considered an expert in international security.

In October 2006, the Government announced that he would succeed Graham Fortune as the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Defence, a position he held from the end of 2006 to November 2012.

[4] In January 2015 McKinnon returned to Beijing for a second posting as Ambassador where he is served until 2017 at which point in time he retired[5] In the 2020 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to New Zealand–China relations.