He was educated at Chigwell School and St John's College, Cambridge,[2] where he graduated BA in the Mathematical Tripos in 1972.
[3][4] He went on to earn a PhD degree in theoretical physics at Cambridge in 1976, when his BA was promoted to MA.
[4] In August 2004, Collecott was appointed as British Ambassador to Brazil[8][2] and remained in post there until November 2008.
[9] In 2006, Collecott wrote to Michael Levy that his recent visit to Brazil had led to many doors being suddenly opened to British diplomats there, as President Lula now wished to work closely with Tony Blair.
[10] Writing in The Diplomatic Courier, Collecott has suggested that Brazil's national identity and ambition give it the potential to become a superpower.