Sir Sherard Louis Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO (/ˈʃɛrərd ˈlwiː ˌkuːpər ˈkoʊlz/ SHERR-ərd LWEE KOO-pər KOHLZ; born 8 January 1955)[1] is a British former diplomat.

His grandfather, the metallurgist Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles, was the son of naval inventor Captain Cowper Phipps Coles.

[4] The couple have four sons, Henry Sherard, Rupert Neil, Frederick Peter and Myles Philip, and one daughter, Minna Louise.

[6] He attracted controversy in October 2008 when a leaked French diplomatic cable suggested he had been sharply critical of Karzai and US policy.

[8] In early 2010 it was reported that he clashed with senior NATO and US officials over his insistence that the military-driven counter-insurgency effort was headed for failure, and that talks with the Taliban should be prioritised.

[10] In 2011, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles became BAE Systems' international business development director, focusing on the Middle East and south-east Asia.