Charles Byrne joined the English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth as Director-General in March 2024, bringing a lifelong passion for oracy and a broad range of valuable skills and experience. As DG, Charles also acts as the Secretary-General to the International Council of the ESU.
Charles’s career has covered both the commercial and third sectors. He was previously Director-General of the Royal British Legion; he represented the Legion at cross-party select committees, on national television, fulfilled ceremonial duties at national and international Remembrance events and regularly hosted members of the royal family.
In 2009, following his father’s diagnosis with cancer, Charles joined Macmillan Cancer Support to lead its fundraising with corporate partners, high-value donors and through its major events such as the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.
Before moving to the third sector, Charles’s career was in the commercial world, developing the retail estate at Heathrow’s Terminal Five, setting up and running travel retail offers across Europe and working in the UK wine trade.
Charles has completed studies with the Royal College of Defence Studies and the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. He holds an MBA from the University of Surrey and a BA in philosophy and literature from the University of York.
