Job sharing in the Foreign Office: Why Germany now has two ambassadors in Canada

It is an unusual appointment for Germany’s ambassadorship in Canada – but one that could become a model: With Tjorven Bellmann and Matthias Lüttenberg, there are now two German ambassadors in Ottawa. The couple moved to the G7 country with their three children and will represent the Federal Republic together in the second largest country in the world from September.

“Under Foreign Minister Baerbock, the Foreign Office is making working models more flexible in order to achieve equality, promote women and find models that make family life easier in this profession,” Bellmann explains the job sharing concept. Bellmann was promoted to political director under the German Foreign Minister in 2022 and thus became one of her closest confidants. Lüttenberg worked as director for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Foreign Ministry must also remain competitive

With two such demanding full-time jobs, there is not always enough time for the family – the couple’s children are now 10, 12 and 15 years old. Concepts like the one in Ottawa are intended to make it possible to promote the careers of diplomats abroad without tearing families apart. Ambassador Lüttenberg explains how this will work: “Our model is designed for eight months. That means that one person is ambassador for eight months, then the other takes over the role. The person who is not ambassador primarily looks after the family here at home.”

After German ambassador couples in Slovenia and Sweden, Canada is the third country in which the construct is used at this level. This also requires that the host country is open to it – because working with two representatives can be challenging. For the Foreign Office, it is also about remaining competitive as an employer, explains Bellmann. Young colleagues attach great importance to a balance between professional and private life. And this is precisely what the Foreign Office has perhaps not always been known for. Although the ministry offers comprehensive support for families, the diplomatic profession with frequent relocations is a challenge, especially for families with children. There is an additional hurdle for couples in the foreign service: if both reach a high career level, for example as ambassador, they often have to make private or professional compromises.

Clear allocation of roles – at work and at home

And if the German ambassadors in Ottawa should ever disagree about the diplomatic course, the procedure would be clear here too, Lüttenberg continues: “If we have different opinions, it is clear: the distribution of roles naturally also counts. Then the person must also accept the consequences of his decisions. This applies at home as well as at work.”

Ambassador Bellmann will take over the first “shift” when she officially starts her duties in September. Until then, both representatives will probably have to explain their unusual job structure in the host country several times. The interest and curiosity of other diplomats and representatives of the Canadian side is certainly great. Ambassador Lüttenberg puts this down to the silly season. But soon, more and more political and diplomatic topics will be the focus. And he also makes one thing clear: the two new ambassadors in Canada will not only share a position, but also an ambassador’s salary.