Vincent Fean was born on 20 Nov 1952, son of Joseph Peter Fean and Brigid Fean (née Walsh). He was educated at St Theodore’s RC Secondary School, Burnley and the University of Sheffield (taking a BA in French and German, 1975). In 1978 he married Anne Stewart, having one son and two daughters.

Fean joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1975 and during his diplomatic career served in the following posts: West Africa Department, FCO, 1975-76; Second Secretary, Baghdad [Iraq], 1978; First Secretary, Damascus [Syria], 1979-82; Western European Department, FCO (EU and Berlin issues), 1982-84; European Community Department (Internal), FCO, 1984-85; UK Rep to EU, Brussels, 1985-89; Personnel Operations/Management Department, FCO, 1989-92; Counsellor, Press and Public Affairs, Paris [France], 1992-96; Head, Counter-Terrorism Policy Department, FCO, 1996-99; Director, Asia Pacific, International Group, Trade Partners UK, 1999-2002; High Commissioner, Malta, 2002-06; Ambassador to Libya, 2006-10; Consul General, Jerusalem, 2010-14.