João Marcos Paes Leme, a Brazilian career diplomat. He is currently the Director of the Energy Department at Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he has held since September 2023. In recent years he served as Deputy Head of Mission (Political) at the Embassy of Brazil to the United Kingdom (2018-2023), a post he also held at the Embassy of Brazil to the People's Republic of China (2016-2018). Previously he was a Political Counsellor at the Embassy of Brazil to the United Kingdom (2013-2016), Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2011-2013), Press officer at the Office of Foreign Minister (2009-2010), and Secretary at the Embassy of Brazil to the Russian Federation (2007-2009) and at Brazil's Mission to the European Union in Brussels (2004-2007). He holds a degree in Language and Literature from Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC), Rio de Janeiro. Besides his native Portuguese, he speaks fluent English, French, Spanish, as well as German and Russian.