Catherine Elizabeth Nettleton gained a BA degree from Exeter University and an MA from Manchester University. She worked for the Inland Revenue for a year before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1983. She learned Mandarin Chinese and served in Beijing 1987–89 and also in 2000–03. She also served in Mexico City and at the FCO. After six months at the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2004, she was Head of FCO Services (Presidencies) 2004–05 (at this time the UK held the presidencies of both the G8 and the EU). She was the first British female Ambassador to Peru 2006–10 and was Ambassador to Venezuela 2010–14. In 2015 she became Director of Protocol at the FCO and deputy Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps. In 2016 she is appointed as the Representative of British Office Taipei
Winner of 2011 “Taiwan Outstanding Women in Science”
In 2002, Dr. Hsieh founded MA-tek, a commercial lab with its core business in advanced materials analysis.