Sir Roderic Lyne was a member of HM Diplomatic Service from 1970 to 2004. He served as British Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2000 to 2004; as UK Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation, the UN and other international organisations in Geneva from 1997 to 2000; and as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister for foreign affairs, defence and Northern Ireland from 1993 to 1996.

From 1990 to 1993 he was head of the Soviet and then Eastern Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and from 1987 to 1990 Head of Chancery at the British Embassy in Moscow. In his earlier career he served in the Soviet Union, Senegal and at the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, as well as in the Soviet and Rhodesian departments of the Foreign Office and as Assistant Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary.

Sir Roderic is Deputy Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and a non-executive director of Petropavlovsk plc and of JP Morgan Bank International (Russia).