The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of the United States federal government responsible for developing and promoting United States foreign trade policies. Part of the Executive Office of the President,it is headed by the U.S. trade representative,a Cabinet-level position that serves as the United States president's primary advisor,negotiator,and spokesperson on trade matters. USTR has more than two hundred employees,with offices in Geneva,Switzerland,and Brussels,Belgium.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921,it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. CFR is based in New York City,with an additional office in Washington,D.C. Its membership has included senior politicians,secretaries of state,CIA directors,bankers,lawyers,professors,corporate directors,CEOs,and prominent media figures.
The Grand Order of the Aleph Zadik Aleph is an international youth-led fraternal organization for Jewish teenagers. It was founded in 1924 as the male wing of BBYO Inc.,an independent non-profit organization. It is for teens starting in 8th grade,through 12th grade.
Ashton Baldwin Carter was an American government official and academic who served as the 25th United States secretary of defense from February 2015 to January 2017. He later served as director of the Belfer Center for Science &International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.
Robert Walker Holleyman II served as the United States Deputy Trade Representative,with the rank of ambassador,in the Office of the United States Trade Representative in September,2014 to January 2017. Previously he was the President &CEO of the Business Software Alliance (BSA),the trade consortium which represents the interests of major software houses globally.
Faryar Shirzad;born 1965 in London formerly served on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House from March 2003 through August 2006,first as a special assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs,and then as deputy assistant to the President and deputy national security advisor for International Economic Affairs. In those roles,Shirzad was responsible for advising the President,the National Security Advisor and the Director of the National Economic Council on all international economic policy matters,including trade,investment,finance,development,energy and environment. He also served as the President's personal representative to the G-8,and led the preparations for the President's participation in other international economic summits,such as the U.S.-E.U. Summit,the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum and the Summit of the Americas.
Kurt Michael Campbell is an American diplomat and businessman serving as the United States deputy secretary of state since 2024. He previously served as National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific from 2021 to 2024. In this capacity,Campbell had been referred to as the Biden administration's "Asia coordinator" or "Asia czar"—chief architect of Joe Biden's Asia strategy.
Lael Brainard is an American economist serving as the 14th director of the National Economic Council since February 21,2023. She previously served as the 22nd vice chair of the Federal Reserve between May 2022 and February 2023. Prior to her term as vice chair,Brainard served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors,taking office in 2014. Before her appointment to the Federal Reserve,she served as the under secretary of the treasury for international affairs from 2010 to 2013.
Kenneth Ian Juster is a veteran American diplomat,who served as the United States Ambassador to India from 2017 to 2021. He is currently senior counselor at the global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer,senior adviser at the institutional investor CDPQ,strategic adviser at the software company Salesforce,and distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Michael Bruce Donley is a United States government official who is the director of administration and management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense since May 2021,having served in the same position from 2005 to 2008. In the Bush and Obama administrations,Donley served as the 22nd secretary of the Air Force,amongst other positions. Donley has 30 years of experience in the national security community,including service on the staff of the United States Senate,White House and The Pentagon.
Jason Furman is an American economist and professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. On June 10,2013,Furman was named by President Barack Obama as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Furman has also served as the deputy director of the U.S. National Economic Council,which followed his role as an advisor for the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign.
Thomas Edward Donilon is an American lawyer,business executive,and former government official who served as the 22nd National Security Advisor in the Obama administration from 2010 to 2013. Donilon also worked in the Carter and Clinton administrations. He is now Chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute,the firm's global think tank.
Barack Obama assumed office as the 44th president of the United States on January 20,2009,and his term ended on January 20,2017. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
The U.S.–China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) was a high-level dialogue for the United States and China to discuss a wide range of regional and global strategic and economic issues between both countries. The establishment of the S&ED was announced on April 1,2009,by U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. The upgraded mechanism replaced the former Senior Dialogue and Strategic Economic Dialogue started under the George W. Bush administration. High-level representatives of both countries and their delegations will met annually at capitals alternating between the two countries.
Earl Anthony Wayne is an American diplomat. Formerly Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs,Ambassador to Argentina and Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan,Wayne served nearly four years as Ambassador to Mexico. He was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate in August,2011. He departed Mexico City for Washington July 31,2015 and retired from the State Department on September 30,2015. Wayne attained the highest rank in the U.S. diplomatic service:Career Ambassador. He is currently a Professorial Lecturer and Distinguished Diplomat in Residence at American University's School of International Service where he teaches courses related to diplomacy and US foreign policy. Wayne also works with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,the Atlantic Council,the Center for Strategic and International Studies,. Wayne is co-chair of the Mexico Institute's Advisory Board at the Wilson Center. He is also on the board of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Public Diplomacy Council of America. Wayne is an independent consultant,speaker and writer and works with several not-for-profit professional associations. He was an adviser for HSBC Latin America on improving management of financial crime risk from 2015 until 2019 and served on the board of the American Foreign Service Association from 2017 to 2019.
Demetrios J. Marantis is an American lawyer,senior government official and executive. He served as the acting United States Trade Representative (USTR) from March 15,2013,until May 23,2013. He served as the Deputy Trade Representative for four years under Ron Kirk,and became the acting Trade Representative when Kirk resigned in March 2013.
The Foreign Affairs Policy Board is an advisory board that provides independent advice and opinion to the secretary of state,the deputy secretary of state,and the director of policy planning on matters concerning U.S. foreign policy. The board reviews and assesses global threats and opportunities,trends that implicate core national security interests,tools and capacities of the civilian foreign affairs agencies,and priorities and strategic frameworks for U.S. foreign policy. The board meets in a plenary session several times a year at the U.S. Department of State in the Harry S. Truman Building.
Jonathan Finer is an American journalist and civil servant who serves as deputy national security advisor under national security advisor Jake Sullivan in the Biden administration. He previously served as the chief of staff and director of policy planning for former Secretary of State John Kerry at the U.S. Department of State.
Caroline Atkinson is an American economist,politician and former journalist. In 2013,she had been the Deputy Assistant to 44th US president,Barack Obama,and was his Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs.
