WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 16, 2026 – The Atlantic Council announced today that John E. Waldron, president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs, will serve as chairman of the Atlantic Council’s International Advisory Board (IAB), succeeding former US National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley.
Waldon will be the fourth-ever IAB chair, following Hadley, now-US Senator David McCormick (R-PA) and the late General Brent Scowcroft. Founded in 2007 by General Scowcroft and Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe, the IAB brings together chief executives and chairs of leading global companies and former government leaders of cabinet level or above. Its members meet with top US and global officials, contribute to the Atlantic Council’s work, and provide guidance to the organization’s leadership.
Hadley will remain a member of the IAB, serving as chairman emeritus, and will continue to serve on the Atlantic Council’s Board of Directors and its Executive Committee as one of its two executive vice chairs, alongside Adrienne Arsht, and as chair of its Strategy and Programs Committee.
“I could not be more pleased. John brings the experience, judgment, and global perspective essential to guiding this uniquely influential group of business and policy leaders,” said Hadley. “His extensive engagement at the highest levels of business and government gives him the insight needed to advance the Atlantic Council’s work at this pivotal time.”
“I am honored to lead this remarkable group as we navigate the complicated global landscape together,” said Waldron. “As international alliances become increasingly complex, we will remain committed to upholding a constructive dialogue and maintaining focus on the long-term goals for global economic growth and security.”
In addition to serving as president and chief operating officer, Waldron is a member of the Board of Directors of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the US-China Business Council, a member of the International Advisory Council of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic, a member of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, a member of the Board of Trustees of Middlebury College, a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
About the Atlantic Council
Founded in 1961, the Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic community’s central role in meeting global challenges. Sixty-five years later, the Council’s enduring mission of “shaping the global future together” with partners and allies has never been more urgent or consequential. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. Through the papers it publishes, the ideas it generates, and the communities it builds, the Atlantic Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more free, secure, and prosperous world.
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