Nathalie Rayes is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and served as the tenth US ambassador to Croatia. She is a seasoned leader with decades of experience in diplomacy, public service, advocacy, and corporate strategy.

Before her diplomatic appointment, Rayes was president and chief executive officer of Latino Victory, where she expanded national fundraising efforts, built institutional capacity, and elevated Latino representation in leadership roles. She previously served as deputy chief of staff to Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, managing intergovernmental affairs and major citywide initiatives. In the private sector, she worked at Grupo Salinas, where she focused on corporate strategy and US-Mexico relations. Her board service includes leadership roles with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, US Institute of Peace, Hispanic Federation, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She was instrumental in creating the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program and founded the HOPE Binational Fellowship.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Los Angeles, which named her Alumna of the Year in 2014. Rayes is fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in Arabic.