WASHINGTON, DC – Today the Atlantic Council announced that Ambassador Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow, former deputy secretary general of NATO, will join the Atlantic Council as a distinguished fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. Ambassador Vershbow was the deputy secretary general of NATO from February 2012 to October 2016. At the Council, Ambassador Vershbow will focus on NATO strategy, including relations with Russia, and support the Council’s extensive engagement with partners and allies across three critical regions: Europe, the Gulf, and Northeast Asia.
Said Atlantic Council CEO and President Fred Kempe, “We are delighted that Ambassador Vershbow, such a distinguished and widely experienced ambassador and senior US government official, is joining our team to contribute his expertise at such a critical time for our country and the world. We will look to engage Ambassador Vershbow across a wide range of strategic issues, opportunities and challenges that we address in concert with our close allies and partners.”
Prior to his post at NATO, Ambassador Vershbow served for three years as the US assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. In that position, he was responsible for coordinating US security and defense policies relating to the nations and international organizations of Europe (including NATO), the Middle East, and Africa.
From 1977 to 2008, Vershbow was a career member of the United States Foreign Service. He served as US ambassador to NATO (1998-2001); to the Russian Federation (2001-05); and to the Republic of Korea (2005-08). He held numerous senior positions in Washington, including special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs at the National Security Council (1994-97) and State Department director for Soviet Union affairs (1988-91). During his career, he was centrally involved in strengthening US defense relations with allies in Europe and Asia and in transforming NATO and other European security organizations to meet post-Cold War challenges. He also was involved in efforts to support democracy and human rights in the former Soviet Union.
In assuming his new position, Ambassador Vershbow said that “after forty years of government service, I look forward to contributing to the Atlantic Council’s innovative efforts to address twenty-first century challenges and to build links among the transatlantic community and US allies and partners in Asia and the Middle East.”
The Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security produces cutting-edge analyses and develops strategies for how the United States can best work with like-minded partners to shape the future. Named in honor of two-time National Security Advisor and former Atlantic Council Board Chairman, Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, the Center pursues a foreign policy vision grounded in his legacy of American statecraft, built upon a foundation of bipartisanship and cooperation with America’s friends and allies.
For any questions or to request an interview with Ambassador Vershbow, please contact us at press@AtlanticCouncil.org.
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The Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organization that promotes constructive US leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic community in meeting today’s global challenges. For more information, please visit AtlanticCouncil.org and follow us on Twitter @AtlanticCouncil.