About Speaker

Ambassador John J. Sullivan is one of the most respected voices in American diplomacy and global affairs, with a four-decade career spanning five U.S. presidents and senior leadership across multiple federal agencies. As former U.S. ambassador to Russia (2019 to 2022), he led the U.S. Embassy through one of the most complex and consequential periods in modern U.S.–Russia relations, an experience he chronicles in his award-winning and critically acclaimed memoir, Midnight in Moscow.

Now a partner at Mayer Brown, where he co-leads the firm’s National Security practice, Sullivan advises global companies on risk, sanctions, and international trade at the intersection of business and geopolitics. He also serves as chair of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace, following his nomination by President Biden and unanimous confirmation by the Senate, and is a distinguished scholar at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a distinguished fellow at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

A frequent contributor to CBS News and an authoritative commentator in global media, Sullivan draws on his extensive diplomatic and legal experience to illuminate the realities of U.S. foreign policy, leadership and global risk.