Biography
Kurt Volker is a leading authority on U.S. foreign and national security policy with more than 35 years of experience spanning government, diplomacy, academia, and the private sector. He served as U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations from 2017–2019 and as U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 2008–2009.
Ambassador Volker is the Founder and President of Alliance Strategic Advisors and co-founded American University Kyiv in 2022. He also serves on several prominent advisory and governing boards, including the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, and the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), where he is a Distinguished Fellow.
From 2012–2019, he was the founding Executive Director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership. He is also affiliated with the Atlantic Council, the Hungary Foundation, GLOBSEC, and Ukrainian-American House, and has taught transatlantic relations at both Arizona State University and George Washington University. A frequent media commentator, he has appeared on CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky News, and Al Jazeera.
Ambassador Volker began his career as a CIA intelligence analyst in 1986 before joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1988. Over a 25-year diplomatic career serving six U.S. administrations, he held senior positions at the State Department, the National Security Council, NATO, and worked on foreign policy matters for Senator John McCain.
He holds degrees from Temple University and George Washington University and speaks Hungarian, Swedish, French, some Spanish, and is learning Georgian.
Guest Policy
Guests may register in advance for $35 or at the door for $40. Please arrive at 9:30 am to check in. Advance registration opens one month before each event and closes the Wednesday before each event. There is no cost for WACHH members to attend.
