WASHINGTON – The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace announced today that Brett McGurk will be joining as a nonresident senior fellow in its Middle East Program.
McGurk recently served as special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the U.S. Department of State. He helped build and then led the coalition of seventy-five countries and four international organizations and was responsible for coordinating all aspects of U.S. policy in the campaign against the Islamic State.
“I’ve always admired Carnegie’s independence, its deep and extensive roots in the Middle East, and its focus on the issues and questions of greatest consequence for the region, its people, and its place in the world,” said McGurk. “It’s an honor to join the Carnegie team, and I look forward to contributing as much as I can to its important mission.”
McGurk previously served in senior positions in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, including as special assistant to Bush and senior director for Iraq and Afghanistan, and then as deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran and special presidential envoy for the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State under Obama.
McGurk has led some of the most sensitive diplomatic missions in the Middle East over the last decade, including negotiations with partners and adversaries to advance U.S. interests. His most recent assignment established one of the largest coalitions in history to prosecute the counter–Islamic State campaign in Iraq and Syria. He was a frequent visitor to the battlefields in both countries to help integrate military and civilian components of the campaign.
During his time at the State Department, he received multiple awards, including the Distinguished Honor Award and the Distinguished Service Award, the highest department awards for exceptional service in Washington and overseas assignments.
McGurk will also serve at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies as the Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer.
“For more than a decade, and across administrations of both parties, Brett has led some of the most difficult and important U.S. diplomatic endeavors in the Middle East with extraordinary skill and tireless commitment,” said Carnegie President William J. Burns. “I am thrilled that Brett will bring his hard-won experience and expertise to our Middle East Program and help all of us navigate the powerful forces shaping the region and the difficult choices facing U.S. policy.”
Press Contact: Meshal DeSantis | +1 202 939 2233 | mdesantis@ceip.org