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Featuring
Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Ambassador of Singapore to the United States
Carlos Dos Santos, Ambassador of Mozambique to the United States
David O’Sullivan, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States
Juan Gabriel Valdés, Ambassador of Chile to the United States
Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, Ambassador of The Republic of Ghana
Moderator, Ana Swanson, New York Times
Ashok Kumar Mirpuri took up his appointment as Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States of America in July 2012. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Ambassador to Indonesia from 2006 to 2012, High Commissioner to Malaysia from 2002 to 2006 and High Commissioner to Australia from 2000 to 2002. A career diplomat, Mr Mirpuri joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 1984. In 1994, he was appointed Director of MFA’s Policy Planning & Analysis Directorate I (Southeast Asia). In 1997, Mr Mirpuri was seconded to Shell International Ltd in the United Kingdom as Corporate Advisor (Asia Pacific). He was subsequently assigned to the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta in 1998 as Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission, having previously served in Jakarta as First Secretary (Political). Mr Mirpuri graduated with an honours degree from the National University of Singapore. He received his MA at the University of London’s School of Oriental & African Studies under a Raffles Scholarship. He attended the Programme for Executive Development at the Institute for Management Development, Switzerland, and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, USA.
Juan Gabriel Valdés, Ambassador of Chile to the United States
David O’Sullivan is the Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States. He has a long and distinguished career that spans five decades. He has served in a number of senior official posts in the European public service. Prior to his appointment as EU Ambassador to the U.S., he was the Chief Operating Officer of the ‘European External Action Service’ and responsible for establishing this new EU diplomatic service. The Service is one of the largest diplomatic networks with 140 delegations across the globe. Ambassador O’Sullivan’s career includes a number of notable and senior positions within the European Commission: Head of Commission President Prodi’s Cabinet (1999-2000), Secretary General of the European Commission (2000-2005). He has extensive trade experience as Director General for Trade (2005-2010) and Chief Negotiator for the Doha Development Round. He was responsible for overseeing the launch of a number of free trade agreements and concluded the EU’s agreement with South Korea. Before joining the Commission, he started his career with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1977-1979). Mr. O’Sullivan graduated from Trinity College, Dublin with a degree in Economics and Sociology (1975) and completed post-graduate studies at the College of Europe, Bruges (1976). While at Trinity, he was Auditor and debating Gold medalist of the College Historical Society and winner of the Irish Times debating competition. He holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Dublin Institute of Technology (2005) and was awarded a second Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater Trinity College, Dublin (2014). He has also been a visiting Professor at the European College of Parma. Mr. O’Sullivan was born in 1953 in Dublin, Ireland. He is married to the architect Agnes O’Hare and they have two children. He is no stranger to the U.S. having travelled extensively across the States and spent his early life attending grade school in California. He speaks English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese and Irish.
Carlos Dos Santos is Ambassador of Mozambique to the United States. He most recently served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (2011-2015) where he was voted “Best Diplomat of the Year” (2013). Prior to that, he served as Ambassador of Mozambique to Germany (2006-2011). His long and distinguished career includes serving as Director for Europe and the Americans at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005-2006), Advisor of the President (2003-2005) and Permanent Representative of the United Nations (1996-2002). He was the President’s Private Secretary (1992-1996), Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1991-1992) and Head of the Political Department of the Africa and Middle East Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Dos Santos holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master’s of Business Administration from Baruch College, City University of New York. He speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and Ronga. Ambassador Dos Santos is married and the proud father of three children.
Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah is the 19th Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States of America, presented his credentials to President Donald John Trump on 21st July, 2017. This is his second Ambassadorial appointment after having served as Ambassador of Ghana to Japan with concurrent accreditation to Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea from 2001 – 2008. Born on 15th December 1942 in Kumasi, Ghana, he attended Prempeh College and proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon where he obtained his first degree in Geography. He attained the Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a PhD from Indiana University in 1972. He further earned a Certificate in Counselling from the Center of Advancement, London in 1989. As a Development Advisor, H.E. Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah provided consultancy and training to many institutions in Ghana, England and Wales. He also lectured in various tertiary institutions in Ghana, England and the USA. Having held various public positions, he has proven himself as a dedicated public servant and a distinguished statesman. He has an ardent commitment to the pursuit of the socio-economic development of his country. His Excellency Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah is married with four children.
Ana Swanson is a trade reporter of the Washington Bureau for The New York Times. She previously worked at The Washington Post, where she covered trade, the Federal Reserve and the economy. A native of Story City, Iowa, Ana graduated from Northwestern in 2004 with a degree in cultural anthropology. She spent eight years in China learning Mandarin and writing about business and economics, was editor-in-chief of China Economic Review magazine from 2011 to 2013, then moved to Washington to earn a master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She has freelanced for numerous publications, including Foreign Policy, Forbes, CNN and The Atlantic, and is a regular contributor to American Public Media’s “Marketplace.” She helps run the International China Journalists Association, says she’s always on the hunt for good Chinese food in Washington and is an amateur soccer player and avid traveler.