Experts
Council resident and nonresident fellows offer research, analysis, and commentary on US foreign policy and public opinion.
Leslie Vinjamuri
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She brings nearly 30 years of experience working at the intersection of international affairs, research, policy, and public engagement.
Dina Smeltz
Managing Director & Chair, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
Dina Smeltz, a polling expert, has more than 25 years of experience designing and fielding international social and political surveys. Prior to joining the Council to lead its annual survey of American attitudes on US foreign policy, she served in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the US State Department's Office of Research from 1992 to 2008.
Jim O'Neill
Distinguished Nonresident Fellow, Global Economy
Lord Jim O'Neill, who joined the Council as a distinguished nonresident fellow in 2025, is an economist and former commercial secretary to the UK Treasury. He also served as the chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and is the creator of the BRIC acronym (Brazil, Russia, India, China), which was coined in November 2001.
