Julianne Smith

About Julianne Smith

Ambassador Julianne Smith is a distinguished national security expert with over two decades of experience in US and European defense policy, transatlantic relations, and geostrategic risk. She has held senior leadership positions at the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State where she has shaped NATO’s response to the Ukraine war, advanced US-European economic and military partnerships, and addressed global security challenges stemming from China, Iran, and Russia.

Most recently, Smith served as the US permanent representative to NATO, where she played a pivotal role in securing allied support for Ukraine, coordinating intelligence sharing with allies, and finalizing Finland and Sweden’s accession to the alliance. She also led efforts to integrate China into NATO’s strategic concept and orchestrated NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit.

Before she was appointed NATO ambassador, Smith served as senior advisor to the Secretary of State and was a key figure in the Biden-Harris transition team, overseeing foreign policy planning with a team of over 100 national security professionals. Her career spans influential roles at think tanks such as the German Marshall Fund, the Center for a New American Security, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she published extensively on grand strategy, Russia, counter-terrorism, and China’s deepening relationships in Europe. Through war gaming and high-level strategic dialogues, she has helped policymakers in the United States, Europe, and Asia develop coordinated strategies for addressing emerging security challenges.

Smith has also advised private sector clients at WestExec Advisors and Beacon Global Strategies, helping American and global corporations navigate geopolitical and security risks.

A recognized thought leader in foreign policy, Smith has been honored with multiple awards, including the Order of the Polar Star of Sweden, the US Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award, the Sue M. Cobb Award for Diplomatic Excellence, and the Cross of the Order of Merit of Germany. Fluent in French and German, she has conducted extensive research in Europe, including fellowships at the Robert Bosch Academy and the American Academy in Berlin. Smith’s commentaries on foreign policy have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, and Foreign Policy.