Puneet Talwar

Puneet Talwar is an American diplomat who served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs from 2014 to November 2015.[1] Talwar served as a top Middle East advisor to Barack Obama and played a central role in the backchannel diplomacy that produced the Iran nuclear deal. Prior to working in the White House, he was a top advisor to then-Senator Joe Biden on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for twelve years.[2]

Puneet Talwar
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs
In office
April 9, 2014 – November 2015
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byThomas P. Kelly III
Succeeded byR. Clarke Cooper
Personal details
EducationCornell University (BS)
Columbia University (MA)
Barack Obama is briefed by Puneet Talwar

Education

Talwar earned a Bachelor's of Science degree from Cornell University and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.[3]

Career

From 1995 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2008, Talwar served as the Chief Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia Advisor to Joe Biden on the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Talwar then worked on the Policy Planning Staff of the United States Department of State from 1999 to 2001. Talwar was foreign policy advisor for the United States House of Representatives, and served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq, Iran, and the Gulf States on the National Security Council from 2009 to 2014.[4] In 2012, Foreign Policy Magazine named Talwar as one of the 50 most powerful Democrats in foreign policy.[5]

In 2014, Talwar was nominated by Barack Obama to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. He left office in 2015, and was eventually replaced by R. Clarke Cooper in 2019.[6]

Since leaving government service, Talwar has served as Chairman and President of Crest International, a US-based private investment company.[7] He is also a Senior Advisor at WestExec Advisors, a strategic advisory firm founded by former Obama Administration officials, Michèle Flournoy and Tony Blinken.[8]

In November 2020, Talwar was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of State.[9]

References
  1. "Puneet Talwar". WestExec Advisors. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  2. "Asia Society Policy Institute Brings on Senior Fellows, Announces Australia Presence". Asia Society. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  3. 2015 Assistant Secretary Puneet Talwar – U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities – Full Version, retrieved 3 January 2020
  4. "Talwar, Puneet". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  5. "The FP 50". Foreign Policy.
  6. "PN116 – Nomination of R. Clarke Cooper for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019–2020)". www.congress.gov. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  7. West, SUNITA SOHRABJI, India. "Former State Department Official Puneet Talwar Moves to Private Sector". India West. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  8. Levine, Marianne; Meyer, Theodoric. "Former Obama officials launch strategic advisory firm". POLITICO. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  9. "Agency Review Teams". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
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