Washington, D.C. – June 13, 2024 – WestExec Advisors today announced that Ambassador Erica Barks Ruggles, former Head of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. A highly respected diplomat and national security policymaker, she will advise clients on a variety of geopolitical risk and business strategy issues, including those related to operations and investments in African countries.
Erica has an illustrious career spanning over three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service. She most recently re-established and led the U.S. Mission to UNESCO. Prior, she served as Ambassador and Senior U.S. Representative to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Conferences. She held the post of U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda from 2015 to 2018, where she played a pivotal role in strengthening bilateral relations and advancing U.S. interests in the region. Prior to her ambassadorship, she also served as Deputy to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, serving for three years on the National Security Council’s Deputies Committee. As Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, Erica spearheaded the passage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. She also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State. Erica’s extensive diplomatic experience also includes assignments in South Africa, Norway, and India, where she handled a wide range of political, economic, and security issues.
“Drawing on her considerable experience as a diplomat, and with her profound understanding of critical global issues, Erica will further enhance WestExec’s ability to provide strategic counsel to our clients on the foreign, security, and technology policy issues that matter most to them. We are delighted to welcome her to the WestExec team,” said Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors.
WestExec Advisors, LLC helps business leaders make the best decisions by advising on geopolitical risk and emerging opportunities. To learn more, visit www.westexec.com or email info@westexec.com.