George A. Folsom

From IRI website

In June 2001, George A. Folsom assumed the position of President of the International Republican Institute (IRI), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing democracy worldwide. In this capacity, he directs IRI's international operations in over thirty countries.

Folsom has been a leader in U.S. foreign policy in the public and private sector for more than two decades. He has worked on various political campaigns in the U.S., both as a political advisor and field operative. During the Bush-Cheney Transition, he served as a member of the Treasury Department Advisory Committee.

Until recently, Folsom served as a Principal in The Scowcroft Group, Inc., an international advisory firm headed by Brent Scowcroft, the former National Security Advisor to President George H.W. Bush, where he counseled investment banks and their clients on the impact of U.S. economic and foreign policies on the financial markets and international trade. Prior to his leadership position at the Scowcroft Group, Folsom worked in international investment banking and industry.

During President George H.W. Bush's Administration, Folsom served in the Treasury Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Development, Debt, and Environment Policy where he played a leading role in financial diplomacy with foreign governments and Congress, including the Brady Plan and numerous multilateral negotiations. He was the chief U.S. negotiator on the financial aspects of President Bush's Enterprise for the Americas Initiative (EAI), and helped establish the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. During the Reagan Administration, Folsom worked in international security policy at the Pentagon.

Folsom, an international political economist and lawyer, is an Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the New York Society of Security Analysts. He participates in foreign policy discussions at a variety of institutes, including the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation, the National Defense University, and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Folsom has a Ph.D. from the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University and a bachelor of arts degree from American University. He also received doctorate of jurisprudence and master of arts degrees from the University of South Carolina. Folsom is a member of the bar in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina - where he practiced law representing European clients investing in the United States.[1]