Alex Kazan joins as a Partner and Geopolitical Global Co-Lead and Samantha Vinograd joins as a Partner and Geopolitical Lead, U.S.
January 2, 2024 – Brunswick Group, the world’s leading critical issues advisory firm, today announced two senior appointments to its Geopolitical practice. Alexander Kazan will join as a Partner and Geopolitical Global Co-Lead on January 16, based in New York, and Samantha Vinograd has joined the firm today as a Partner and Geopolitical Lead, U.S., based in Washington, D.C.
Alex joins from Eurasia Group, where he served most recently as Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the management team. In these roles, Alex advised many of the world’s biggest companies and investors to help them understand, anticipate and plan for geopolitical change. Previously, Alex worked as a market strategist at Goldman Sachs, Daiwa Asset Management and Bear Stearns. Earlier in his career, he worked at the G7 Group, an economic and policy research consultancy, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Samantha is a public policy and strategic communications expert. She has served in bipartisan Administrations and in key private sector roles. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism, Threat Prevention, and Law Enforcement Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where she developed, implemented and evaluated policies to identify and mitigate risks to the U.S. Prior to joining the Biden Administration, Samantha led global public policy at Stripe and worked for Goldman Sachs where she focused on building public-private sector partnerships. She previously worked as a Senior Advisor at the Biden Institute and as a CNN national security analyst. Samantha began her career in Baghdad under President Bush working for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and she subsequently served on President Obama’s National Security Council as the Director for Iraq, Director for International Economics and as the Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor.
At Brunswick, Alex and Samantha will further develop the firm’s Geopolitical practice, which provides senior counsel to Boards of Directors and leadership teams to help them understand and manage complex geopolitical risks and opportunities.
Neal Wolin, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Geopolitical issues are top of mind for business leaders globally. Our clients need to understand how complicated events in the world around them and relations between countries can affect their operations and reputations. Brunswick has a very strong Geopolitical team around the world; Alex and Samantha will enhance our capabilities further, bringing exceptional experience of geopolitical and foreign policy matters. I am thrilled they are joining the firm.”
About Alex Kazan
Most recently, Alex was Eurasia Group's Chief Commercial Officer, head of the firm's "OneEG" initiative and a member of the management team. In these roles, Alex worked closely across the firm's business units and research teams on developing and executing overall commercial strategy, helping bring the best of Eurasia Group to clients. Alex directed many of Eurasia Group's strategic partnerships, working closely with the world's biggest companies and investors to help them understand, anticipate and plan for geopolitical change. As a speaker, Alex frequently addresses management teams, boards, investment committees and global conferences about geopolitical developments and their impact on business and the markets.
Before joining Eurasia Group, Alex worked as a market strategist at Goldman Sachs, Daiwa Asset Management and Bear Stearns. Earlier in his career, he worked at the G7 Group, an economic and policy research consultancy, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Alex has also served as a board member of the World Affairs Council of New Jersey, a non-profit organization dedicated to public education on global affairs through local programming and community events.
He holds degrees from the University of California, Davis, and Georgetown University.
About Samantha Vinograd
Samantha was most recently the Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism, Threat Prevention, and Law Enforcement Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She was previously a CNN National Security Analyst, a Senior Advisor at the Biden Institute and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She began her career under President George W. Bush as the Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché to Iraq, and she subsequently served on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council as Director for Iraq, Director for International Economics and Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor. She later joined Goldman Sachs, where her work focused on building public-private sector partnerships across a broad range of policy and business issues, and she then led global public policy at Stripe. Samantha is currently a trustee at Save the Children US.
Samantha served as an advisor to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and to the Concordia Summit. She was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Public Policy Institute, a David E. Rockefeller Fellow at the Trilateral Commission, and a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council. She was also on the board of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group.
She received her BA in Asian and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in security studies from Georgetown University.
About Brunswick Group
Brunswick is a strategic advisory firm focused on critical issues and critical stakeholders. Our purpose is to help our clients play their role in the world successfully. We advise on critical issues and critical stakeholders at the center of business, politics and society, and help our clients – the leaders of large, complex organizations – understand and navigate these interconnected worlds. Brunswick is one firm globally, operating as a single profit center. This allows us to respond seamlessly and effectively to clients’ needs wherever they are in the world.
The firm’s Geopolitical practice is co-led by Kate Fall, a Partner in London, and also comprises senior experts including Robert B. Zoellick, former President of the World Bank; Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization; Charles Powell, former Private Secretary and Advisor on Foreign Affairs and Defence to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; George Yeo, former long-term Minister in the Singapore government; Admiral Michael S. Rogers, former Director of the National Security Agency; Anthony Gardner, former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union; and Paddy McGuinness CMG OBE, former UK Deputy National Security Adviser.
For more information, visit: www.brunswickgroup.com
Contact
Chris Buscombe: [email protected]