December 2, 2021— The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) is excited to announce that Hon. Rose Gottemoeller and Hon. Daniel Poneman have joined CSR’s Board of Directors. Both bring extensive leadership and a positive vision for international security to the Board of the Council on Strategic Risks.
Currently, the Hon. Rose Gottemoeller is the Steven C. Házy Lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman-Spogli Institute and its Center for International Security and Cooperation, and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. She served as the NATO Deputy Secretary General from 2016 to 2019. Prior to that role, she helped lead historic achievements at the U.S. Department of State as the chief U.S. negotiator of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START Treaty) with Russia. Her book, Negotiating the New START Treaty, recounts this experience. From 2009 to 2016, she first served as Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, and then for nearly five years as the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
Before her work at the Department of State, Ms. Gottemoeller was a senior associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and from 2006 to 2008, the Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. Earlier in her career, Ms. Gottemoeller served as Deputy Under Secretary for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation and as Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation and National Security at the U.S. Department of Energy. In both roles, she facilitated cooperation between Russia and the Newly Independent States on nonproliferation and nuclear security. Before joining the Department of Energy, Ms. Gottemoeller served on the National Security Council staff as Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs, focusing on nuclear threat reduction in Eastern Europe. In addition, she has had roles at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, RAND, and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Daniel Poneman is currently president and CEO of Centrus Energy Corp. From 2009–2014, he served as Deputy Secretary of Energy and Chief Operating Officer at the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Poneman first joined the Department of Energy as a White House Fellow in 1989. The following year, he joined the National Security Council as Director of Defense Policy and Arms Control. From 1993–1996, Mr. Poneman was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Nonproliferation and Export Controls at the National Security Council. In this capacity, he focused on a number of U.S. energy policy areas, including peaceful nuclear cooperation and chemical and biological arms control efforts.
Poneman has held many other leadership roles and published several books on national security issues, and was awarded the 2005 Douglas Dillon Award for Distinguished Writing on American Diplomacy for his third book, Going Critical: The First North Korean Nuclear Crisis (coauthored with Joel Wit and Robert Gallucci). He is also the author of Double Jeopardy: Combating Nuclear Terror and Climate Change, published in 2019 by the MIT Press.
“I’m honored that Rose and Dan have joined the Board of the Council on Strategic Risks,” said Hon. Sherri Goodman, the Chair of the Board at CSR. “They continue to be true thought leaders on the full range of international security issues, from nuclear security and arms control to addressing the security risks of climate change. They will play a key role in shaping the goals and advancing the mission of CSR.”
Christine Parthemore, CSR’s Chief Executive Officer, views the commitment of Poneman and Gottemoeller to driving progress in addressing the world’s most pressing threats as an inspiration for the Council’s work. “The CSR team seeks to follow in their footsteps in developing new ideas and finding creative solutions for what can too often seem like insurmountable hurdles in international relations.”
In response to the two appointments, Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell, Co-Founders and former CEOs of CSR, stated “It is incredibly exciting to see individuals of Rose’s and Dan’s caliber join CSR’s effort to better analyze, anticipate and address systemic risks to security. Their wisdom and experience will enhance the effectiveness of the organization’s goal to realize a world that’s more prepared for the complex crises of the 21st century.”
Rose Gottemoeller noted: “I am very glad to be joining the Board of CSR, an organization with an interdisciplinary ethos and strong will to break out of the silos that are preventing us from comprehending the threats that are coming at us from over the horizon.”
Dan Poneman stated: “I am delighted to join the Board of the Council on Strategic Risks, which is bringing analytical rigor and practical recommendations to the most challenging issues facing the planet – climate and security – for which stovepiped approaches will not work and integrated solutions provide the only viable path to success.”
Regarding Gottemoeller’s appointment, Board member Hon. Deborah Gordon added, “In addition to being a skilled diplomat and analyst, she is adept at considering how technological evolution can help open up new opportunities and solutions, for example for future arms control agreements. We are honored to have her on the CSR Board.”
CSR Senior Fellow Andy Weber, who formerly served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, worked closely with Poneman throughout their careers. In response to his appointment, Andy said: “Dan is a strong champion of interagency and international cooperation for addressing pressing challenges, including nuclear and climate risks. It is wonderful to have him associated with CSR, and I look forward to collaborating on ways to restore U.S. leadership on these issues.”
Direct inquiries to: Francesco Femia. Email: ffemia at csrisks.org
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