Blackstone (NYSE:BX) today announced the appointment of the Honorable
William J. Burns as Senior Advisor, providing strategic counsel to the
firm on geopolitical issues.
Ambassador Burns is currently President of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, the oldest international affairs think-tank in the
United States. He holds the rank of career ambassador, the highest in
the U.S. Foreign Service. Before joining Carnegie, Ambassador Burns
served as the Deputy Secretary of State, one of only two serving career
diplomats in history to hold the title. Among his other posts during his
33-year diplomatic career, he served as Undersecretary for Political
Affairs from 2008 to 2011, U.S. Ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008,
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2001 to 2005,
and U.S. Ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001.
“Bill has been one of the small group ‘in the room’ dealing with most of
the critical international issues of the last 20 years. His innate
understanding of geopolitical risk will serve us well as we seek new
investment opportunities and partners globally,” said Tony James,
President and Chief Operating Officer, Blackstone. “He brings with him
an impressive network of relationships built over a distinguished 33
year career and a unique perspective on the investment implications of
international affairs. We are delighted to have him join the firm and we
welcome him as a Senior Advisor to Blackstone.”
“I’m pleased to be joining Blackstone,” added Ambassador Burns. “I have
long been impressed by their deep understanding of and approach to
global business. I feel that we can both learn from one another’s
experiences and knowledge and I look forward to working closely with
management and their experienced investment teams.”
Ambassador Burns received a Bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University
and Master’s and Doctoral degrees in international relations from Oxford
University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar. He is a recipient of
four honorary Doctoral degrees and is a member of the American Academy
of Arts and Sciences.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to
create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors,
the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do
this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help
companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with over
$300 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles
focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity,
non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a
global basis. Blackstone also provides various financial advisory
services, including financial and strategic advisory, restructuring and
reorganization advisory and fund placement services. Further information
is available at www.blackstone.com.
Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.
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