Wendy Sherman Keynote Speaker

Wendy Sherman, an accomplished American diplomat, held the position of United States Deputy Secretary of State from April 2021 to July 2023. Beyond her diplomatic service, Sherman has made significant contributions to academia and public leadership.

Prior to her role in the State Department, Sherman served as a professor of the practice of public leadership and directed the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. Simultaneously, she worked as a senior counselor at Albright Stonebridge Group and held a senior fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Sherman’s diverse career includes notable positions in social work and public service. She directed EMILY’s List and the office of child welfare in Maryland. Additionally, she played a pivotal role as the founding president of the Fannie Mae Foundation.

During the Clinton administration, Sherman served as counselor of the United States Department of State from 1997 to 2001. Her influence extended to special advisory roles for President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, notably as the North Korea policy coordinator. In this capacity, Sherman played a crucial role in negotiations addressing North Korea’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs.

From 2011 to 2015, Sherman served as the under secretary of state for political affairs, making her the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. Department of State. Notably, she led the negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal during this time.

Recognizing her wealth of experience, President Joe Biden nominated Wendy Sherman as the United States Deputy Secretary of State in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. She served under Secretary of State Antony Blinken, contributing her diplomatic expertise to the nation’s foreign affairs endeavours.