Carla Sands Keynote Speaker

Chair, Foreign Policy Initiative and Distinguished Senior Fellow, Energy Policy at America First Policy Institute
President Trump’s Economic Advisory Council and U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark (2017-2021)
Former CEO of Vintage Capital Group

Carla Sands's Biography

Carla Sands serves as Chair of the Foreign Policy Initiative and as Distinguished Senior Fellow for Energy Policy at the America First Policy Institute.

Sands was appointed to President Trump’s Economic Advisory Council and U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, from 2017-2021. During her tenure, she and her team increased U.S. exports to Denmark by 45% from $2.17 billion to $3.94 billion according to MIT’s Observatory of Economic Complexity. Sands’s top priority as ambassador was to increase U.S. national security by establishing a consulate in Greenland. By working with the inter-agency and Congress, her goal was realized in 2020. Additionally, she successfully executed trade and cooperation agreements with Greenland and the Faroe Islands to counter Russian and Chinese malign influence. In 2021 she was awarded the Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor, the Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Prior to her appointment as U.S. Ambassador, Carla served as Chairman of Vintage Capital Group and its subsidiary, Vintage Real Estate, where she led the strategic acquisition and development of regional malls and retail centers nationwide.

Sands is Chairman of The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Advisory Council and serves on the board of the Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forum and the Advisory Boards of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy and the Independent Women’s Forum.

Foreign Policy

Trade Policy

Energy Security

International diplomacy

America First Policy

President Trump’s Start to His Second Term

President Trump’s Tariffs/The Ongoing Trade War

Greenland

Denmark

Latin America/India

She brings firsthand experience of American diplomacy and economic statecraft as U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, advising leaders on how trade, security and alliances shape the new contest for influence in the Arctic and beyond.
She helped drive a major increase in U.S. exports to Denmark and advanced strategic cooperation with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, giving executives practical insight into how governments secure market access and counter geopolitical pressure.
She led the successful effort to establish a U.S. consulate in Greenland, offering audiences a clear view of how national security priorities translate into real-world policy, infrastructure and strategic presence.
She pairs White House-level advisory experience with boardroom business leadership, helping organisations navigate policy change, political risk and investment decisions with commercial realism.
She is recognised for distinguished public service and continues to shape energy and foreign policy debate through leading policy institutions, equipping audiences to understand the intersection of energy security, technology and geopolitical competition.