WDI to Host Top Diplomat to Vietnam on Building Trust & Taking Risks
Monday, February 14, 2022
Note: A recording of the event is now available.
The William Davidson Institute (WDI) will host a discussion with Ted Osius, former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and leader of the US-ASEAN Business Council. He will discuss Vietnam’s economic transformation and the skills necessary to succeed in cross-cultural business. The talk, “Building Trust and Taking Risks,” is set for 2 p.m. March 16, via Zoom. (Register here.)
A diplomat for 30 years, Osius served from 2014 to 2017 as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam during the Obama Administration. Leading a team of 900, Osius devised and implemented strategies to deepen economic, security and cultural ties between the two countries. Only the second openly gay career diplomat in U.S. history to achieve the rank of ambassador, Osius went to Vietnam with his husband and two children.
After leaving government, Osius joined Google as its Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google Asia-Pacific and currently serves as President of the US-ASEAN Business Council, which represents 170 of the largest American businesses in Southeast Asia through its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and its seven regional offices.
During the talk, Osius will share some of the key insights from his 2021 book “Nothing is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam.” He’ll then discuss his fascinating career, including his time in the foreign service, his transition to Google, and how he landed in his current position at the US-ASEAN Business Council. He’ll talk about the differences in working in the public sector vs. the private sector.
“As a leader in foreign service, private enterprise and nonprofit organizations, Ambassador Osius offers a unique perspective for how building understanding can lead to historic opportunities,” said Amy Gillett, Vice President for Education at WDI who will convene the discussion with Osius.
Participants will have an opportunity to submit questions during the discussion.
Earlier in his career, Osius was a senior advisor at the Albright-Stonebridge Group and Vice President of Fulbright University Vietnam. Osius was associate professor at the National War College and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
As a diplomat, Osius served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Political Minister-Counselor in New Delhi, India. Osius also served as deputy director of the Office of Korean Affairs at the State Department, regional environment officer for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and senior advisor on Asia and trade to Vice President Al Gore.
Osius earned a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, and an Honorary Doctorate from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education.
