Linda
Thomas-Greenfield
Senior Advisor
Areas of Expertise:
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a senior advisor to the APCO’s founder & executive chairman and member of APCO’s International Advisory Council. The Ambassador sits on the Board of Directors for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and is a sought after public speaker in the field of foreign policy.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations, as well as the U.S. Representative in the UN Security Council from 2021-2025. During her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Thomas-Greenfield was a member of President Biden’s Cabinet and sat on the National Security Council. Prior to this, she headed the State Department’s transition team for the Biden Administration.
As a career diplomat, Thomas-Greenfield has had a wide range of assignments. From 2013 to 2017, she served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, where she led U.S. policy development for sub-Saharan Africa. She previously served as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources, overseeing the State Department’s workforce. Her notable Foreign Service roles include Ambassador to Liberia (2008-2012) and postings in Switzerland, Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria and Jamaica. In Washington, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs and as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.
After retiring in 2017, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield led the Africa Practice at Albright Stonebridge Group and was a Distinguished Resident Fellow in African Studies at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, where she also pursued doctoral studies. Her honors include a Presidential Rank Award, Secretary Distinguished Service Award plus numerous other awards. She has numerous honorary doctorates to include those from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Liberia.