James Rubin
Chairman
EuroAtlantic Institute
James P Rubin served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs in the Clinton Administration and Chief Spokesman for the State Department from 1997–2000. He was considered Secretary Madeleine Albright's right-hand man. Rubin was chair of International Policy and Strategy at Ballard Partners, in Washington DC until June 2020. Since 2022 James was a Special Presidential Envoy and Coordinator of the State Department's Global Engagement Center.
From 2022 to January 2025, Mr. Rubin served as a top adviser and strategist for Secretary of State Antony Blinken, focusing on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the China challenge, and the war against Hamas after October 7, 2023. He also served as Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center, leading government efforts to combat Russian and Chinese information warfare.
From May 2021 to May 2022, Mr. Rubin served as Diplomatic Counsellor to the Secretary General of the OECD in Paris, advising Secretary General Mathias Cormann on geopolitics and geoeconomics. During the Clinton administration, Mr. Rubin served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Chief Spokesman for Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. As Albright’s top adviser, in 1999 he was sent to Kosovo to negotiate the demobilization of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Dr. August Hanning
Vice-Chairman
EuroAtlantic Institute
Dr. August Hanning was the former State Secretary in the Federal Interior Ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin from 2005 to 2009 and Director Federal Intelligence Service BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst) from 1998 to 2005.
Dr. Hanning studied law. After obtaining his degree he joined the German Internal Revenue Service and subsequently was asked to join the Federal Ministry of the Interior. In 1986 he was assigned Head of the Division at Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the German Democratic Republic (“DDR”) in Berlin. He was responsible for diplomatic engagements between the two States in Germany.
In 1990 he continued his career under Dr. Helmut Kohl at the Federal Chancelleryand became Head of the Division, in 1994 he became team leader and in 1996 the Director-General. During his function of Director-General he was responsible for the coordination of the German intelligence services.
In 1998 Dr. August Hanning was appointed as President of the German Secret Service, the Bundesnachtrichtendienst.
In 2005 German Minister of Interior Dr. Wolfgang Schaeuble promoted him to lead the Federal Interior Ministry as the State Secretary.