Ivan Kanapathy

Ivan Kanapathy served as the National Security Council director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia and the deputy senior director for Asia from 2018 to 2021. From 2014 to 2017 at the American Institute in Taiwan, in Taipei, he represented the Defense Department and advised the chief of mission and senior Taiwanese officials on security issues. A former active-duty U.S. Marine, Kanapathy deployed five times and traveled throughout China on a yearlong study fellowship in 2008 and 2009. As a naval flight officer, Ivan accumulated 2,500 flight hours and served as a TOPGUN F/A-18 instructor. He has been awarded the Air Medal, the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with combat distinguishing device) and the Defense Superior Service Medal, among other decorations. Ivan has an M.A. (with distinction) in Indo-Pacific security from the Naval Postgraduate School, a B.S. in physics and economics from Carnegie Mellon University, and an A.A. (diploma with highest honors) in Chinese-Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute.