Kurt M. Campbell

Kurt M. Campbell is the chairman and co-founder of The Asia Group. Prior to rejoining The Asia Group, Campbell most recently served as the 22nd U.S. deputy secretary of the Department of State, where he played a key role in strengthening America’s diplomatic standing and in modernizing the department to meet enduring global challenges. Before assuming his role at the State Department, Campbell served as the inaugural Indo-Pacific coordinator at the National Security Council and deputy assistant to the president at the White House from 2021 to 2024.

Campbell operates at the intersection of geopolitics and commerce, and he has devoted his career to advancing America’s interests in the Indo-Pacific. He is an entrepreneur, and he has started numerous businesses, launched and led the leading national security think tank in Washington, D.C., and spearheaded globally significant international initiatives.

Campbell began his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, serving on surface ships, at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and in the chief of naval operations’ Strategic Advisory Unit. Campbell holds a B.A. from UC San Diego, a certificate in music and political philosophy from the University of Erevan in Soviet Armenia, and a doctorate in international relations from Brasenose College at Oxford University, where he was a Distinguished Marshall Scholar. Campbell is the author or editor of ten books, including, most recently, “The Pivot: The Future of American Statecraft in Asia.”