Kenneth I. Juster Joins CFR as Distinguished Fellow

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) welcomes Kenneth I. Juster to its David Rockefeller Studies Program as a distinguished fellow. At CFR, Juster’s work will focus on international economics and India, and he will contribute to the overall work of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.

Juster is currently senior counselor at the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, as well as senior advisor at the institutional investor CDPQ, and strategic advisor at the software company Salesforce.com

He was most recently the twenty-fifth U.S. ambassador to the Republic of India from 2017 to 2021, where he led the third-largest U.S. mission in the world. He also oversaw the U.S. relationship with the Kingdom of Bhutan. 

As ambassador, Juster participated in the development of the U.S. government’s Indo-Pacific strategy and the relaunching of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue involving the United States, Australia, India, and Japan. He also participated in three U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogues as well as the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Juster was involved in bilateral cooperation in the wake of the Pulwama terrorist attack in India in 2019 and China’s military buildup on India’s northern border in 2020. For his service, Juster received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award from the State Department, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal, and the Secretary’s Award of Excellence from the Department of Energy.

Prior to serving as ambassador, Juster was deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs, on both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council (2017), where he helped establish the U.S.-Japan Economic Dialogue and the U.S.-United Kingdom Economic Dialogue. He also served as the president’s representative and lead U.S. negotiator in the run-up to the 2017 Group of Seven Summit in Taormina, Italy.

Juster was undersecretary of commerce from 2001 to 2005, where he led the Bureau of Industry and Security. He also cofounded the U.S.-India High Technology Cooperation Group and was an architect of the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership initiative between the United States and India. Upon completion of his term, Juster received the William C. Redfield Export Award, the Commerce Department’s highest honor.

Juster was acting counselor of the State Department from 1992 to 1993, and deputy and senior advisor to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger from 1989 to 1992. Juster was involved in establishing and managing U.S. assistance programs to Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He was also part of a team that traveled to Israel directly prior to and during the first Gulf War to negotiate with the Israelis regarding their posture during that war.

In the private sector, Juster was a partner at the global investment firm Warburg Pincus LLC (2010–2017), a senior executive at Salesforce.com (2005–2010), and a senior partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter.

Juster is a member of the board of governors of the East-West Center and the board of directors of the American Ditchley Foundation.

Juster holds a JD from the Harvard Law School, an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in government from Harvard College.