Ambassador Michael Froman Joins CFR as Distinguished Fellow

Former United States Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman will join the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) this month as a distinguished fellow, where his work will focus on international economic policy and trends, trade and investment policy, and globalization and populism.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Mike’s experience and knowledge come to the Council,” remarked CFR President Richard N. Haass. “It is difficult to imagine someone better positioned to develop ideas for how best to rethink U.S. trade policy and how to rebuild domestic support for it.”

As USTR, Ambassador Froman was President Barack Obama’s principal advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on international trade and investment issues. He led the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) trade agreements. He was instrumental in pursuing trade enforcement at the World Trade Organization and in securing Congressional approval of trade bills such as Trade Promotion Authority and the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Prior to becoming USTR, Froman served at the White House as assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs. He served as the U.S. sherpa for the Group of Twenty and Group of Eight summits and staffed the president for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meetings. In addition, he chaired or co-chaired the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, the Transatlantic Economic Council, the U.S.-India CEO Forum, and the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. He played a leading role in the launch of the Obama administration’s Power Africa, Trade Africa, and Feed the Future development initiatives.

Froman has written on international trade, international relations, and international law, and has received numerous fellowships and scholarships, including a White House Fellowship and a Fulbright Scholarship. He was previously a CFR Next Generation fellow in 1999. He received a bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University, a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.