President, the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Craig Kennedy has been president of the German Marshall Fund since 1995. Under Mr. Kennedy’s leadership, GMF has focused its activities on bringing North Americans and Europeans together on foreign policy, economics, immigration, urban policy and the environment. GMF has also expanded programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. In 2003 the Balkan Trust for Democracy was launched, a $27 million grantmaking initiative to strengthen civil society and democracy, in partnership with the Mott Foundation and other American and European donors. In 2007, GMF launched with Mott Foundation support the Black Sea Trust, a public private partnership aimed at encouraging regional cooperation and development. GMF also operates several other large, multi-donor collaborations related to climate change, comparative domestic policy and Belarus.

Prior to joining GMF, Kennedy was with the Joyce Foundation of Chicago from 1980 to 1992, serving as president of that institution for six years. From 1992 to 1995, he managed a consulting firm focused on public and nonprofit clients including the City of Chicago, the Environmental Defense Fund and National Audubon Society.