Ariel Cohen, L.L.B., Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert on energy policy, communications and public affairs, with a particular focus on Russia/Eurasia, Eastern and Central Europe, and the Middle East. He serves as the Principal of International Market Analysis Ltd., a Washington, D.C.-based advisory firm specializing in energy, natural resources, political risk and public affairs. The firm’s practice includes spans many industries, including oil and gas, telecommunications, transportation, and media. Dr. Cohen is also Director of The Center for Energy, Natural Resources and Geopolitics (CENRG) at the Institute for Analysis of Global Security (IAGS). CENRG focuses on the nexus between geopolitics and security, and natural resources and growth. Dr. Cohen has extensive experience consulting for US Government, Fortune 500 companies and major international law firms. Dr. Cohen is also a Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he was a Senior Research Fellow until July 2014. He frequently testifies before U.S. Congressional committees including the Senate Foreign Relations and House International Relations Committees, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, and the U.S. Helsinki Commission. He conducts White House, Pentagon, and intelligence community briefings. He worked for Radio Liberty-Radio Free Europe Media and Opinion Research, and was for many years a Senior Consultant with Burson Marsteller, one of the leading global public affairs companies, and Emerging Markets Communications, a boutique advisory. Dr. Cohen has published over 700 articles in professional and popular media, 6 books and monographs and 30 book chapters. He regularly appears on CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX, C-SPAN, VOA, BBC-TV, Al Jazeera, and all Russian and Ukrainian national TV networks and writes for US and international media. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and of American Bar Association.