Ambassador (ret) Deborah A. McCarthy is an expert on U.S. foreign and national security policy. In her diplomatic career, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania (2013-2016), Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Greece and at the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua. In Washington, she was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Senior Advisor for Counter Terrorism and Special Coordinator for Venezuela.

Currently, she the U.S. Lead Negotiator to the UN Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime for the Department of State. Just prior, she was a Fellow at Harvard University in the Advanced Leadership Initiative. From 2017 to 2023, she was the host and producer of the Academy’s podcast series “The General and the Ambassador ®”.

She is a non-resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs. She is a member of the American College of National Security Leaders and of the Advisory Council of the MSFS Program at Georgetown University.

Ms. McCarthy received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and a joint Masters in Economics and Foreign Service from Georgetown University.