Transatlantic Dialogues
6th Transatlantic Dialogue
February 26, 2026
The Practice of Diplomacy in a Dystopian World
PANELLISTS:
The Honourable Bob Rae, P.C., C.C., O.Ont., Q.C., recently served as Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations (2020–2025), where he chaired the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and was a leading international voice on humanitarian, refugee, and human rights issues. He was elected 11 times to federal and provincial legislatures, serving as Premier of Ontario and later interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He now lives in Toronto, where he is writing and teaching and serving as a Fellow and advisor to several leading institutions. He is the Visitor at Massey College at the University of Toronto.
Now President of Queen’s College, Cambridge, Dame Menna Rawlings was appointed the UK ambassador to France in 2021, a post she occupied until July last year. Her appointment marked a historic milestone, forming a first-ever all-female cohort of heads of mission to G7 missions. Before Paris, Menna served as the FCDO’s Director-General for Economic and Global Issues from 2019-20. Prior to that, she was head of mission to Australia from 2015–2019. Earlier postings included Washington, Ghana, Israel, Kenya and Brussels.
Ambassador Ronald Neumann is currently President of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Formerly a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Ron served three times as ambassador: to Algeria, Bahrain, and Afghanistan. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, he also served as Embassy Baghdad’s liaison with the Multinational Command. An Army infantry officer in Viet Nam, he was awarded a Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal. Ron earned a B.A. in history and an M.A. in political science from the University of California at Riverdale and is a graduate of the National War College.
MODERATOR:
Alexandra Bugailiskis had a 39-year diplomatic career in Canada’s foreign service, which included four Ambassadorial appointments (Italy, Poland, Cuba, and Syria) and senior executive roles in Ottawa, including as Chief Negotiator of the Canada–EU Strategic Partnership Agreement. She currently chairs the International Advisory Committee of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, and supports international advocacy efforts in her local community. In 2025, Alex received the Order of Canada for her contributions in shaping Canada’s foreign policies and her mentoring of Canadian diplomats.
5th Transatlantic Dialogue
June 5, 2025
The Future of NATO
PANELLISTS:
Kerry Buck was Canada’s Ambassador to NATO from 2015-2018. A career diplomat, she was Political Director and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Security and Political Affairs, Canadian Representative at the UN, G7, NATO, OAS, and OSCE on issues of human rights, security, disarmament, terrorism, and humanitarian affairs, and Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Board, Economic Sector. She is currently a senior fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, the Bill Graham Centre at Trinity College, and Senior Mentor at the Canadian Forces College.
Dame Mariot Leslie was the UK’s permanent representative to NATO from 2010-2014. A career British diplomat, her prior appointments included head of the Foreign Office’s policy planning staff; minister and deputy head of mission in the British embassy in Rome; ambassador in Oslo; director defence and strategic threats and counter-terrorism envoy; and immediately before her NATO appointment, director-general for defence and intelligence in the Foreign Office.
Robert Hunter was U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 1993-1998. Previously, he was Vice President for International Politics at CSIS, a member of the NSC Staff, foreign policy advisor to Senator Edward Kennedy, senior fellow at the Overseas Development Council, research assistant at the IISS, and advisor to VP Humphrey. He also was director of the Center for Transatlantic Security at the National Defense University, a member of the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board, and a member of the Senior Advisory Group to the U.S. European Command.
MODERATOR:
Stephanie Smith Kinney is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service. Her diplomatic career included tours of duty in Europe and Latin America as well as multilateral diplomacy under the auspices of the United Nations. Ms. Kinney was one of the three chief U.S. negotiators for the original Framework Convention on Climate Change. A recipient of the Department of State’s Lifetime Achievement Award, she has recently worked as a change management consultant in the private sector, State Department, the American Foreign Service Association, and the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.
4th Transatlantic Dialogue
June 25, 2024
The Russian Challenge: The Next Five Years
PANELLISTS:
Leigh Sarty joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1993, serving in the Canadian Embassy in Moscow from 1996-99 and then again as Deputy Head of Mission from 2012-16. He also headed the Political Section at the Embassy in Beijing from 2003-07. In Ottawa he was Director for Russia and East Europe from 2007-12, Director General for Europe from 2016-18 and Global Affairs Canada Scholar in Residence until his retirement in 2021.
Sir Laurence Bristow served as UK ambassador to Moscow from 2016-20. Subsequently, he was ambassador in Afghanistan between June to November 2021, so present during the fall of Kabul.
William Courtney: former US ambassador to Georgia and Kazakhstan. He also served in Moscow and was senior director for Russia in the NSC during the Clinton presidency. He led several arms control negotiations and is currently active in the American Academy of Diplomacy.
MODERATOR:
Simon Smith, who chairs the Steering Committee of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, was British Ambassador to Ukraine from 2012-15 and before that Economic/Commercial Counsellor at the British Embassy in Moscow during the last 2 years of Yeltsin’s Presidency and the first 2 years of Putin’s presidency.
3rd Transatlantic Dialogue
November 9, 2023
Can the West Win Over the Rest?
PANELLISTS:
Guillermo E. Rishchynski is a specialist in Latin American affairs and development. He was Canada’s Ambassador to Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and the United Nations. He was former Executive Director for Canada at the Inter-American Development Bank and Vice President of the America’s Branch in the Canadian International Development Agency.
Sir Myles Wickstead is a scholar in international development and diplomacy particularly involving Africa. He was British Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union and UK representative at the World Bank Board. He is now Professor (International Relations) at King’s College London and the University of Exeter. His book Aid and Development: A Brief Introduction was published by Oxford University Press in 2015.
Earl Anthony Wayne served as US ambassador to Argentina and Mexico, deputy ambassador to Afghanistan, and Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. He is a former national security correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and is now focusing on Latin America, teaching classes at American University in Washington and co-chairing Wilson Centre’s Mexico Institute Board.
MODERATOR:
Alex Bugailiskis is a former Ambassador to Syria, Cuba, Poland and Italy. Served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Latin America and for Europe, the Middle East and the Arctic. She was the Chief Negotiator for the 2016 Canada-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement. In 2023, she became Chair of the International Advisory Committee for the UNU Institute on Water, Environment and Health at McMaster University.
2nd Transatlantic Dialogue
April 26, 2023
Managing Rising Tensions in the Indo-Pacific: American, British and Canadian Perspectives
PANELLISTS:
Jon Fried, former Canadian Ambassador to Japan 2008 – 2012 and Prime Minister Trudeau’s representative to the G20 from 2017 to 2020.
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former UK Permanent Representative to the UN 1998-2003 and UK Special Representative for Iraq 2003-2004.
James Stapleton Roy, former US Ambassador to China 1991-1995 and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research 1999-2001.
1st Transatlantic Dialogue
May 13, 2022
The Future of Foreign Policy and Its Conduct Post-Ukraine
PANELLISTS:
Anne Leahy, former Canadian Ambassador to Poland and subsequently Ambassador to Russia, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Belarus from 1996–1999 and from 2004–2007 Ambassador to the Great Lakes Region of Africa
Sir Peter Westmacott, former British Ambassador to Turkey, France and the United States
Tom Shannon, former US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2016–2018) and Ambassador to Brazil
MODERATOR:
Giles Portman, former Director Europe, FCDO