Shaun Donnelly

Shaun Donnelly had a 36-year career as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) in the U.S. Department of State. He specialized in international economics and trade, serving six assignments in U.S. Embassies overseas and positions of increasing responsibility at home in the Department in Washington. Donnelly was the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1997 to 2000, leading U.S. policy in that key country during a long-running civil war. He served concurrently as a non-resident U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Maldives.

Returning from Sri Lanka in 2000, Donnelly served for nearly five years as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (PDAS) for Economic and Business Affairs, the #3 economic policy position in the Department of State. In 2005, Donnelly moved to the White House to serve as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East. He traveled extensively as the lead U.S. trade negotiator for over 50 nations from the European Union, Israel, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Donnelly served as Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM or Deputy Ambassador) in Tunisia (1989-1992) and Mali (1983-1985). Earlier in his career, he served as an Economic/Commercial Officer in U.S. Embassies in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Senegal. In the Department of State, he served as Director of European Union Affairs and Director of International Finance and Development as well as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DAS) in charge of, at various times, International Trade, International Energy Policy, and Economic Sanctions Policy.

Donnelly retired from the Foreign Service in 2008 at the personal rank of Career Minister (roughly equivalent to a three-star rank in the U.S. military) and moved to the private sector. He held senior positions at the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB). Donnelly was a leading spokesman for U.S. business in Washington and internationally on international trade and investment issues. In retirement, he continues to serve as a Senior Advisor to the USCIB and its member companies.

Donnelly is a native of Culver, Indiana, and a graduate of Culver Military Academy. He earned a B.A. degree in Economics from Lawrence University and an M.A. in Economics from Northwestern University. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunis, Tunisia, teaching English and Economics at the university level. A widower with two sons, Donnelly has remarried and lives in Thurmont, Maryland.