Kenneth R. Weinstein is the Founding Chair and CEO of the Indo-Pacific Forum (IPF), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting connectivity, resilience, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, which he co-founded in 2022 with the late Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. Prior to founding the IPF, Dr. Weinstein served for fifteen years as CEO of Hudson Institute, the world renowned think tank dedicated to promoting U.S. international leadership and global engagement.

Weinstein led Hudson through a transformative period of growth, with the Institute making signature policy contributions towards ensuring global security. Weinstein has built a broad and deep global network of trust among key government and corporate stakeholders, advising top policymakers and business leaders in capitals around the globe, most notably in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Weinstein has served by presidential appointment on federal commissions under four different U.S. presidents, including on the Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations, the senior-most advisory board to the United States Trade Representative. Previously, he chaired the U.S. Agency for Global Media as well as its affiliate boards, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network.

Weinstein, who speaks fluent French and German, holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University, a post-graduate degree (D.E.A) in Soviet Studies from Sciences Po, and a B.A. in the Humanities from the University of Chicago. He was decorated as a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des arts et des lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and was awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2020, he was nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, receiving unanimous bipartisan support from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.