Cambridge Global Advisors (CGA) has announced the addition of Ambassador Philip S. Kosnett (Ret.) as a Senior Foreign Policy Advisor, bringing decades of diplomatic, defense, and development experience to the firm’s team of senior advisors.
Kosnett’s appointment follows a distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service, where he represented the United States across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia in leadership roles focused on security cooperation, governance, and international development. His executive assignments included serving as U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Chargé d’Affaires (acting ambassador) in Turkey and Iceland, and Deputy Chief of Mission (deputy ambassador/embassy chief operating officer) in Turkey, Iceland, and Uzbekistan – positions in which he oversaw missions of more than a thousand personnel and led efforts to strengthen trade, defense, and humanitarian partnerships.
Throughout his service, Kosnett was recognized for his ability to bridge the diplomatic and defense communities. He honed that expertise as a provincial administrator in Iraq and as a senior political-military officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, helping coordinate operations among U.S. civilian agencies, coalition forces, and local governments. His early assignments included work in political economy, counterterrorism, and environmental diplomacy in Japan and the Netherlands, along with policy development and intelligence roles in Washington, D.C.
Since retiring from government in 2021, Kosnett has remained active in national security and foreign affairs. He co-founded Kosnett Associates LLC with his wife, Alison Kosnett, focusing on economic development and international advisory work. He also serves as a Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, National Defense University’s Joint Forces Staff College, and the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida.
An accomplished author and lecturer, Kosnett edited the book Boots and Suits: Historical Cases and Contemporary Lessons in Military Diplomacy and has written on global security issues for Europe’s Edge, the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, and National Defense Magazine.
A Harvard graduate with a degree in Government, Kosnett is fluent in multiple languages including Turkish, Japanese, Dutch, and Russian. His honors include numerous State Department awards, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Republic of Kosovo Order of Dr. Ibrahim Rugova.
Kosnett is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and an advisor to the humanitarian organization AfghanEvac.
CGA said it was “honored to welcome” Ambassador Kosnett, noting that his diplomatic leadership and strategic insight will help advance the firm’s mission of guiding government and private sector clients through today’s complex global challenges.
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