Cliff Kupchan

Cliff Kupchan is Eurasia Group's chairman, practice head for Eurasia, and director for both global macro and Iran coverage. He provides top-level analysis and thought leadership on global issues. Cliff, who has been studying global developments for more than two decades—as an academic, as part of the US government, and in the private sector—speaks frequently to a wide variety of audiences and regularly briefs clients on macro developments. He is co-author of Eurasia Group's annual top risks publication. In addition, Cliff covers Russia's domestic and foreign policy, as well as its energy sector; his analysis is informed by a network of elite Russian contacts. He likewise focuses on Iranian foreign policy, Iranian domestic politics, and sanctions targeting Iran. His views are regularly cited as definitive by major media outlets. As a longtime analyst of two major energy-producing countries, Cliff's expertise affords him deep insight into the relationship between geopolitics and energy markets. Before joining Eurasia Group, Cliff held a senior position at the US State Department during the Clinton administration. He previously worked for many years for the House International Relations Committee, where he served as the senior foreign policy adviser for global foreign assistance, Eurasia, and North Africa. He also served as staff director of the Subcommittee on Africa. More recently, Cliff served as a vice president and senior fellow at The Center for the National Interest. And he spent two years living in Moscow, where he ran a large foundation. Cliff holds a master's degree from Stanford University and is fluent in Russian. He is an avid swimmer; he has gone for long swims in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and many Russian lakes.