Washington, DC, May 3, 2023 – Today, the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) is pleased to announce that Karan Bhatia and Anja Manuel are joining the International Leadership Council (ILC) – CEPA’s high-level group of global thought leaders and decision-makers who share CEPA’s core mission of strengthening the transatlantic alliance and advise on the institution’s strategic vision.

Bhatia is a US attorney and former government official who currently leads Google’s public policy and government relations team. He has had an illustrious three-decade career in government and the private sector, having previously served as US Deputy Trade Representative, Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation International Affairs, and Vice President and Senior Counsel for Global Government Affairs & Policy for General Electric, among other prominent roles. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law Center and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions. Earlier in his career, Bhatia was a partner in the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

Manuel is a former US diplomat, author, and foreign policy advisor who serves as the Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum, a leading US-based bipartisan forum on foreign policy. She is also Co-Founder and Partner – along with Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Hadley, and Robert Gates – in Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm. She is the author of the critically acclaimed, This Brave New World: India, China and the United States. She also serves on the Defense Policy Board under US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

CEPA’s President and CEO, Dr. Alina Polyakova, said: “I am truly thrilled to welcome Karan and Anja to CEPA’s International Leadership Council. Both are exceptional strategic thinkers and leaders, particularly on digital and tech policy – a key pillar of CEPA’s work, where we have a growing and impactful presence. Karan’s deep understanding of international trade issues and Anja’s expertise on all aspects of US foreign and defense policy as it pertains to Asia will prove invaluable for guiding CEPA’s mission at a consequential moment for the transatlantic alliance.”

Bhatia said: “I’ve long admired CEPA’s work to strengthen the transatlantic alliance and I’m pleased to join its International Leadership Council. Technology has been an incredible enabler of democratic principles including free expression, human rights, and economic opportunity. I look forward to working with CEPA to encourage closer transatlantic alignment on digital issues so that we can all reap the benefits of technology.”

Manuel said: “I am delighted to be part of CEPA’s International Leadership Council, and to contribute to its efforts in shaping ideas and strategic thinking during this pivotal moment for the Alliance. It is imperative that the United States and Europe unite to confront challenges posed by China, Russia, and other revisionist powers. I look forward to collaborating with my CEPA colleagues and fellow ILC members to produce innovative solutions that foster greater transatlantic cooperation.”

ILC members serve in a voluntary and advisory capacity and do not have a role in institutional governance, which is the purview of CEPA’s Board of Directors.

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