Matthew Barzun Ambassador of the United States of America
Matthew Barzun Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and N. Ireland, gave a talk at the University of Kent.
Appointed in 2013 at just 42 after a successful period as ambassador to Sweden, Barzun is considerably younger than his predecessors Louis Susman and Robert Tuttle. He was Barack Obama’s trusted adviser and is arguably a strategic appointment in signalling the need for strong and constructive US/UK co-operation. In terms of his grasp history, his later grandfather was Jacques Barzun, cited as one of America’s most distinguished historians. This Harvard graduate is also an internet entrepreneur.
My job in these situations is to pick a moment based on light, angle and mood. You can’t move freely. You have to be quick, silent and discrete whilst unfolding the narrative succinctly (young ambassador takes Q&A with students and UK university). The students were given a generous amount of time to quiz Barzun on US foreign policy and when and why it chooses to intervene. To his credit he didn’t duck any difficult questions.
