John Joseph Danilovich (born 25 June 1950) is an American business executive who was secretary general of the

International Chamber of Commerce The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC; French: ''Chambre de commerce internationale'') is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. ICC represents over 45 million businesses in over 170 countries who have interest ...

from 2014 – 2018. He previously held roles as a senior United States government executive, diplomat, and ambassador. Danilovich was the chief executive officer of the

Millennium Challenge Corporation The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID. It provides grants to countries tha ...

(MCC) from 2005 to 2009. Prior to his appointment as CEO of the MCC by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, Danilovich served as the United States

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

(2004-2005), United States Ambassador to

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

(2001-2004), and was on the board of directors of the

Panama Canal Commission The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending on each side o ...

(1991-1996), chairing the Commission's Transition Committee prior to the transfer of the Canal to the Panamanians. Danilovich was active in the international maritime industry for several decades, as a member of the executive management board of Atlas Interocean Shipping Group (1977-1990) and consultant with the Eisenhower Group (1987-1990). Danilovich is a director of d'Amico International Shipping and member of the Audit (Control and Risk) Committee and the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, a member of the European Advisory Council of

Trilantic Capital Partners Trilantic Capital Partners is a global private equity firm focused on control and significant minority investments across a range of industries in North America and Europe managed by Trilantic North America and Trilantic Europe. The firm special ...

LLP, and a Director of Airtel Africa PLC (UK/FTSE). Danilovich is also a member of the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA) and of The Council of the Serpentine Gallery (London).

Background

Danilovich is a native Californian and resident of London. Danilovich attended The

Choate School Choate Rosemary Hall ( ) is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1890, it took its present name and began a co-educational system with the 1978 merger of ''The Ch ...

Wallingford, Connecticut Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, centrally located between New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford, and Boston and New York City. The town is part ...

(1968) and received a BA in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

(1972), having made the Dean's List of Honor Students. He received an MA in

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

(London) in 1981. Danilovich and his English-born wife Irene Forte have three children.

Government service

United States Ambassador to Costa Rica (2001 – 2004)

Danilovich served as U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica between 2001 and 2004, where one of his main priorities was "to work diligently to advance U.S. investment and commercial interests…and enhance U.S.-Costa Rican relations." Danilovich also focused on partnerships to increase collaboration on drug interdiction, environmental protection, and human rights. As Ambassador, Danilovich led and concluded Central American Free Trade Agreement negotiations, working closely with then U.S. Trade Representative

Robert Zoellick Robert Bruce Zoellick (; ; born July 25, 1953) is an American public official and lawyer who was the 11th president of the World Bank Group, a position he held from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2012.

United States Ambassador to Brazil (2004 – 2005)

Following his term as U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, Danilovich was appointed as U.S.

on May 26, 2004 and presented his credentials to Brazilian President Lula da Silva in a ceremony at the Planalto Palace shortly thereafter. As Chief of the largest diplomatic mission in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, Danilovich managed relations with Brazilian Federal, State and local leaders on a range of issues such as trade, energy, and commercial developments. Danilovich advocated on behalf of major U.S.

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...

corporations with activities in Brazil. During his time as Ambassador, U.S. exports to Brazil grew by over $4.1 billion from the end of 2003 to 2005.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (2005 – 2009)

Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 following President George W. Bush's call for "development defined by greater accountability for rich and poor nation alike", the MCC is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign aid agency with a focused mandate to reduce poverty through programs that sustain economic growth and development. The MCC is based on three key principles: 1) Competitive selection based on a country's performance on independent and transparent policy indicators; 2) Country-led solutions as the selected countries identify and select their priorities for economic growth and poverty reduction programs based on broad consultation within their society; and 3) Country-led implementation with countries managing and overseeing the program implementation with rigorous and transparent monitoring of funds by the MCC. On August 11, 2005, President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate John J. Danilovich to be the second Chief Executive Officer of the MCC following an initial period of what many considered to be a slow and rocky start for the corporation. The

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

opined that the "effort is in trouble. Mr. Bush has sought far less funding for his Millennium Challenge Corp. than he initially promised to request from Congress; lawmakers have given even less money than he has requested; the agency has awarded grants to just five countries, and critics say those it has given are too small to alter the fortunes of the recipients. This means that John Danilovich, the former oil shipping executive and Republican activist who took over the agency this week, figures he has less than nine months to restore its reputation – and, in the view of its supporters, save it from becoming a footnote in America's efforts to fight poverty overseas." In his confirmation hearing before the

Senate Foreign Relations Committee The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign a ...

, Danilovich committed himself to improving MCC operations and focus on a more strategic vision in order "to be transformative, to stay targeted, and to deliver results." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman

Richard Lugar Richard Green Lugar ( ; April 4, 1932 – April 28, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Indiana from 1977 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republ ...

lauded Danilovich's "deep understanding of the international economy…an important asset to the MCC, as it moves into its next phase of development." Danilovich was subsequently confirmed, unanimously, by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2005. At Danilovich's swearing in ceremony, President George W. Bush stated that "The MCC is an integral part of our strategy to fight poverty and to encourage economic development. And leading this organization requires a combination of idealism and managerial skill and diplomatic savvy and economic expertise. John Danilovich has those qualities -- that's why I picked him and that's why he's going to be a great executive leading this important corporation." As CEO of the MCC, Danilovich was responsible for the operation of partnerships in 40 countries worldwide with a $7.3 billion investment portfolio. Danilovich also directed and advised a nine-member Board of Directors chaired by the secretary of State and including the

United States Secretary of Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, U.S. Trade Representative,

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

Administrator, and high-profile citizens named by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

. For a country to be selected as eligible for an MCC assistance program, it must demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, investments in its people, and economic freedom as measured by different policy indicators. During his time as CEO, multi-year economic growth and poverty reduction programs with 18 countries – ranging from large-scale infrastructure to microfinance to public sector reform – were approved by Congress and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Eurasia. These programs had significant positive impact on the lives of millions throughout the world by reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. Liberian President

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Eugenia Johnson Sirleaf (born 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf was born in Monrovia to a Gol ...

added her praise, proclaiming that the "MCC has had a transformative effect across the developing world." Danilovich insisted that gender equality be a critical component of MCC compacts and was awarded the Partnership for Women to Thrive Award which noted that: "Ambassador Danilovich has led the MCC to adopt an unprecedented gender policy, which integrates both women's and men's needs into the MCC's work." At the end of his tenure, Danilovich was widely credited for transforming the new initiative into a successful and acknowledged institution, bringing strategic vision, and forging alliances with new partners, which received bi-partisan praise from senior government, business and development experts. At her 2009 Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing for

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

articulated the Administration's policy in building upon Danilovich's work, informing the Committee that "President-Elect Obama supports the MCC, and the principle of greater accountability in our foreign assistance programs. It represents a worthy new approach to poverty reduction and combating corruption."

White House Chief of Staff The White House chief of staff is the head of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, a position in the federal government of the United States. The chief of staff is a Political appointments in the United States, politi ...

Jacob Lew in his confirmation hearing to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources declared that MCC was "making real progress", while nominee for Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told the Committee that "I think one of the lessons we've learned, with Millennium Challenge Corporation and others, is that there are great partnerships to be had out there, that not only lead to more successful programs on the ground, but also create substantial goodwill for the United States."

The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...

, known for its staunch criticism of foreign aid, stated that under Danilovich's leadership, "The MCA is revolutionizing U.S. economic assistance policies. By demanding that a country show its commitment to freedom and economic development, the MCA has greatly improved the likelihood that its aid is not squandered on wasteful and unproductive projects. By placing emphasis on good governance and democratic norms, the MCA has lessened the potential for U.S. foreign aid to be used to prop up authoritarian regimes and increased the likelihood it will go to programs that help people on the ground." Fox National Security Analyst "KT" McFarland called MCC "Phenomenally successful… a great success story." A letter signed by renowned business leaders sent to all U.S. Senators following Danilovich's term as CEO praised the organization for what it had accomplished in such a short period: "The MCA, which began as a presidential initiative, is now recognized by many experts as the most forward-thinking and innovative development program in our foreign assistance portfolio."

Non-profit organizations

International Chamber of Commerce (2014 – 2018)

On June 30, 2014, Danilovich became Secretary General of the

, administering its affairs and implementing its policy, including managing its finances. At the ICC he was responsible for relations with international governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the B20 and

G20 The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stabil ...

related to issues such as trade reform. Danilovich stepped down as Secretary General in April of 2018 and was succeeded by John W.H. Denton AO.

Memberships and Honors

Danilovich serves as a board member for a number of private and public organizations, including the International Advisory Council for the

Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school at Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Hong Kong entrepreneur Chan Tseng-hsi in 2014 following a US$350 ...

, senior advisor at the

Center for Strategic and International Studies The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. From its founding in 1962 until 1987, it was an affiliate of Georgetown University, initially named the Center for Strategic and Inte ...

, Board of Trustees for the Phelps-Stokes Foundation, and as an executive committee member of The Pilgrims. Danilovich has been a Director of the Stanford University Trust, a Trustee of the American Museum in Britain, Director of the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission, and has served in leadership positions for several charitable organizations. Danilovich is also a life member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

(NYC), serves on the North American Advisory Council of

Chatham House The Royal Institute of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based in London, England. Its stated mission is "to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world". It ...

(UK), is a member of the

American Academy of Diplomacy The American Academy of Diplomacy is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan, elected organization whose active membership is limited to men and women who have held positions of high responsibility in crafting and implementing American foreign policy. ...

, a Knight of Malta, and the recipient of several national and international awards including the Choate Alumni Seal Prize, Companion of the Order of Volta (Ghana), and Grand Cordon du Ouissan Alaouite (Kingdom of Morocco). He is the only American ambassador to be decorated by the Government of Costa Rica with their highest diplomatic honor, the Orden Nacional Juan Mora Fernandez.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Danilovich, John 1950 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to Brazil Ambassadors of the United States to Costa Rica Stanford University alumni USC School of International Relations alumni American chief executives California Republicans Forte family Delta Upsilon members