The Honorable G. Philip Hughes

Philip Hughes was the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean from 1990 to 1993. He is currently a Senior Director at the White House Writers Group, a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and Secretary of the Council of American Ambassadors. Previously, Mr. Hughes was Vice President of Washington-based Manchester Trade, Ltd.

Ambassador Hughes has served in many senior foreign policy posts in the White House and Department of State, Commerce, and Defense. For almost five years he held the position of Deputy National Security Affairs Advisor to Vice President George Bush. He served on the staff of the National Security Council during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, later becoming the Director for Latin American Affairs, as well as Executive Secretary of the Council.

Ambassador Hughes has also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs, where he negotiated more than a half-dozen bilateral and multilateral agreements. He served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement.

At Manchester Trade, Mr. Hughes advised business associations and corporate clients on trade and international business issues. His other private-sector roles have included Executive Director of the National Council of World Affairs Organizations, and Managing Director of the Council of the Americas.

Ambassador Hughes is a graduate of the University of Dayton and holds graduate degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Harvard University.