Lecturers

Daniel V. Speckhard

Daniel V. Speckhard is the president & CEO of Corus International, an ensemble of humanitarian and social impact organizations including Lutheran World Relief and IMA World Health.

A former U.S. Ambassador to Greece and Belarus, Daniel has had a long and distinguished career in government service under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Daniel's previous positions have included serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary General at NATO where he coordinated bringing seven new members into NATO and strengthened relations with Ukraine, Russia, China, Japan, and the Middle East. He was awarded a service medal for his crisis management work supporting peace in the Balkans. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Iraq during the heightened fighting, surge in U.S. forces, and the largest reconstruction effort since the Marshall Plan. He also served as a senior advisor to Palantir Technologies, a Silicon Valley company at the forefront of using technology to drive innovative change across the government, commercial, and non-profit sectors.

Recognized as a visionary and experienced problem solver in the international development and humanitarian space, he has brought innovative approaches to the complex and interrelated challenges of poverty, health, and the environment in fragile and insecure settings. He has deep experience working at the nexus of economic development, international security, and political change, particularly in support of people experiencing poverty and marginalization. In the wider policy arena, he served as a nonresident senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Future Europe Initiative and Eurasia Center. He currently serves as a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) within the Project on Prosperity and Development program

Daniel has a master’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in public policy and administration, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and started his career in government as a Presidential Management Fellow.

Tours

Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps River Cruise with Guest Speaker Daniel V. Speckhard | Oct. 19, 2025

Join Guest Speaker Daniel V. Speckhard for a Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps River Cruise aboard AmaWaterways AmaSerena from Switzerland on October 19, 2025, starting at $3598. You will see Amsterdam,... View Tour