Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey JEFF FLAKE and Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to China MAX BAUCUS have profound careers in public service. They share a history of bipartisan collaboration in the U.S. Senat, particularly in areas such as trade and healthcare reform. Both also served as U.S. Ambassadors, further extending their expertise on international policy in key regions.
Former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Ambassador Jeff Flake’s experience representing America overseas, combined with nearly two decades of knowledge and experience on Capitol Hill, make him a truly unique asset to companies and organizations trying to navigate through complex global developments, topics, and trends. Known for his genial nature while in Congress, Ambassador Flake was confirmed unanimously by his former colleagues for his current ambassadorial post. Before his Ambassadorial appointment, Ambassador Flake served on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, as a Distinguished Fellow at Arizona State University, and at the Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership at Brigham Young University. He also served on the board of Directors of Taylor Morrison, the nation’s fifth-largest homebuilder. Ambassador Flake is the author of the New York Times best-seller Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle. He is also the recipient of the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College, Dublin. He offers a timely and unique perspective on U.S. foreign policy and the geopolitics of Europe and the Middle East.
A sought-after speaker, Ambassador Flake has guest lectured at Stanford, Princeton and Yale, and he was a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. He has been a frequent guest on NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week, CBS’s Face the Nation, FOX News’ Sunday, and CNN’s State of the Union. Ambassador Flake currently serves as the Director of the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Arizona State University, and as Chairman of the Board of World Trade Center Utah. He also serves as a Visiting Fellow at Brigham Young University. Ambassador Flake engages with audiences without partisan rancor or vitriol, making him capable and competent without being controversial.
Former United States Senator and Ambassador to China Max Baucus is a leading voice on business, public policy, and international affairs. As Montana's longest-serving senator, Baucus established himself as one of the Senate’s most productive and least partisan members, building a record of accomplishment on a broad range of policy issues both domestic and foreign. He held the position of Chair of the Senate Finance Committee for nearly a decade. In his years as an elected official and diplomat, Baucus was engaged in the most consequential issues of the past half-century and continues to provide counsel as co-founder of the Baucus Group. Baucus’s insights on all topics politics, policy, and trade are at the cutting edge of international understandings.
In-demand for his views on politics and industry, Baucus serves on the board of Ingram Micro and previously served on the board of advisors to the Alibaba Group and External Advisory Board to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. He now devotes much of his time to the Max S. Baucus Institute at the University of Montana, founded to give young adults opportunities in politics, government, and overseas studies. His influential voice has been sought by hosts such as Princeton University, AMG National Trust Bank, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and more.
Ambassador Jeff Flake recently served as the United States Ambassador to The Republic of Türkiye. Prior to his ambassadorial service, Ambassador Flake represented Arizona in the United States Senate from 2013 to 2019. He also represented Arizona in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013.
Before entering Congress, Ambassador Flake served as Executive Director of the Goldwater Institute in Arizona, and he directed the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia during that nation’s transition to independence. Ambassador Flake holds a BA degree in International Relations and an MA degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University.
Ambassador Flake has guest lectured at Stanford, Princeton and Yale, and he was a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. Ambassador Flake delivered the 2018 commencement address at Harvard Law School, and is a frequent guest on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
Ambassador Flake currently serves as the Director of the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Arizona State University, and as Chairman of the Board of World Trade Center Utah. He also serves as a Visiting Fellow at Brigham Young University.
In January of 2025, Ambassador Flake was knighted by the Swedish Government, receiving the “Royal Order of the Polar Star” for his pivotal role in securing Sweden’s accession to NATO while serving as Ambassador to Türkiye.
He is the author of the New York Times best seller Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle.
Max Baucus is a former United States senator and ambassador to China, active today in business, public policy, and international affairs. In his years as an elected official and diplomat he was engaged in the most consequential issues of the past half-century, and continues to provide counsel as co-founder of the Baucus Group. He is a native of Montana – the state where he was raised in a ranching family, appeared on the ballot nine times, and never lost an election.
After earning degrees in economics and law at Stanford University, he took up the legal profession and by 1973 held his first public office, as a Montana state representative. The following year, he was elected to the first of two terms as congressman from Montana’s first district, serving in the House during the post-Watergate years of the Ford and Carter presidencies. In all, his Congressional career extended across seven presidential administrations, during which time he gained a reputation as a determined, capable legislator who worked easily with colleagues.
First elected to the Senate in 1978, Baucus went on to be his state’s longest-serving senator, and a steady legislative influence in the tradition of his friend and political model, Montana’s Senator Mike Mansfield. On a broad range of policy issues both domestic and foreign, he established himself as one of the Senate’s most productive and least partisan members, building a record of accomplishment in areas from agriculture and environmental protection to public works, taxes, and trade. As a home-state newspaper put it, “those who knew him best say Baucus was a senator who worked the legislative trenches to tackle problems he saw facing Montana, rural America and the nation – regardless of the politics.”
On the Senate Agriculture Committee, he led in securing reauthorization of numerous farm bills. As a member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, he guided many highway bills and other infrastructure legislation to passage. He was Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, and was appointed to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction – or “Super Committee” – the Congressional effort to stabilize government finances in the years after the crisis of 2008.
During his fifth term, Senator Baucus rose to the chairmanship of the Committee on Finance, a position of far-reaching responsibility. During his seven-year tenure as chairman, he was the principal author and advocate for the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. He led as well in gaining approval for new free trade agreements with 11 nations.
A longtime supporter of a broader, rule-based trading system, the Senator was instrumental in opening permanent normal trade relations with China, and in promoting that country’s 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization.
With his sixth term drawing to a close, Senator Baucus announced that he would not seek re-election in 2014. That same year, President Obama nominated him to be America’s ambassador to China. Confirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate, he represented the United States in that post until January 2017.
Following his diplomatic assignment, Senator Baucus and his wife Melodee Hanes formed the Baucus Group LLC. He currently serves on the board of directors of Ingram Micro and previously served on the board of advisors to Alibaba Group until may of 2019, and the External Advisory Board to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency until July of 2019. He now devotes much of his time to the Max S. Baucus Institute at the University of Montana, founded to give young adults opportunities in politics, government, and overseas studies.
The Senator and Melodee Hanes have a blended family of two sons, a daughter, and two granddaughters, and make their home in Bozeman, Montana.
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