McCain Institute Fellowships
John S. McCain Distinguished Fellowship
The John S. McCain Distinguished Fellowship is designed to support a senior leader in international relations or security issues, enabling that individual to bring about real-world change on an issue of national or international significance.
2021 – Dr. Mark T. Esper
The McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University is proud to welcome former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper as its first John S. McCain Distinguished Fellow.
As Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Army, Dr. Esper dealt with the unique challenges posed by the rising economic, military and technological capabilities of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Liberation Army.
In his new role as the McCain Institute’s John S. McCain Distinguished Fellow, Secretary Esper will lead a bipartisan team to assess, discuss and promote policy solutions to the challenges facing U.S. national security decision-makers in the Executive Branch and Congress.
The discussions will center around four key principles: modernizing our armed forces, strengthening and expanding our alliances and regional relationships, reinvigorating America’s soft power globally by supporting our diplomatic and development assistance initiatives, and utilizing a whole-of-government approach alongside our allies to counter China. The McCain Institute is excited that this new endeavor will also work with some of our existing platforms such as the America’s Alliances Working Group and the Great Power Competition Working Group to present new policy recommendations to promote U.S. national security interests.
“I’m very pleased to welcome Secretary Esper to the McCain Institute,” said McCain Institute Board of Trustees Chair Cindy McCain. “Mark’s deep knowledge and expertise partnered with the convening power of the McCain Institute will produce valuable insights for policy makers on both sides of the aisle and throughout our government.”
“Any effective approach to the rise of China will need to reflect American values, be bipartisan and have the weight of the entire U.S. government and our allies behind it,” said former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. “These are hallmark characteristics of Senator McCain, and I look forward to tackling this important work at the McCain Institute.”
McCain Institute Media Fellowship
Kissinger Fellowship
Lynn Forester de Rothschild
Chief Executive officer E.L. Rothschild LLC
Lynn Forester de Rothschild
Chief Executive officer E.L. Rothschild LLC
Since June 2002, Lady de Rothschild has been the Chief Executive of E.L. Rothschild LLC, a private investment company with investments in media, asset management, information technology, agriculture and real estate worldwide. Holdings include The Economist Group (UK), Bronfman/E.L.Rothschild, real estate and financial instruments. Lady de Rothschild has been a director of The Estee Lauder Companies since December 2000 and The Economist Newspaper Limited (member of the Audit Committee) since October 2002.
From 2004-2007, she was also co-chair of FieldFresh Pvt. Ltd, a 50-50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises, established to develop the Indian agricultural sector in India. From 1989 to 2002, she was president and chief executive officer of FirstMark Holdings, Inc., which owned various telecommunications companies worldwide. She was executive vice president for development at Metromedia Telecommunications, Inc. from 1984 to 1989. She began her career in 1980 as an associate at the law firm of Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett LLP in New York City where she practiced corporate law until 1984.
She is co-host of the Conference on Inclusive Capitalism and Founder of the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism. She is a member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and a board member of the Alfred Herrhausen Society of International Dialogue of Deutsche Bank, the Elumelu Foundation (Africa),the International Advisory Board of Columbia University School of Law, FAI (Fondo per L’Ambiente Italiano) and the ERANDA Foundation (de Rothschild family foundation).
In addition to being a keynote speaker at various launch events (CNBC, Bloomberg) for the Henry Jackson Initiative on Inclusive Capitalism, Lady de Rothschild has been a featured speaker for the Economist World In 2013 conference, St. Antony’s College, Oxford, Tsinghua and Peking University, Royal Society of the United Services, London and the OECD Workshop on Inclusive Growth. Her opinion pieces have been published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Beast.
Lady de Rothschild is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (USA), Chatham House (UK), the International Advisory Council of Asia House (UK), the International Institute of Strategic Studies (UK) and the Foreign Policy Association (USA). In 2000, she was ranked number four on the European Fortune Most Powerful Woman in Business. In October 2007, Lady de Rothschild was awarded the Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.
Previously, she served as a member of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under President Clinton, as a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Inclusive Financial Services and as an Advisor to the Deutsche Bank Microfinance Consortium. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College in Claremont, California (1976) with a Juris Doctor with honors from Columbia University in New York City (1980).
Michael Crow
President Arizona State University
Michael Crow
President Arizona State University
Since June 2002, Lady de Rothschild has been the Chief Executive of E.L. Rothschild LLC, a private investment company with investments in media, asset management, information technology, agriculture and real estate worldwide. Holdings include The Economist Group (UK), Bronfman/E.L.Rothschild, real estate and financial instruments. Lady de Rothschild has been a director of The Estee Lauder Companies since December 2000 and The Economist Newspaper Limited (member of the Audit Committee) since October 2002.
From 2004-2007, she was also co-chair of FieldFresh Pvt. Ltd, a 50-50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises, established to develop the Indian agricultural sector in India. From 1989 to 2002, she was president and chief executive officer of FirstMark Holdings, Inc., which owned various telecommunications companies worldwide. She was executive vice president for development at Metromedia Telecommunications, Inc. from 1984 to 1989. She began her career in 1980 as an associate at the law firm of Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett LLP in New York City where she practiced corporate law until 1984.
She is co-host of the Conference on Inclusive Capitalism and Founder of the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism. She is a member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and a board member of the Alfred Herrhausen Society of International Dialogue of Deutsche Bank, the Elumelu Foundation (Africa),the International Advisory Board of Columbia University School of Law, FAI (Fondo per L’Ambiente Italiano) and the ERANDA Foundation (de Rothschild family foundation).
In addition to being a keynote speaker at various launch events (CNBC, Bloomberg) for the Henry Jackson Initiative on Inclusive Capitalism, Lady de Rothschild has been a featured speaker for the Economist World In 2013 conference, St. Antony’s College, Oxford, Tsinghua and Peking University, Royal Society of the United Services, London and the OECD Workshop on Inclusive Growth. Her opinion pieces have been published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Beast.
Lady de Rothschild is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (USA), Chatham House (UK), the International Advisory Council of Asia House (UK), the International Institute of Strategic Studies (UK) and the Foreign Policy Association (USA). In 2000, she was ranked number four on the European Fortune Most Powerful Woman in Business. In October 2007, Lady de Rothschild was awarded the Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.
Previously, she served as a member of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under President Clinton, as a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Inclusive Financial Services and as an Advisor to the Deutsche Bank Microfinance Consortium. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College in Claremont, California (1976) with a Juris Doctor with honors from Columbia University in New York City (1980).
Cindy McCain
Chair of the Board Of Trustees
Cindy McCain
President Arizona State University
Since June 2002, Lady de Rothschild has been the Chief Executive of E.L. Rothschild LLC, a private investment company with investments in media, asset management, information technology, agriculture and real estate worldwide. Holdings include The Economist Group (UK), Bronfman/E.L.Rothschild, real estate and financial instruments. Lady de Rothschild has been a director of The Estee Lauder Companies since December 2000 and The Economist Newspaper Limited (member of the Audit Committee) since October 2002.
From 2004-2007, she was also co-chair of FieldFresh Pvt. Ltd, a 50-50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises, established to develop the Indian agricultural sector in India. From 1989 to 2002, she was president and chief executive officer of FirstMark Holdings, Inc., which owned various telecommunications companies worldwide. She was executive vice president for development at Metromedia Telecommunications, Inc. from 1984 to 1989. She began her career in 1980 as an associate at the law firm of Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett LLP in New York City where she practiced corporate law until 1984.
She is co-host of the Conference on Inclusive Capitalism and Founder of the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism. She is a member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and a board member of the Alfred Herrhausen Society of International Dialogue of Deutsche Bank, the Elumelu Foundation (Africa),the International Advisory Board of Columbia University School of Law, FAI (Fondo per L’Ambiente Italiano) and the ERANDA Foundation (de Rothschild family foundation).
In addition to being a keynote speaker at various launch events (CNBC, Bloomberg) for the Henry Jackson Initiative on Inclusive Capitalism, Lady de Rothschild has been a featured speaker for the Economist World In 2013 conference, St. Antony’s College, Oxford, Tsinghua and Peking University, Royal Society of the United Services, London and the OECD Workshop on Inclusive Growth. Her opinion pieces have been published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Beast.
Lady de Rothschild is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (USA), Chatham House (UK), the International Advisory Council of Asia House (UK), the International Institute of Strategic Studies (UK) and the Foreign Policy Association (USA). In 2000, she was ranked number four on the European Fortune Most Powerful Woman in Business. In October 2007, Lady de Rothschild was awarded the Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.
Previously, she served as a member of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under President Clinton, as a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Inclusive Financial Services and as an Advisor to the Deutsche Bank Microfinance Consortium. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College in Claremont, California (1976) with a Juris Doctor with honors from Columbia University in New York City (1980).