Bob Smolik is a veteran diplomat and scholar who worked around the world at U.S. embassies, looking behind the scenes at how local politics, economics, and societies work­—or don’t.  Bob served as economic minister-counselor, working to open foreign markets to U.S. trade and investment on a fair and equal basis. He was also a political advisor to U.S. military commanders in Africa and Europe and worked on conflict mediation.  As an ambassador of American society and culture, he helped Washington to understand the political and economic dynamics of other nations. In 2005, he served as diplomat in residence at the University of Michigan, where he taught on subjects ranging from economics and trade to United Nations human rights and NATO security issues.

Bob is an international lecturer on anti-corruption and good governance, and has worked in more than 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He holds graduate degrees from Berkeley and Harvard, an undergraduate degree from Cornell, and is fluent in five Romance languages. He engages audiences with passion and expertise, offering a look behind the scenes at how foreign cultures view the world.