A seasoned, dynamic leader of large, complex organizations in the U.S. and abroad, Ambassador Barbara A. Leaf brings more than three decades of government service and diplomatic experience to providing strategic counsel to clients across a range of trade and commerce, foreign policy, national security, and legislative issues. 

Most recently, Ambassador Leaf served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, developing and implementing policies and programs for 18 countries from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula. During her tenure, she intensified collaboration between U.S. government agencies and Middle Eastern governments and their private sectors to deepen business-to-business ties and expand bilateral trade. Drawing on her extensive experience with the Gulf in particular, Ambassador Leaf energetically promoted U.S. efforts to further regional economic integration through new multilateral transportation and trade corridors linking India through the Gulf to Israel and Europe. Her years of collaborative work with senior Iraqi and Gulf officials on regional security and economic issues built relationships of trust that enabled Ambassador Leaf to deal successfully with market impediments and improve business environments for U.S. firms.