Dan Gillerman

Ambassador Dan Gillerman served as Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from January 2003 – August 2008. His appointment marked the first time that Israel nominated someone from the private sector to this post. Under Ambassador Gillerman, Israel saw a number of notable achievements in international politics and diplomacy at the United Nations. He was instrumental in passing numerous resolutions in the General Assembly and Security Council, including the first successful Israeli resolutions ever adopted by the United Nations. As a testament to his leadership, his colleagues elected him a Vice President of the General Assembly in 2005, making him the first Israeli representative in 53 years to serve the position, ever since Abba Eban in 1952. During his tenure, he worked closely with UN Secretary-Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, as well as the entire UN membership. He forged close relationships with many world leaders and diplomats, including from Arab and Muslim countries and whose own countries do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, some of whom are even perceived as hostile to it.

Throughout his term, he has been the voice of Israel at the UN and other global forums. He has become a widely sought-after speaker, having addressed Jewish, Christian, and Muslim organizations, charitable foundations, business groups, investor conferences, and university campuses across the United States, Latin America, and Europe – from Buenos Aires to Berlin, and the World Economic Forum in Davos to Harvard University. He has appeared and been a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, BBC International, Bloomberg, Al-Jazeera, Meet the Press with Tim Russert, and Charlie Rose, as well as other prestigious news and television programs.

Since returning to Israel, Ambassador Gillerman has engaged deeply in the business world, taking on roles such as the Chairman of Blackstone Israel and a Senior Advisor to the Blackstone Group. He also serves as a Member of Blackstone’s International Advisory Board. He is the Chairman and CEO of Gillerman Global, a global strategic consulting firm. Beyond his business endeavors, he is involved in various cultural and international relations initiatives. He is the Chairman of the Israel Opera and the America-Israel Friendship League, continuing to promote and advance Israel's causes worldwide. His contributions to business and diplomacy have been recognized with multiple awards, including the Partners for Democracy award from the America-Israel Friendship League and the Scholar Statesman Award from the Washington Institute. He has also received honorary doctorates from Bar Ilan University and the Academic College, Netanya.