Teneo Appoints Ambassador Dana Shell Smith as Senior Advisor
Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, today announced the appointment of former United States Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, as a Senior Advisor. Having spent 25 years as a career diplomat working throughout the Middle East and Asia, Ambassador Smith is an expert in foreign affairs, crisis management and communications, media and commercial diplomacy.
In her role as Senior Advisor, Ambassador Smith will primarily focus on helping support the continued growth of Teneo’s business across the Middle East and Africa. Teneo has over 115 of its 1,600 employees in Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh, providing clients with a unique and comprehensive integrated service across Teneo’s Strategy & Communications, Financial Advisory, Management Consulting, Risk Advisory and People Advisory business segments.
Ambassador Smith served as the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar from 2014-2017, successfully advocating for business and investment opportunities, fostering international military and security cooperation and collaboration, and furthering partnerships in education, sport and culture. Since then, she has run an international strategy firm she founded to advance business, trade and professional ties between the United States and the Middle East.
As Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs from 2011-2014, Ambassador Smith managed State Department strategic communications, global media relations and crisis communications for Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. She has also served as a spokesperson and public affairs officer in Dubai, Taipei, Amman, Gaza, Tel Aviv and Cairo.
“We are delighted to welcome Ambassador Smith as a Senior Advisor to support Teneo’s business growth across the Middle East,” said Paul Keary, CEO of Teneo. “We are seeing multinational clients increasingly interested in expanding and deepening their operations and relationships across the region where Ambassador Smith is incredibly well respected. Ambassador Smith has been part of the broader Teneo family through her role with WestExec Advisors, and we look forward to even greater collaboration moving forward as our clients benefit from her deep network of relationships, vast experience, and insightful advice.”
“I am very excited to be joining the Teneo team,” said Ambassador Smith. “I have long admired the firm’s unique advisory model. No other firm combines strategic, reputational, operational and financial advisory at this scale, and I look forward to working closely with the Teneo team in the Middle East and around the globe.”
Ambassador Smith also serves as a Principal for Teneo’s strategic partner WestExec Advisors.
CONTACT
Doha
Jonathan Shillington
jonathan.shillington@teneo.com
M: +974 77588857
New York
Stephen Meahl
M: +1-917-853-2210