Cari E. Guittard is a founding Principal at Global Engagement Partners (GEP), a boutique corporate diplomacy, global engagement, intelligence, defense and strategic communications firm. In this capacity Guittard will continue her corporate diplomacy efforts as well as work on an extensive global portfolio of issues including strategic communications, geopolitical strategy, and work with multi-national companies as well as the U.S. military and intelligence community. Guittard is also a Senior Associate with the Gender Intelligence Group and teaches graduate courses for the Hult International Business School in Women's Leadership & Gender Intelligence and Corporate Diplomacy & Geopolitical Risk. Prior to her work with GEP, Guittard served as founding Executive Director of Business for Diplomatic Action, a private sector-led public diplomacy non-profit whose mission involved engaging and guiding corporations in a variety of global affairs and public diplomacy activities.

 

Prior to BDA, Guittard served in senior positions at the U.S. Department of State, working on a variety of portfolios ranging from public diplomacy and public affairs to cyber security, counter-terrorism, and political military affairs. Guittard has served as a spokesman, media representative, and law enforcement liaison and trainer for cyber threats and critical infrastructure initiatives, as well as advised senior officials of foreign governments, national and global non-profits, and corporations. Guittard has extensive experience in the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. She has appeared in numerous media and radio outlets to include The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, and the BBC. Guittard is a noted public speaker, speech writer, blogger and facilitator on issues related to foreign policy, public diplomacy, international affairs, cyber security, entrepreneurship and corporate diplomacy. Guittard currently serves in an adjunct faculty capacity teaching graduate courses in Corporate Diplomacy & Geopolitics for the University of Southern California Annenberg School and courses in International Negotiations and Women’s Leadership for the Hult MBA School in Dubai. Guittard earned a Bachelors of Arts in Government & Political Science in 1997 and an MPA in 1998 from the University of Texas at Dallas. In 1998 Guittard was selected nationally for the Presidential Management Fellowship. In 2007 Guittard was selected by San Francisco 7X7 Magazine’s Hot 20 Under 40, an annual profiling of emerging leaders in the Bay Area. Guittard resides in the Bay Area.